A friend who works at an American embassy in a different country shared this with me. Looks like the US State Dept. is looking for embassy/consulate workers for China. I thought some Saloonies might be interested. You'll have to act fairly fast on this one, the posting closes on March 4th.
https://state.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/338237900SALARY RANGE:
$38,394.00 to $56,383.00 / Per Year
OPEN PERIOD:
Thursday, February 21, 2013 to Monday, March 04, 2013
SERIES & GRADE:
FP-1040-06
POSITION INFORMATION:
Limited Non-Career Appointment - Initially 18 months with possibility of periodic extensions, but not to exceed a maximum 5 years.
PROMOTION POTENTIAL:
04
DUTY LOCATIONS:
MANY vacancies - China
WHO MAY APPLY:
Applicants must be U.S. citizens over 20 years of age (21 years of age to be hired), able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance, medical and suitability clearances, as well as be eligible for diplomatic privileges and immunities in the country of assignment. For more information on suitability, see
www.careers.state.gov.
JOB SUMMARY:
Applicants for China must be available for all posts in China and must speak/read Mandarin Chinese at a 2/1 level. Successful applicants must consistently meet a high standard for English, both written (overall structure as well as grammar, spelling and punctuation) and spoken (overall structure as well as delivery, clarity and succinctness).
A Limited Non-Career Appointment does not lead to further employment in the State Department or conversion to another form of employment. Candidates may not apply more than once a year. Since it has been a year since the last Vacancy Announcement, any former candidate may reapply.
The position is for Consular Adjudicators. This is a Limited Non-Career Appointment.
Note: Series 1040 indicated above is for USAJOBS compliance only.
Duration of Appointment:
Limited Non-Career Appointment. Initially these appointments are for 18 months, but they may be extended periodically up to a maximum of five years, based on satisfactory performance and the needs of the Service.
Promotion Potential is to FP-04.
Grade and Starting Salary Range:
FS-06: Basic Range: $38,394 - $56,383
FS-05: Basic Range: $42,948 - $63,071
Successful candidates will be hired at the FS-06 or FS-05 level, depending on education and professional experience, with the possibility of an administrative promotion to the FS-04 level.
Additional Benefits:
Tax Free Housing Overseas, Tax Free Educational Allowance for eligible family members, overtime compensation, Accrual of Annual and Sick Leave, Life Insurance, Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan (FEHB), Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), the possibility of Hardship Pay where applicable, etc. Details on additional benefits can be found at careers.state.gov. Not all benefits are available to LNA positions. Student Loan Repayment, expedited naturalization and Language Incentive Pay programs are not offered under the LNA program.
Number of Vacancies:
Consideration will be for multiple positions in China. The Department of State will maintain a rank-order list of eligible candidates to fill LNA Consular positions in China. The total number of applicants to be hired depends on the needs of the Foreign Service.
Location:
After an initial period of training and orientation at the Foreign Service Institute in Arlington, Virginia, assignments will be to U.S. embassies and consulates in the People's Republic of China for a period of 1-5 years. While Limited Non-Career appointments can be for up to five years, the initial appointment is for 18 months. Appointments may be extended periodically based on satisfactory performance and the needs of the Foreign Service. Those who remain in their appointment for four or five years should expect to serve in at least two different posts.
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 U.S. citizens and at least 20 years old to apply and at least 21 years of age to be appointed. Candidates must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret Security Clearance, including a country-specific authorization to serve in country or countries of assignment, an appropriate Medical Clearance, a suitability clearance, and be eligible for diplomatic privileges and immunities in the country of assignment.
If you have any questions regarding this opportunity, please visit the ENGAGE section of our website, careers.state.gov. -- click on the link to FORUMS/BLOGS and post your question(s) in the Consular Adjudicators Forum. Questions will be answered quickly. You may also address questions to the CA/LNA mailbox: CALNAInfo@state.gov.
KEY REQUIREMENTS
DUTIES:
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DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES:
Working in the Foreign Service offers special rewards, including the pride and satisfaction of representing the United States and protecting U.S. interests abroad. It may involve uncommon commitment and frequent hardship, as well as unique opportunities.
