Program Coordinator (Unaccompanied Tours and Evacuations), GS-12/13

About the Position

This position is located at the Department of State in the Bureau of Global Talent Management’s Global Community Liaison Office (GTM/GCLO) in Washington, D.C.  The incumbent of this position contributes to accomplishing GCLO’s overall mission by providing employees and family members with the resources, programs, and services to assist in a successful unaccompanied tour and in navigating the challenges of a post evacuation.  The Program Coordinator receives supervision from a Division Chief and provides day-to-day management of GCLO’s unaccompanied tours and evacuations program.

The Program Coordinator (Unaccompanied Tours and Evacuations) is a GS-12/13 Excepted Service, full-time, Schedule A, two-year limited appointment, with potential to be extended up to a maximum of five years; GS-13 is the full performance level for this position.  This appointment is not in the Competitive Service.  The selected candidate will receive a two-year non-career term appointment with benefits for up to five years, including Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance (FEGLI), and Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB).  GTM/GCLO offers workplace flexibilities for all GCLO staff. This position is based in Washington, D.C., and is currently not eligible for a Domestic Employee Teleworking Overseas (DETO) agreement.

About GCLO

GCLO was established in 1978 as the Family Liaison Office (FLO) to improve the quality of life of Foreign Service employees and their family members.  The office changed its name to the Global Community Liaison Office in 2021 and continues to assist both employees and family members in the areas of family member employment, education, crisis support, unaccompanied tours, and expeditious naturalization.  GTM/GCLO also provides support to evacuees from overseas missions, is the functional office for the worldwide Community Liaison Office program, and organizes Washington, D.C., and overseas training workshops annually.  GTM/GCLO produces a variety of publications and electronic media, and its staff participate in numerous presentations in Foreign Service Institute (FSI) courses, to other agency personnel, and to post communities overseas.  Further information about GTM/GCLO is available via www.state.gov/gclo.

GTM/GCLO serves employees and family members from the Department of State and the other 50 federal agencies sending people overseas under Chief of Mission, including the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. Foreign Commercial Service, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, by fielding questions and making referrals.

Key Requirements

1. U.S. citizenship.
2. Ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance.
3. Conditions of Employment – E-Verify: Verification of employment eligibility in the United States is required.
4. Domestic or international travel may be required.

Major Duties

1. Develops short- and long-term program goals and objectives for GCLO’s Unaccompanied Tours and Evacuations programs and creates detailed plans, tasks, and schedules to meet those goals and objectives.  Works with GCLO management to establish and manage program outreach strategies and materials.
2. Ensures program compliance by analyzing and evaluating the effectiveness of GCLO’s Unaccompanied Tours and Evacuations programs and provides expert advice to GCLO management on potential advocacy issues. Determines necessary changes to meet established goals and objectives.
3. Provides advice and guidance to GCLO clients and representatives from other agencies and advocates for employees and family members with issues within the Unaccompanied Tours and Evacuations programs. Responds to inquiries and requests for assistance and information.
4. Attends meetings with bureaus within the Department of State and interagency partners to determine if additional services are needed and to explain and provide guidance on the Unaccompanied Tours and Evacuations programs.  Represents GCLO in meetings, seminars, and working groups and presents formal briefings on the programs to GCLO clients.
5. Develops and manages relationships with other subject matter experts within the GTM bureau and Department to build knowledge of relevant policy, guidance, and available resources to support diverse client needs. Responsible for cross training GCLO colleagues on covering key program elements and client services, consulting and collaborating with other GCLO subject matter experts, and providing coverage for other GCLO client support programs.  Serves as Acting Division Chief as needed.
6. Manages updates and creates content for the GCLO website and other digital media, cables, webinars, inter agency briefings, Community Liaison Office training, and published materials.  Reviews and clears on cables, policy guidance, and other reports on behalf of GCLO.

