Overview
Accepting applications
Open & closing dates

12/26/2024 to 01/16/2025

Salary

$117,962 - $153,354 per year

Pay scale & grade

GS 13

Location
Washington, DC
1 vacancy
Remote job

No

Telework eligible

Yes—as determined by the agency policy.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be required to travel for this position.

Relocation expenses reimbursed

No

Appointment type

Permanent

Work schedule

Full-time

Service

Competitive

Promotion potential

13

Job family (Series)
1040 Language Specialist
Supervisory status

No

Security clearance

Top Secret

Drug test

Yes

Position sensitivity and risk

Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk

Trust determination process
National security
Announcement number

A-2025-0041

Control number

825776300
Summary

This position functions as an Interpreter at the professional level in the European Languages Branch of the Interpreting Division of the Office of Language Services of the Department of State. The Division traditionally handles the most difficult interpreting assignments in the Federal Government, including service for the President, cabinet members, and congressional leaders.

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This job is open to
The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

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Duties
Provides simultaneous and consecutive interpreting service at the expert level between English and Spanish in formal and informal settings in support of foreign affairs programs and diplomatic activities.
Provides interpreting services in diplomatic settings, serving as an interpreter for the President, the Vice President, the Secretary of State and other U.S. Government officials.
Handles complex logistics to perform liaison and coordinating work with officers of the government and private organizations for various engagements such as conferences and negotiation sessions.
Interviews, tests, and may train interpreter-candidates and may be required to develop guidelines for the training of interpreters at lower levels of expertise.
Translates, reviews, and compares one or more language combinations, advises on translation and terminology issues in said combinations.
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Requirements
Conditions of Employment
U.S. Citizenship is required.
Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing.
Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance.
This position requires the applicant to pass a Language Proficiency Test.
Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing.
Qualifications

Applicants must meet all the qualification requirements described below by the closing date of this announcement.

Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service which provided you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position.

Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following:

Experience in translating, interpreting, or other work requiring the use of English and the other language; or a combination of work (that required English and the other language) and training at the Defense Language Institute, Foreign Service Institute, or comparable training.

IN ADDITION, this position requires the following additional specialized experience:

Experience with simultaneous and consecutive interpreting at the conference level Spanish into English and English into Spanish.
Experience with the contemporary politics, economy, international relations, and the other country or countries in which Spanish is spoken.
Experience interpreting in meetings at the conference level on behalf of senior members of governments, including one-on-ones, bilateral meetings, and press events.

THE FOLLOWING SELECTIVE FACTOR IS REQUIRED:
Must have experience in interpretation of Spanish into English and English into Spanish.

The following are examples of work in the required language that may have provided the required abilities: translator; interpreter; librarian or information specialist required to make abstracts, screen, index, and scan material; intelligence; writer or editor; international organizational work, such as the Peace Corps, World Bank, United Nations, business, or other organizations; or professor, teacher, or instructor work at the high school or college level that required use of the foreign language.

**ALL APPLICANTS WILL BE TESTED BY THE AGENCY FOR PROFICIENCY ON A PASS/FAIL BASIS PRIOR TO APPOINTMENT.**

There is no substitute of education for specialized experience for the GS-13 position

Education

Education requirements do not apply to this vacancy announcement.

Additional information

For reasonable accommodation at the U.S. Department of State, please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations at (202) 663-3474 or OAA@state.gov.
If eligible, telework agreements may be permitted with supervisory approval.
Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to other similar positions in other Bureaus/Offices in the Department for up to 240 days. Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions.

Benefits
How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Once the application process is complete, a review of your resume will be conducted and compared against your responses to the assessment questions to determine if you are qualified for this job. Note: Responses to questions that are not fully supported by the information in your resume may result in adjustments to your rating.

Applicants who meet the minimum qualification requirements, as described in the “Qualifications” section of this announcement, will be assigned to one of three quality categories:

Qualified - In addition to meeting minimum qualifications, applicants must demonstrate a basic level of the required competencies (knowledge, skills and abilities) for the position.
Well Qualified - In addition to meeting minimum qualifications, applicants must demonstrate proficiency in some but not all of the required competencies (knowledge, skills, and abilities) for the position.
Highly Qualified - In addition to meeting minimum qualifications, applicants must fully demonstrate proficiency in all of the required competencies (knowledge, skills and abilities) for the position.

