Summary
This position is in the Canberra, Australia Country Office, Bangkok, Thailand Country Office and the Tokyo, Japan Country Office. This position primary purpose is to serves as an advisor to the Country Attaché (CA), Assistant Special Agent in Charge (ASAC), and Special Agent in Charge (SAC) on administrative program and policy matters.
Duties
As the Foreign Administrative Support Specialist your typical work assignments may include: Manages office budget; controls financial operations and manages accounting records. Performs accounts reconciliations. May be required to maintain imprest account. Serves as personnel liaison representative. Provides human resources advice and assistance concerning personnel actions, time and attendance, pay issues, foreign allowances, leave administration, and security clearance process. Performs procurement and property management functions to include procuring supplies and services; maintaining stock level controls; negotiating with vendors to obtain best price and warranties; and performing annual inventory of all accountable property. Obtains and manages official government vehicles, arranges for servicing, maintains vehicle usage records, prepares monthly reports, and coordinates the disposal of vehicles. ASSIGNMENT INFORMATION: Length of Tour: Employees are limited to a maximum of five years of service in an overseas assignment. The initial tour of duty for this assignment is 3 (three) years. After the initial tour of duty has been completed, extensions may be granted in one-year increments up to the five-year maximum. Employees who wish to remain on an overseas assignment in excess of the five-year maximum must request a tour extension or renewal before the end of their current assignment. Employees who are approved to extend their overseas assignment beyond the five-year maximum will forfeit the right to return to an office of preference. They will be placed in an appropriate position at a DEA domestic office where a vacancy exists. At the conclusion of an overseas tour, DEA will attempt to return employees to their home location. If such a placement is not possible, employees' office of preference lists will be considered. However, employees are reminded that assignments are determined based on the needs of DEA. Canberra, Australia Country Office Post (Hardship) Differential: None Post (Cost of Living) Allowance 30% Danger Pay Allowance: None Home Leave: Allowed after the initial 24 months incident to tour renewal. Housing Allowances: Housing paid for by U.S. Government, Canberra is a furnished post. Foreign Language: None Rest & Recuperation: None Relocation Incentive: No Educational Allowances**: Yes, see below Tokyo, Japan Country Office Post (Hardship) Differential: None Post (Cost of Living) Allowance 10% Danger Pay Allowance: None Home Leave: Allowed after the initial 24 months incident to tour renewal. Housing Allowances: Housing paid for by U.S. Government, Tokyo is a furnished post. Foreign Language: None Rest & Recuperation: None Relocation Incentive: No Educational Allowances**: Yes, see below Bangkok, Thailand Country Office Post (Hardship) Differential: 10% Post (Cost of Living) Allowance 5% Danger Pay Allowance: None Home Leave: Allowed after the initial 24 months incident to tour renewal. Housing Allowances: Housing paid for by U.S. Government, Bangkok is a furnished post. Foreign Language: None Rest & Recuperation: None Relocation Incentive: No Educational Allowances**: Yes, see below *Post (cost of living) allowance, post (hardship) differential, and danger pay allowance (if applicable to the advertised post) are subject to change. Detailed post (cost of living) allowance information can be found here. Detailed post (hardship) differential information can be found here. Detailed danger pay allowance information can be found here and here. Overseas Transition Preparation: Please contact DEA Family Liaison Officers Kieran Mandato ([email protected]) or N'Dorah Z. Walker ([email protected]) for Post Reports that detail living conditions for employees and their families at post. Click here for a Prospective Post Priorities Worksheet that can help you consider what is important to you and your family in the foreign PCS decision-making process. For more information regarding the foreign PCS process, please see the PCS Foreign Assignment Relocation Handbook and the Foreign Orientation Handbook. Training Requirements: Selectees for this position must successfully complete five mandatory foreign assignment courses on DEALS: Serving Abroad for Families and Employees (SAFE); Personnel Recovery 1 (PR1); Foreign Orientation Program (FOP); Counter Threat Awareness Training (CTAT), and Promoting International Religious Freedom (PIRF). Selectees must also successfully complete Personnel Recovery Emergency Preparedness (PREP), a two-week in-person course conducted by the DEA Office of Training in Stafford, Virginia and West Virginia. Selectee's family members 18 years of age and older are also required to take CTAT and may have additional training requirements if they intend to work at an embassy abroad. More information regarding training
Education
See the qualification section of this vacancy announcement for education requirements. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For a list of accredited organizations recognized as specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials, visit: www.naces.org/members.php. If you are claiming education as any part of your qualifications for this position, you must submit an official transcript, unofficial transcript, or a list including courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. K-12 Education: Education of dependents through high school is provided by, or paid for by, the U.S. Government as allowable and authorized in accordance with appropriate regulations. The Department of State's (DOS) Regional Education Officers from the Office of Overseas Schools determines a school's adequacy level based upon numerous factors. All questions and concerns regarding adequacy clarification should be directed to the Regional Education Officers from the DOS Office of Overseas Schools at 202-261-8200 or [email protected]. Do you have a student in your family who benefits from special education services? Please contact DEA Family Liaison Officers, information below, to further discuss your student's needs and the post's ability to adequately serve them. Detailed education allowance regulations can be found here and FAQs can be found here. Note that dependents under the age of 23 enrolled in college are allowed one round trip to overseas locations every 12 months.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents) and assessment questionnaire. If you meet the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements for this position a panel of subject-matter-experts (SMEs) will perform a structured review of your resume to evaluate your knowledge, skills, abilities, and competences as they directly relate to the duties of this position. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics): Administration and Management Clerical Contracting/Procurement Financial Management Oral Communication The assessment questionnaire includes four short, free-response essay questions which provides an opportunity for you to highlight your dedication to public service for the hiring manager and agency leadership (or designee(s)). While your responses are not required and will not be scored, we encourage you to thoughtfully address each question in 200-words or less.? You will be asked to certify that you are using your own words and have not used a consultant or artificial intelligence (AI) such as a large language model (LLM) like ChatGPT or Copilot. Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) candidates must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for selection priority. Candidates are considered well qualified if their knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) exceed the minimum qualifications described in the announcement. ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRE: You may preview the https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13061124.