Qualifications (Ranking Factors)

Successful candidates for the GS-12 grade level must meet the following requirements:

1. A minimum of five (5) years of experience living in a U.S. embassy or consulate community abroad as an Eligible Family Member (EFM) or Member of Household (MOH), including the personal specific experience of an Unaccompanied Tour. Please specify how these experiences have equipped you with knowledge of the needs of the Foreign Service community.  Please provide start and end dates for qualifying periods.
2. Excellent customer service skills including the ability to provide guidance and referral services, with supervision, to individuals in crisis, and the ability to maintain confidentiality.  Please provide specific examples of your experience working with clients in a crisis or high stress situation.
3. With supervision, experience interacting with officials of the Foreign Service agencies and Civil Service contacts on all levels to discuss advocacy and policy issues affecting the diverse communities overseas.  Please provide specific examples of your experience working/interacting with officials of the Foreign Service agencies.
4. The ability to interact well with others, demonstrating good teamwork and basic project management skills.  Please provide examples of your ability to assist with and collaborate on specific projects.
5. Demonstrated ability to deliver adult training, conduct group discussions, address audiences, and interact with officials of the Foreign and Civil Service and all agencies at multiple levels.  Please provide specific examples of your experience in all these areas; and
6. Solid writing skills with ability to communicate clearly and assist with technical and non-technical topics. Demonstrated facility with Microsoft Office Suite, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; Facebook; and webinar tools, such as Teams, Webex, and Google Meet.  Please specify the applications with which you are familiar.  

Successful candidates for the GS-13 grade level must meet the following requirements:

1. A minimum of five (5) years of experience living in a U.S. embassy or consulate community abroad as an EFM or MOH, including the personal specific experience of an Unaccompanied Tour.  Please specify how these experiences have equipped you with knowledge of the needs of the Foreign Service community.  Please provide start and end dates for qualifying periods.
2. Excellent customer service skills including the ability to provide guidance and referral services without supervision to individuals in crisis, and the ability to maintain confidentiality.  Experience advising colleagues through difficult customer service experiences.  Please provide specific examples of your experience working with clients in a crisis or high stress situation and your experience advising colleagues through difficult customer service situations.
3. With limited supervision, experience interacting with officials of the Foreign Service agencies and Civil Service contacts on all levels to discuss advocacy and policy issues affecting the diverse communities overseas.  Please provide specific examples of your experience working/interacting with officials of the Foreign Service agencies.
4. Demonstrated ability to develop, manage, and analyze programs, including individual and collaborative, team-oriented development, and implementation of solutions, as well as application of relevant regulations, often under time constraints and while prioritizing competing demands, with limited supervision. Strong project management experience.  Please provide specific examples of your experience in all these areas.
5. Demonstrated experience designing and presenting adult training programs in-person and via video- and tele-conferencing.  Please provide specific examples of adult-training presentations you have designed and given; Ability to speak and write clearly and concisely on technical and non-technical topics, including those involving complex government regulations, and in response to requests for speeches, decision memoranda, and data analysis.  Please provide specific examples of instances where you have utilized these skills under limited supervision; and
6. Demonstrated knowledge of and facility with Microsoft Office Suite, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; Facebook; and webinar tools, such as Teams, Webex, and Google Meet.  Please specify the applications with which you are familiar and have experience using with limited assistance.  

In addition to the six ranking factors indicated above, you must be a U.S. Citizen as of the closing date of this announcement.

Availability is also a key factor.

How to Apply

Interested individuals may submit the following:

• Federal resume (see important instructions for submitting a resume at the end of this announcement).

Note: There is no vacancy announcement number. Please reference the position title: Program Coordinator (Unaccompanied Tours and Evacuations) GS301. List clearly if applying for the GS-12 or GS-13.  Candidates may apply for one or both positions.  Candidates who wish to apply to both the GS-12 and GS-13 grade level in the same application, must identify they are applying to both grade levels and must address the different ranking factors of both grade levels in their application.

In addition, each candidate must submit a supplemental statement that addresses each of the qualifications/ranking factors listed in “Qualifications (Ranking Factors)”.  List each ranking factor and describe in detail how your experience (paid or unpaid), education, or special training aligns with each factor.  The supplemental statement should include your name, an answer to the U.S. citizenship question, and the title and grade of the position for which you are applying.  Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Please note that because all GTM/GCLO positions are in the Excepted Service, neither past nor current federal or executive order eligibility is required.  However, if applicants have government employment status or eligibilities, it is helpful to document this in the application to assist in determining the level of skills and abilities of each candidate.

Summary of Required Application Materials

You must include ALL of the following.  If ANY item is missing or incomplete, your application cannot be considered:

Federal resume, or any other format that contains ALL of the required elements listed in the  “Submitting a Resume” section of this announcement.