Basic duties may include the following:
1. Obtaining information relevant to provision of consular services by interviewing individuals, reviewing on-line applicants' visa or passport application history, reviewing name searches for visa and passport applicants, and verifying information as necessary provided by applicants.
2. Processing visas or passports, including reviewing visa and passport issuance, report of birth, and other controlled records and supplies, determining and verifying required clearances prior to issuing visas or passports; and preparing visa revocations, security advisory opinions, and advisory opinions.
3. Making and reviewing decisions about visa or passport applications including adjudicating visa or passport applications by reviewing cases and applying relevant USG law, regulations, precedent, and relevant agreements, and cooperating with other agencies in applying laws and regulations related to visa applications.
4. Interacting with those applying for consular services, including explaining entry procedures to persons, dealing fairly but compassionately with all clients, including applicants refused visas, and communicating appropriately with visa applicants, their attorneys or congressional staff.
5. Investigating potentially fraudulent activities or claims, coordinating and cooperating with other agencies to prevent entry of ineligible aliens into the U.S., developing working relationships with appropriate in-country officials for the purpose of sharing and verifying information, providing documentation of consular decisions.
6. Using computers including Microsoft Office applications for word processing (Word), spreadsheets (Excel), e-mail (Outlook), and presentations (Power Point), and specialized consular computer systems.
7. Preparing written materials, such as memos and status reports, as requested.
8. Communicating with and assisting Department of State colleagues, e.g., assisting colleagues on projects, serving rotationally as duty officer 24/7, attending meetings, and providing information on Consular activities and services as appropriate.
9. Managing Sensitive and/or Classified Information.
Other responsibilities may include:
-- Sharing day-to-day oversight of Locally Engaged Staff (LES) and/or Eligible Family Members (EFMs)
-- Doing outreach, pro-actively representing the U.S. and U.S. policies abroad
-- Participating on boards, committees, and task forces
-- Interacting with foreign government officials
-- Communicating with non-government groups
-- Monitoring and reporting on developments of interest to the U.S. Government
-- Evaluating policies and procedures
-- Assisting with other consular activities, including American Citizen Services, e.g., helping U.S. citizens, as necessary.
While overseas work with the State Department may appear glamorous with travel, government paid housing, and generous pay and benefits, working abroad can be challenging and sometimes dangerous. Health and sanitation facilities may be limited, sporadic power and water outages may occur, and internet service may be unreliable and/or expensive. We are looking for motivated individuals with sound judgment who can retain their composure despite sometimes stressful circumstances.
The Foreign Service strives for diversity to show the best face of America abroad. Diversity is one of America's greatest strengths. In representing the United States to the world, the Foreign Service aims to reflect and respect our rich heritage and varied backgrounds in its workforce.
SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES:
The Department of State will place language-qualified U.S. citizen Consular Adjudicators serving in Limited Non-Career Appointments (LNA) in country-specific posts with high visa workloads. These adjudicators will be fully professional members of consulate and embassy teams. Limited appointments, however, cannot serve as special access or alternate entry to the Foreign Service or the Department of State, i.e., they do not lead to onward employment at the Department of State or with the U.S. government. LNA Consular Adjudicators are welcome to apply to become Foreign Service Specialists or Generalists or Civil Service employees, but they must meet the applicable qualifications and complete the standard application and assessment processes.
Service time and benefits earned as a Consular Adjudicator can be credited in any subsequent federal employment.
Consular Adjudicators who subsequently enter the Foreign Service as Entry Level Generalists are still required to fulfill the consular service requirement.
Periodic service rotating as duty officer requires a 24/7 commitment.
Successful candidates who are given job offers must be able to pass the Basic Consular Training Course. Failure to complete training successfully is grounds for separation.
Candidates cannot have a bar to receiving privileges and immunities necessary to perform the work of Consular Adjudicator that are granted by the receiving country.
Note: Candidates must be able to obtain medical, security and suitability clearances, including a country-specific clearance for the country or countries of assignment. Suitability may include a review of specific factors of an employee's appropriateness for assignment to a specific post, including, for example, whether the candidate has an immediate family member still residing in the country of proposed assignment, or whether the candidate's spouse, children, etc. have such a relationship.