FLO Specialist (Crisis Management), GS-12

Summary

The position is located in the Family Liaison Office (FLO), Bureau of Human Resources, Department of State.  The incumbent of this position is responsible for developing and coordinating programs and support services for employees and family members in the following areas: divorce and separation; security- and crisis-related concerns, including guidance during evacuations; eldercare; and special projects.  The incumbent reports to the Division Chief. This position is located in Washington, D.C. and may require some travel.

The Family Liaison Office was established in 1978 to improve the quality of life of Foreign Service employees and their family members.  The FLO assists both employees and family members in the areas of family member employment, educational counseling, crisis support, unaccompanied tours, and expeditious naturalization.  FLO provides support to evacuees from overseas missions, is the functional office for the worldwide Community Liaison Office program, and organizes Washington and overseas training conferences annually.  FLO produces numerous publications and electronic media and its staff participate in numerous presentations in FSI courses, to other agency personnel, and to post communities overseas.  Further information about FLO is available on the internet at: www.state.gov/flo.

The Family Liaison Office serves employees and family members not only from the Department of State, but also fields questions and makes referrals for many agencies with personnel abroad including the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. Foreign Commercial Service, the U.S. Justice Department, and Peace Corps, among others.

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 in the United States is required.

 Major Duties

1. Serves as primary point of contact to provide support, information, and other resources to employees and family members undergoing a wide variety of crises. Researches, analyzes and presents information on personal crisis support to FLO clients.
2. Addresses issues of concern through client interaction and by offering guidance and referral to numerous resources. Areas of engagement with clients include personal concerns such as separation, divorce, eldercare, adaptation to the Foreign Service, and other challenges to family and personal resilience. Supports FLO colleagues during wider challenges, such as evacuations.
3. Develops and recommends programming decisions in support of the Family Liaison Office mission. Generates proposals for new programs and initiatives to respond to the changing needs of the overseas community.
4. Represents FLO throughout the Department and other federal agencies and outside organizations to provide FLO program perspective. Conducts briefings at the Foreign Service Institute and attends conferences and a wide variety of meetings as FLO subject matter expert. Participates in outreach efforts regarding FLO programs.

Qualifications (ranking factors)

The successful candidate must have:

1. A minimum of five (5) years living in a Foreign Service community abroad as an Eligible Family Member (EFM) or Member of Household (MOH), with knowledge gained regarding socio-economic factors affecting Foreign Service family members, particularly via first-hand experience regarding the realities and challenges of Foreign Service life overseas and back in the U.S.
2. Demonstrated excellent customer service skills honed while providing confidential guidance and resource referral to individuals experiencing personal crises;
3. Demonstrated ability to develop, manage, and analyze program activities and related challenges, apply relevant regulations, and collaborate with colleagues to develop and implement solutions, often with sensitive topics, under time constraints in the midst of competing demands;
4. Demonstrated editing, research and writing experience, including gathering, synthesizing and organizing large amounts of material for non-subject matter expert audiences, in a time and/or space-constrained setting;
5. Demonstrated ability to design and deliver adult training, conduct group discussions, address audiences, and interact with officials of foreign and civil service agencies at multiple levels; and
6. Demonstrated facility with Microsoft Office Suite programs (Access, Excel, Word, and Power Point), SharePoint for project/data management and reporting, and experience using webinar tools such as Adobe Connect and social media platforms.

Availability is a key factor.

How to Apply

Interested individuals may submit one of the following: an Application for Employment as a Locally Employed Staff or Family Member (DS-174), or a 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: FLO Specialist (Crisis Management), GS301-12.

In addition, each candidate must submit a supplemental statement that addresses each of the qualifications (ranking factors) and explains in detail how the applicant’s experience (paid or unpaid), education or special training relates to those qualifications.  Please include your name and the title and grade of the position for which you are applying. List each ranking factor and describe in detail how your experience aligns with each factor.  Applications that are incomplete or mailed in government postage-paid envelopes will not be considered.

Please note that because all Family Liaison Office positions are in the Excepted Service, neither past nor current Federal nor 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 ELEMENTS: In summary, you must include ALL of the following. If ANY item is missing or incomplete, your application cannot be considered:

1. A DS-174, a Federal resume, or any other format that contains ALL of the required elements listed in this announcement; NOTE: these forms or formats can be found on the internet. The DS-174 should not be submitted via eForms. Please submit the DS-174 as an email attachment;
2. “Supplemental Statement” addressing EACH of the Qualifications and Ranking Factors IN DETAIL. The supplemental statement should list each qualification/ranking factor mentioned above and a brief summary of how the applicant meets that particular qualification. A cover letter should not be substituted for the supplemental statement;
3. For Federal employees (including former employees and those in FSFRC Reserve Status or INWS):
4. Most recent Performance Appraisal Report or EER (even if several years old), or if one does not exist, a form DS-1812 or equivalent form from another agency;
5. Most recent SF-50 (even if several years old); and

• For those applicants without Federal employment experience, performance appraisals are optional; and
• Veterans must demonstrate proof of eligibility by submitting their DD-214 (member copy 4) along with their SF-15 and VA Letter (if applicable).

OTHER INFORMATION: E-VERIFY: EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION PROGRAM. 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 the Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration (SSA) records to confirm employment eligibility. If the 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.

Send applications to HRSS/EP by fax at (843) 202-3807 or by email to HRSSFLO@state.gov. Please indicate in the email subject line “FLO Specialist (Crisis Management), GS-301-12” to ensure applications are routed correctly and please include the applicant’s name in the title of any email attachments.

Applications may also be mailed to Office of Shared Services Employment Programs — FLO, 1999 Dyess Avenue, Building E, Charleston, SC 29405. The application must be received by 11:59 p.m. EST, December 9, 2019. If there are any questions regarding this announcement, please contact Bert Curtis, Division Chief, M/DGHR/FLO, at (202) 647-1076 or CurtisBS@state.gov. Important: Attach the required documents to the e-mail; do not send a picture of the documents or links to the “Cloud” where the document is located.

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 in sufficient detail to permit accurate evaluation of eligibility and background as they relate to the qualification requirements listed in the announcement. Competition for vacancies in the Family Liaison Office is very keen.

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.

Information for Those Who Wish to Submit a Resume

Please note that although neither the format nor a particular application form is specified, there is certain information that applicants must provide in order to determine if the legal requirements for Federal employment have been met and to evaluate one’s qualifications. If a resume 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), email, and day and evening phone numbers, including area code;
2. Country of citizenship (most Federal jobs require U.S. citizenship);
3. Veteran’s preference (proof of eligibility is required);
4. Highest Federal civilian grade held, including series, beginning, and ending dates (if applicable);
5. List HS Diploma or GED and 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 and 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 information on their work experience, both paid and non-paid, that is related 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. Starting and ending 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.