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FLO Specialist (Education and Youth), GS-12

Employment Opportunity in the Family Liaison Office

  • FLO Specialist (Education and Youth) GS-301-12, is an Excepted Service, full-time, Schedule A, two-year limited appointment, with potential to be extended up to a maximum of five years; grade 12 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 (FERS, TSP, FEGLI and FEHB). The application deadline for this position is 11:59 p.m. EDT, May 7, 2020 .

Summary

The position is located in the Family Liaison Office (FLO), Bureau of Global Talent Management, Department of State, Washington, DC. The incumbent of this position reports to the Division Chief and carries out program duties to accomplish FLO’s education and youth programs and services. This position is located in Washington, DC, but requires some travel. After successfully performing the required duties in Washington, DC, at the discretion of FLO management, the incumbent may be eligible to serve in this position as a Domestic Employee Teleworking from Overseas (DETO), depending upon FLO staffing, time zone, and other factors.

About FLO

The Family Liaison Office was established in 1978 to improve the quality of life of Foreign Service employees and their family members. FLO assists both employees and family members in the areas of family member employment, education and youth issues, crisis support, unaccompanied tours, and expeditious naturalization. In addition, FLO provides support to evacuees from overseas missions and is the functional office for the worldwide Community Liaison Office program. FLO produces numerous publications and electronic media, and its staff participate in presentations at the Foreign Service Institute (FSI), to other agency personnel, and to post communities overseas. Further information about FLO is available via www.state.gov/flo.

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

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. Responsible for addressing issues of concern from clients through coaching and guidance and conferring with a technical expert if necessary. The primary areas include education issues for Foreign Service youth, including education options at overseas posts, such as home schooling, transition to the Washington, DC area, and adaptation to the lifestyle of an internationally mobile youth. The incumbent serves as primary point of contact for employees and family members seeking information about boarding school options when there is no adequate education option at post.
  2. Researches, analyzes, and presents information on education and youth to FLO clients. Provides advice and guidance on program specifications to FLO clients (i.e., U.S. government employees and family members) and representatives from other federal agencies by responding to inquiries and requests for assistance and information, and updating guidance on the FLO website, and via cables and published materials. Develops proposals for new programs and initiatives to respond to the changing needs of the Foreign Service community.
  3. Represents FLO throughout the Department and other federal agencies and outside organizations to provide FLO program perspective. Conducts briefings at the FSI and attends conferences and a wide variety of meetings as FLO subject matter expert. Participates in outreach efforts regarding FLO programs. Visits educational institutions.
  4. Develops and recommends programming decisions affecting the long-and short-term goals of the program.

Qualifications (ranking factors)

The successful candidate must have:

  1.  A minimum of five years of experience living in a Foreign Service community abroad as an Eligible Family Member (EFM) or Member of Household (MOH);
  2. Master’s degree and/or professional background in education either as a teacher, counselor, school psychologist, or educational administrator in international and/or American public schools; familiarity with the range of educational issues that relate to Foreign Service life, and the related allowances such as those pertaining to boarding schools, special needs education, homeschooling, Washington, DC area schools, college admission procedures, testing programs, gifted and talented programs, and educational evaluation services;
  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 under time constraints in the midst of competing demands;
  4. Editing, research, and writing experience, including the gathering, organizing, and synthesizing of extensive information for a layperson (non-subject matter expert)
    audience;
  5. Ability to design and deliver adult training, conduct group discussions, address a variety of audiences, and interact with Foreign and Civil Service officials at all agencies and at multiple levels; and
  6. Demonstrated knowledge of Microsoft Office suite including database, spreadsheet, and design applications, and the ability to conduct internet research. Experience using electronic media, e.g., blogging, social networking, webinars.

Availability is a key factor.

How to Apply

Interested individuals may submit one of the following:

  • Application for Employment as a Locally Employed Staff,
  • Family Member (DS-174),
  • or 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 (Education and Youth) GS-301-12.

In addition, each candidate must submit a supplemental statement that addresses each of the 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 and the title and grade of the position for which you are applying. 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 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:

  1. DS-174, Federal resume, or any other format that contains ALL of the required elements listed in paragraph 11 of 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 (listed in paragraph 6) IN DETAIL. The supplemental statement should list each qualification/ranking factor and a brief summary of how the applicant meets each particular qualification. A cover letter should not be substituted for the supplemental statement.
  3. For Federal employees (including former employees and those in the Foreign Service Family Reserve Corp (FSFRC) or Intermittent No Work Scheduled (INWS)):
    1. Most recent Performance Appraisal Report or EER (even if several years old), or, if one does not exist, Form DS-1812 or equivalent form from another agency; and
    2.  Most recent SF-50 (even if several years old)
  4. For applicants without Federal employment experience, performance appraisals are optional.

Submitting a Resume

There is no specified resume format; however, applicants must provide certain information on their resumes to evaluate their qualifications and determine if the legal requirements for Federal employment have been met. 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;
  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 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.

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 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 HRSS/EP by fax at 843-202-3807 or by email to HRSSFLO@state.gov with the subject line “FLO Specialist (Education and Youth) GS-301-12.” Include the applicant’s name in the title of any email attachments. Attach the required documents to the e-mail; do not send a picture of the documents or links to the Cloud.

Applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. EST, May 7, 2020. 

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.

Questions

Please contact Bert Curtis, Division Chief, M/DGTM/FLO, at 202-647-1076 or CurtisBS@state.gov.

U.S. Department of State

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