Economic Specialist Job at US Mission Zambia – May 2017


POSITION: Economic Specialist
CLOSING DATE: May 24, 2017
WORK HOURS: Full-Time, 40 Hours/Week
SALARY: Ordinarily Resident (OR): FSN-10 (Starting salary ZK 257, 553.45 p.a.);
Not-Ordinarily Resident (NOR): FP-05* (Starting salary $59, 387 p.a.)
*Final grade/step for NORs will be determined by Washington.

ALL ORDINARILY RESIDENT (OR) APPLICANTS (See Appendix A for definition) MUST HAVE THE REQUIRED WORK AND/OR RESIDENCY PERMITS TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR CONSIDERATION.

The U.S. Mission in Zambia is seeking eligible and qualified applicants for the position of Economic Specialist.

NOTE: Due to the high volume of applications received, we will only contact applicants who are being considered. Thank you for your understanding.

BASIC FUNCTION OF POSITION

The incumbent provides advanced economic analysis and support to the Ambassador and senior officers to advance the Secretary of State’s goal of promoting economic and commercial diplomacy. S/he provides daily written reports on economic and commercial issues to Embassy leadership and is responsible for developing systems and work procedures to streamline the flow of information in the section. The incumbent assists with the development, planning, and management of trade promotion.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED

Applicants must address each required qualification listed below with specific and comprehensive information supporting each item. Failure to do so may result in a determination that the applicant is not qualified.

1. EDUCATION: Master’s Degree in Political Science, Economics, Communications, or Business is required.
2. EXPERIENCE: Five years of progressively responsible experience doing economic-related work in the private sector, at a non-profit, or in public service is required.
3. LANGUAGE: Level IV (fluent) speaking/reading/writing in English is required. Language proficiency will be tested.
4. SKILLS AND ABILITIES: Must have good computer skills in using Microsoft Suite. Must have good analytical and report writing skills. Must have excellent interpersonal skills.
5. JOB KNOWLEDGE: Must have excellent knowledge of local and national culture, history, and contemporary political and economic issues. Must have detailed and broad knowledge of political, social, cultural, and legal environment; maintains senior-level contacts with national and international actors in the government. Must have highly specialized, expert-level knowledge of economic, commercial, monetary, and banking systems. Must have detailed knowledge of Zambian political economy.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: The complete position description listing all of the duties and responsibilities may be obtained on our website at https://zm.usembassy.gov/embassy-consulates/jobs and/or by contacting the Human Resources Office on telephone number +260-211-357000 extension 7284, 7153 and 7136 or by emailing [email protected]

HIRING PREFERENCE SELECTION PROCESS: When qualified, applicants in the following hiring preference categories are extended a hiring preference in the order listed below. Therefore, it is essential that these applicants accurately describe their status on the application. Failure to do so may result in a determination that the applicant is not eligible for a hiring preference.

HIRING PREFERENCE ORDER:

(1) AEFM / USEFM who is a preference-eligible U.S. Veteran*
(2) AEFM / USEFM
(3) FS on LWOP**

* IMPORTANT: Applicants who claim status as a preference-eligible U.S. Veteran must submit a copy of the most recent Member Copy Four (4) of the DD-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, and, if applicable, a letter from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. If claiming conditional eligibility for U.S. Veterans’ preference, applicants must submit proof of conditional eligibility. If the written documentation confirming eligibility is not received in the HR office by the closing date of the vacancy announcement, the U.S. Veterans’ preference will not be considered in the application process. Mission HR’s decision on eligibility for U.S. Veterans’ preference after reviewing all required documentation is final.

** This level of preference applies to all Foreign Service employees on LWOP.

ADDITIONAL SELECTION CRITERIA:

1. Management may consider the following when determining successful candidacy: nepotism, conflicts of interest, budget, and residency status.
2. Current OR employees serving a probationary period are not eligible to apply. Current OR employees with an Overall Summary Rating of Needs Improvement or Unsatisfactory on their most recent Employee Performance Report (EPR) are not eligible to apply.
3. Current NOR employees hired on a Family Member Appointment (FMA) or a Personal Service Agreement (PSA) are not eligible to apply within the first 90 calendar days of their employment, unless they have a When Actually Employed (WAE) work schedule.
4. The candidate must be able to obtain and hold a background security clearance.

HOW TO APPLY: Applicants must submit the following documents to be considered. Failure to do so may result in a determination that the applicant is not qualified.

1. Universal Application for Employment (UAE) (Form DS-174), which is available on our website or by contacting Human Resources. (See “For Further Information” above); and
2. Any additional documentation that supports or addresses the requirements listed above (e.g. transcripts, degrees, etc.)

WHERE TO APPLY:

Human Resources Office: The Human Resources Officer
Mailing Address: P.O. BOX 320065, Lusaka
E-mail Address: [email protected]

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY: The U.S. Mission provides equal opportunity and fair and equitable treatment in employment to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status, or sexual orientation. The Department of State also strives to achieve equal employment opportunity in all personnel operations through continuing diversity enhancement programs. The EEO complaint procedure is not available to individuals who believe they have been denied equal opportunity based upon marital status or political affiliation.

Individuals with such complaints should avail themselves of the appropriate grievance procedures, remedies for prohibited personnel practices, and/or courts for relief.