Foreign Affairs Specialist

Foreign Affairs Specialist

Department of Energy

National Nuclear Security Administration

Summary

The Foreign Affairs Specialist positions are located within the International Operations Division of the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration. The incumbent represents the Secretary of Energy and DOE and provides a DOE-wide perspective at the assigned U.S. Embassy.

Duties

A Foreign Affairs Specialist for DOE/NNSA:

- Serves as a Foreign Affairs Specialist and represents the Secretary of Energy and the Department of Energy (DOE) at U.S. diplomatic missions to advance U.S. security and economic interests through a mastery of the U.S. Government's (USG's) and DOE's energy, science, and nonproliferation goals, objectives, agreements, and policies, as well as other DOE initiatives.

- Conducts analyses of vital foreign affairs policies, programs, and projects that are of national and international interest, scope, and impact to both U.S. and foreign policy makers/officials. These analyses are a basis for decisions regarding a broad range of energy, science, and nonproliferation-related issues.

- Supports DOE energy, science, and nonproliferation programs by: a) fostering and maintaining contact with foreign governments, industry, academia, scientific and research institutions, and the non-governmental organization community; b) remaining abreast of current and prospective energy, energy security, climate change mitigation, worldwide science and technology trends; nuclear security, and nonproliferation, and other energy, science, and nonproliferation-related issues, concerns and developments; c) facilitating coordination and communication with DOE headquarters and keeping the Chief of Mission and the interagency apprised regarding ongoing projects and programs; and d) working closely in support of DOE's energy, science, and nonproliferation priorities with appropriate diplomatic mission sections - to include Economic Affairs, Political Affairs, and the Foreign Commercial Service - to ensure a consistent approach and message.

- Briefs senior government policymakers, Congressional delegations, and senior business and/or non-governmental organization decision makers on energy-, science-, and nonproliferation-related issues.

- Explains and advocates DOE positions within the diplomatic mission community; discusses and negotiates USG and DOE positions with senior foreign diplomatic and government officials by addressing energy, environmental, and nuclear security challenges through transformative science and technology solutions; and develops negotiating positions and strategies.

- Works to strengthen U.S. national security and energy security objectives by working cooperatively with foreign counterparts and supporting DOE programmatic issues. Issues can include U.S. and host country/multilateral security; energy policies and associated implications; energy security, fuel diversification, and worldwide energy supplies; clean energy and climate change mitigation; nuclear security, energy, and nonproliferation; and commercial investment and innovation opportunities of energy technologies and resources.

- Identifies opportunities for collaboration between DOE and foreign counterparts and resolves technical, policy, and procedural problems or issues related to energy, science, and nuclear nonproliferation cooperation.

- Engages U.S. and international energy companies to keep abreast of investment decisions, project progress, and implications of policy or legislative developments. The incumbent identifies areas of potential technical cooperation/exchanges, identifies areas in the host country's energy sector that could provide business opportunities for U.S. firms, and links U.S. firms with host country energy needs. The incumbent conducts coverage, analysis, and advocacy.

- Supervises DOE's locally engaged staff (LES); including planning work to be accomplished by LES; setting and adjusting short-term priorities; preparing schedules for completion of work; and assigning work to team members based on priorities, selective consideration of the difficulty and requirements of assignments, and the capabilities of staff.

Relocation/PCS to and from the overseas duty stations will be paid for by the Department of Energy/NNSA.

This vacancy is also being announced in the Excepted service under announcement #25-NA-MB-XA-00007-EN-GOV. You must apply to both, to be considered for both.

The salary indicated above is the base salary range for the NNSA NQ-04 pay band (2024 General Schedule, GS-15 equivalent) in the federal service. The applicable foreign allowances will be applied to the base salary when located at the foreign post. Prior to relocation to the overseas duty station, the appropriate U.S. locality pay will be applied to the base pay.