GENERAL SERVICES OFFICER |
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VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
United States Department of State
An Equal Opportunity Employer
How to Apply
Announcement No: GSO-2008-0003
Opening Date: June 9, 2008
CLOSED
Position Title: GENERAL SERVICES OFFICER
Grade and Starting Salary Range:
FP-4, $50,749 - $74,527 per annum
Additional Benefits: Additional Benefits: Tax Free Housing Overseas, Tax Free Educational Allowances, etc. (See Compensation and Benefits for more information)
Number of Vacancies: The Department of State is developing a rank-order register of eligible candidates to fill a limited number of Foreign Service General Services Officer vacancies. The specific number to be hired will depend on the needs of the Foreign Service.
Area of Consideration: All Sources. Applicants must be U. S. citizens between the ages of 21 and 59, able to qualify for a top secret security clearance, and available to serve world-wide.
Location: Initial assignment will be to the Department of State in Washington, DC, for orientation and training, followed by an overseas assignment of two years. General Services Officers spend an average of 80-90 percent of their careers stationed abroad, moving at two-to-four year intervals. The remainder of their time will be spent at the Department of State domestically, generally in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area.
For more information, please contact HR/REE at 202-261-8932 or gsovacancy@state.gov.
All potential applicants are strongly urged to read this entire Vacancy Announcement to ensure that they meet all of the requirements for this position before applying.
Applicants must be American citizens and at least 20 years old to apply and at least 21 years of age to be appointed. By law, all career candidates must be appointed to the Foreign Service prior to the month in which they reach age 60.
DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Foreign Service General Services Officers (GSOs) serve at many of the approximately 265 Foreign Service posts throughout the world, in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, in New York at the United States Mission to the United Nations, and at the Florida Regional Center in Ft. Lauderdale. Primary responsibilities include the management of physical resources and logistical functions at United States embassies and consulates, and service to other U.S. Government agencies. GSOs are responsible for the overall management of General Services Operations (or some portion of these operations), the supervision of the subordinate staff, and the actual performance of some or all of the following functions. The GSO normally works under the direction of the Management Officer/Counselor and is a service provider to the International Cooperative Administrative Support Services (ICASS) Council at post.
GSOs are responsible for::
- Overall management of General Services Operations - Develop, plan, and implement an ongoing program of support; develop budget and workforce requirements for General Services Operations; assess the efficiency and effectiveness of operations; provide solutions; ensure the proper allocation and expenditure of appropriated funds; provide timely and appropriate services to post clientele; supervise, train, mentor and evaluate the performance of subordinate employees; maintain internal management controls to prevent waste, fraud, and mismanagement.
- Contracting - Solicit, evaluate, negotiate, and award contracts with commercial organizations, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and local or foreign governments for furnishing products, services or construction. May be responsible for identifying the need for procurement and developing the appropriate acquisition document (since all procurements are not done under contracts). Investigate and develop alternative means of supply. Coordinate with the Office of the Procurement Executive (A/OPE) on major acquisitions.
- Logistics - Identify all activities involved in providing needed logistical support; provide for the requisition, purchase, storage, and issuance of all official supplies, services, and equipment; monitor the logistics plan and identify the cause and impact of delays and other problems; evaluate plans for and provision of logistical support for feasibility, efficiency, and economy; and develop alternatives when required.
- Inventory/Property - Manage, regulate, coordinate or control official supplies, equipment or other material. The work includes one or more phases of material management including initial planning, provisioning, requirements determination, acquisition, distribution, accountability, and the issue of consumption or disposal. Provide oversight of physical property by conducting periodic inventories, maintaining depreciation accounts and repair cost analyses, disposing of excess property and identifying accountability for lost or stolen property.
- Physical Facilities - Participate in the development of the mission’s facilities requirements (office and residential) utilizing government owned long and/or short-term leased properties. Work in close coordination with the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operation’s Real Estate and Property Management Office (OBO/REPM) in acquiring or leasing real property. Formulate, plan, and exercise responsibilities for the acquisition, management, utilization, and alteration of government properties.
- Space management - Develop and recommend policies for utilization and assignment of office, functional and residential space to post Management Officer and/or interagency committees consistent with regulations, employee morale, efficiency of administration, and budgetary constraints.