Highly Qualified applicants may be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview. The category assignment is a measure of the degree in which your background matches the competencies (knowledge, skills, and abilities) required for this position. Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies:

Ability to interpret between English and one of the foreign languages listed in this announcement.
Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing in English and in one of the listed foreign languages.
Ability to complete several translation assignments simultaneously, under time-related and other constraints and according to instructions.
Skill at evaluating interpreting tests.
Knowledge of source language, with particular attention to the written languages.

Veterans: Qualified veterans who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10% are listed in the Highly Qualified category. Other 10-point preference eligible and veterans with 5-point preference who meet the eligibility and qualification requirements are placed above non-preference eligible applicants within the category in which they qualify. View information on veterans' preference on OPM’s Fed Hire Vets website.

Agency and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP and ICTAP) Eligibles: If you have never been a Federal employee, you are not CTAP or ICTAP eligible. View information about CTAP and ICTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. You must be rated in the Well-Qualified category for this position and submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this job announcement to receive consideration for selection priority.

You may preview questions for this vacancy.

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Required Documents

All required documents listed below, that are applicable to you, must be submitted to our automated system by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.

1. Resume showing relevant work/volunteer experience, education and training. Include the start and end dates (from month/year to month/year) and the number of hours per week worked/volunteered. Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must support your answers to the completed online assessment questions.

2. Veterans' Preference Documentation, if applicable:
To claim 5-point preference, submit a copy of your DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty.
To claim 10-point preference, submit all required documentation outlined on the SF-15 (Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference) to support your claim (e.g., DD-214, official statement from the Department of Veterans Affairs, etc.). If we cannot verify your 10-point preference claim, your application will be reviewed for 5-point preference.
To claim 10-point derived preference (i.e., spouses, widows, widowers or mothers of veterans), submit a completed SF-15 and all required documentation listed on the SF-15 to support your claim.
To claim 0-point Sole Survivorship preference, submit a copy of your DD-214 or another form of official documentation showing that your discharge or release from active duty occurred on or after August 29, 2008 and was based on a sole survivorship discharge.

For all preference claims:
DD-214 Member 4 copies are preferred and must show the dates of service, type of discharge, and any qualifying service campaign medals.
If you are currently on active duty and applying based on eligibility under the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act, you must provide a certification on letterhead from your military branch which contains your military service dates, expected date of discharge or release, and the character of service to show that your military service was performed under honorable conditions. The expected date of discharge or release must be no later than 120 days after the certification is submitted for consideration for this vacancy announcement.
For more veterans’ preference information, visit the USAJOBS Help Center.

3. ICTAP/CTAP documentation, if applicable (e.g., reduction-in-force (RIF) separation notice, RIF separation SF-50 personnel action, certification of expected separation, etc.). Visit our agency’s ICTAP and CTAP eligibility information sites for more information and required application documentation.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

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How to Apply

Prepare your application in USAJOBS

To start your application, click Apply and we’ll walk you through the process to attach a resume and any required documents.

During the application process you can review, edit, delete, and update your information. We’ll automatically save your progress as you go, so you won’t lose any changes. You have until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement to complete the application process.

STEP 1: Select the "Apply" button and follow the instructions to register or sign into USAJOBS.

STEP 2: Submit your resume. Please see the Required Documents section for specific information that should be outlined in your resume.

STEP 3: Complete the online assessment questions.

STEP 4: Submit all required documentation applicable to you, as listed in the Required Documents section.

To learn how to view the status of your submitted supporting documentation and application, visit the Application Instructions section of our agency’s Civil Service selection process site.

Technical assistance with your on-line application is available through the Help Desk at mgshelp@monster.com or by calling (866) 656-6830 between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. ET

Alternate Application Procedures

If applying online poses an extreme hardship, you may request alternate application procedures to submit your application package. Contact the Human Resources office listed on the announcement between the business hours of 8:15 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET at least 2 working days prior to the closing date of this announcement. The application package for alternate application procedures must be submitted and received in the Human Resources office no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on the closing date of this announcement. Paper applications and information sent by mail will not be accepted.

U.S. Department of State

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