1. Supplemental Statement addressing EACH of the Qualifications/Ranking Factors listed in the “Qualifications (Ranking Factors)” section IN DETAIL.  At the top of the supplemental statement, list the grade level (GS 12 or GS 13) for which you are applying. The supplemental statement should list each qualification/ranking factor and a brief summary of how the applicant meets each particular qualification.  The supplemental statement should also include your name and an answer to the U.S. citizenship question. Incomplete applications will not be considered.  A cover letter should not be substituted for the supplemental statement.
2. For Federal employees, including former employees and those in the Foreign Service Family Reserve Corps (FSFRC) or Intermittent No Work Scheduled (INWS) status:
   1. Most recent Performance Appraisal Report or Employee Evaluation Report (EER), (even if several years old) or, if one does not exist, Form DS-1812 or equivalent form from another federal agency; AND
   2. Most recent SF-50 (even if several years old).
3. For applicants without Federal employment experience, performance appraisals are optional.
4. Veterans must demonstrate proof of eligibility by submitting their DD-214 (member copy 4), SF-15, and VA Letter (if applicable).
5. All GTM/GCLO positions are in the Excepted Service, and so neither past nor current federal or executive order eligibility is required. However, if applicants have government employment status or eligibilities, it is helpful to document this in the application.

Submitting a Resume

There is no specified resume format. Whatever format is used, it must contain the following information for the applicant to be considered for the position:

Personal and Education Information

1. Full name, mailing address (with zip code), and day and evening phone numbers, including area code;
2. Country of citizenship (U.S. citizenship required);
3. Veteran’s preference (proof of eligibility is required);
4. Highest Federal civilian grade held, including series, with beginning and ending dates;
5. High school diploma or GED acquired, plus the name, city, and state of high school or educational institution; and
6. Name and state of colleges and universities attended; major fields of study; type of any degrees received (if no degree, show total number of credits earned, and indicate whether they are in quarter or semester hours).

Work Experience and Other Qualifications

Applicants must provide the following information for all work experience, both paid and unpaid, relevant to the position for which they are applying, including:

1. Job title (series and grade if Federal employment);
2. Duties and accomplishments;
3. Employer’s name and address;
4. Supervisor’s name and telephone number (indicate if we may contact your current supervisor);
5. Start and end dates of employment (month/year);
6. Hours worked per week;
7. Salary;
8. Any other qualifications, including: job-related training (title and date of course), skills (e.g. languages, typing speed, and computer software/hardware), current licenses, or honors, awards, and special accomplishments (e.g. honor societies, publications); and
9. Date available.

Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify)

U.S. law requires organizations to employ only individuals who may legally work in the United States – either U.S. citizens or foreign citizens who have the necessary authorization.  This agency utilizes E-Verify to compare information from Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification) to data from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration (SSA) records to confirm employment eligibility.  If an employee’s information does not match DHS and/or SSA records, the employee is given an opportunity to resolve the problem.  If eligibility cannot be verified, employment will be terminated.

Submitting Applications

Send applications to GTM’s Office of Talent Services (GTM/TS) via  GTMTSGCLO@state.gov with the subject line “LAST NAME Program Coordinator GS-301-12” or LAST NAME Program Coordinator GS-301-13 or LAST NAME Program Coordinator GS-301-12 & GS-301-13.”  Include the applicant’s name in the title of any email attachments (Last, First, Middle Initial).  Attach the required documents to the e-mail; do not send a picture of the documents or links to the Cloud.  Application submissions and vacancy related questions should be submitted to GTMTSGCLO@state.gov.

Applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. ET, June 5, 2023.

Evaluation Method

The determination of basic eligibility is based upon review of the federal application or resume and supplemental statement.  It is imperative that the information provided be detailed to allow accurate evaluation of eligibility and background as they relate to the qualification requirements listed in the announcement.

Privacy Act Information

The Office of Personnel Management and other Federal agencies rate applicants for Federal jobs under the authority of sections 1104, 1302, 3301, 3304, 3320, 3361, 3393, and 3394 of title 5 of the United States Code.  The information requested is needed to evaluate your qualifications.  Other laws require inquiring about citizenship, military service, etc.

Reasonable Accommodation

If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please submit your request through the GTM Next Employee Portal or email OAA@state.gov.  Requests for accommodation are considered on a case-by-case basis.

Questions

Please contact Ramona Sandoval, Division Chief, GTM/GCLO:  SandovalRM@state.gov.