- Travel and transportation - Manage all travel and transportation activities at post for personnel, goods, supplies, and equipment; including scheduling motor vehicle operations, ticketing for official travelers on commercial air and surface transportation and advising official travelers on internal and international travel policies.
- Clearances - Responsible for obtaining all customs and other clearances from the host government for the importation and exportation of official shipments.
- Motorpool - Manage all motorpool operations, including supervision of drivers, scheduling, maintenance and replacement of vehicles.
- Maintenance and repair program management - Direct Maintenance and Repair (M&R) program for the mission and constituent posts. Responsible for scheduled maintenance and timely repair of equipment, buildings, vehicles, etc.
A CAREER IN THE FOREIGN SERVICE
General Services Officers serve at U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide. Candidates must agree not only to serve at any U.S. diplomatic or consulate post abroad, but also at the Department of State in Washington D.C., in New York at the United States Mission to the United Nations, and at the Regional Service Center in Ft. Lauderdale, according to the needs of the Foreign Service. A career in the Foreign Service involves uncommon commitments and occasional hardships, as well as unique rewards and opportunities. As a member of a diplomatic team, you will help to accomplish the mission of the Department of State and also be a representative of your country to the people of other nations. A decision to enter this career must involve unusual motivation and a firm dedication to public service.
Upon entry into the Foreign Service, and after completion of formal training, usually in the Washington, D.C. area, General Services Officers will normally be assigned overseas. Both the first and second overseas assignments, which are directed, will be two years in length. Subsequent assignments will be made through an open process based on the needs of the Foreign Service, career development requirements and individual preferences, and will normally be either two or three years in length.
Many overseas posts are in small or remote countries where harsh climates, health hazards, and other discomforts exist, and where American-style amenities frequently are unavailable. Personal security frequently becomes an area of concern, particularly in countries where there is political unrest or terrorist activity. However, careers in the Foreign Service offer special rewards, including the pride and satisfaction of representing the United States and protecting U.S. interests abroad.
The Foreign Service strives to maintain diversity in the representation of gender, geographic region, race and ethnicity within its work force.
INITIAL SALARY AND SALARY, INCREASES AND TENURE
Newly hired General Services Officer career candidates are assigned at the FP-04 level. Specific step (or salary) within that level will be determined at the time a firm offer of employment is made. Steps may be awarded based upon such factors as the level of graduate education and directly related specialized experience.
Current Federal Civil Service employees (or former employees) will also be assigned at the FP-04 level. Specific step (or salary) within the FP-04 level will be set at the nearest possible salary rate of the current (or previous) grade, provided the work performed is relevant to general services activities.
COMPETITIVE PROMOTION AND WITHIN-GRADE INCREASES
General Services Officers are eligible to compete for promotion to FP-03 in line with Department of State policies. Subsequent promotions are also competitive. Due to the limited number of yearly promotion opportunities, promotion panels select promotees based on published criteria and quality of performance. Performance is evaluated annually, in writing, by the supervisor.
In general, Foreign Service employees with documented satisfactory performance are eligible to receive a within-grade step increase annually up through step 10 and biannually from step 10 through 14.
TENURE
General Services Officer career candidates are considered for tenure (career status) after they acquire a minimum of two years experience in the Foreign Service. A Tenuring Board determines suitability based on a number of factors. If tenure is not granted during the first review, a second review will be made one year later. Failure to achieve tenure in the prescribed time frame of four years is grounds for separation.
GENERAL AND SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS
Applicants for the position of General Services Officer must have a minimum of six years of experience, broken down as follows:
- General Experience – three years
- Specialized Experience – three years
GENERAL EXPERIENCE
General experience must demonstrate that the applicant has worked at the professional, technical or administrative level and that the work has been progressively more responsible in nature. General experience includes obtaining and providing a variety of services to an organization, managing a multifaceted operation and supervising a multidisciplinary workforce or other similar work.
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE
Specialized experience is that PROFESSIONAL work which demonstrates that the applicant has acquired and is able to apply specific knowledge, skills and abilities appropriate to a Foreign Service General Services Officer position. Examples are:
- Responsibility for scheduling large shipments of domestic or overseas freight and managing customs clearances.
- Experience in negotiating contracts.
- Experience in procurement practices and procedures.
- Supervision of inventory of supplies and equipment.
- Supervision of contractual services for utilities and equipment.
- Experience in negotiating for the purchase and leasing of real property.
- Supervision of maintenance, repair and services of office and residential buildings.
- Supervision of motor pool operations, including management and servicing of vehicles.
- Experience in managing a pool of housing, developing space assignments and maintaining individual units.
- Experience in managing an employee travel program encompassing a wide variety of types of travel and destinations.
All such experience must have been of a progressively responsible nature in the general services specialty. This experience must include three or more of the ten general services areas listed above and must have been gained within the last ten (10) years. Experience working and/or living in a multicultural environment is desirable.
SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE
Applicants may substitute educational achievements for general and specialized experience according to the following formula:
A. Study successfully completed above the high school level may be substituted for some or all of the required three years of general experience. A full-time academic year would substitute for nine months of experience, up to the maximum of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in such fields as public administration, business administration, industrial engineering or industrial management. A bachelor’s degree in the above-mentioned fields only could therefore be substituted for the required three years general experience.
B. Graduate courses in such fields as public administration, business administration, industrial engineering or industrial management may be given some credit for specialized experience as follows: one full year of study may substitute for six months experience; a master’s degree may substitute for one year of experience.
C. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet Federal job requirements for this position if the applicant can show that foreign education is comparable to education received in the United States. It is the responsibility of the applicant to provide such evidence when applying for Federal jobs. To view how foreign education is evaluated for federal jobs please visit the U.S. Department of Education website.
HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED
Candidates will be evaluated on their total background including experience, education, awards, training, and self-development as it relates to the position. Selection for this position will be made only from among candidates possessing the best qualifications. Part-time work experience will be prorated.
HOW TO APPLY
We are not currently accepting applications for this position. Please subscribe to our mailing list to receive email updates regarding this vacancy.
Applications must be submitted electronically through the "Gateway to State" system. As part of the online application, applicants will be asked to submit the following required documents:
Required Documents
- Supplementary Questionnaire
Purpose: The purpose of the Supplementary Questionnaire is to allow an opportunity to describe examples of your experience, which relate to the skills listed below and best show your ability to handle various aspects of the work of General Services Officers. The information you give will be used to help structure your oral examination/interview should you be invited to one.
Instructions: Individually address each of the four numbered items listed below limiting responses to 300 words or less for each item. Describe how you have used these abilities and/or knowledge, referencing the source from which the work-related experience was acquired. Your examples can be drawn from any part of your experience but they must describe things that you, personally, have done. You should compose your replies carefully, as one of the skills required of an experienced general services officer is the ability to write clearly and concisely.
- Demonstrated experience in management and supervision of staff involved in general services work outlined in the Description of Duties and Responsibilities.
- Ability to plan and organize work under pressure of tight deadlines and rigid time frames in difficult circumstances.
- Demonstrated skill and experience in contracting, evaluating, negotiating, and awarding contracts.
- Experience living and working in a multicultural environment, either overseas or in the U.S.
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A narrative autobiography which discusses your:
- personal background
- general comments on work experience
- personal interests, travel and hobbies
- motivation for joining the Foreign Service
In cases where education is substituted for experience, copies of college transcripts, diplomas, etc. must be presented at the time of oral assessment. These materials become the property of the Department of State and will not be returned.
Selected candidates: Please note all travel and other expenses incurred in connection with the oral assessment are the responsibility of the candidate.
Executive Branch agencies are barred by 5 US Code 3303 as amended from accepting or considering prohibited political recommendations and are required to return any prohibited political recommendations to sender. In addition, as mandated by 5 US Code 310, sons and daughters of federal employees cannot be granted preference in competing for these employment opportunities.
The Department of State is committed to equal opportunity and fair and equitable treatment for all without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, sexual orientation, disabling condition, political affiliation, marital status, or prior statutory, constitutionally protected activity. The Department provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should so advise the Department. All decisions for granting reasonable accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis.