Summary The U.S. Department of State seeks exceptionally qualified individuals who will bring their outstanding talents and experience to the work of the Foreign Service. Candidates hired via the Lateral Entry Pilot Program (LEPP) will enter as mid-level Foreign Service Officers with one directed mid-level tour in a role aligned with their specialized skillset, experience, and/or chosen career track. Responsibilities The LEPP allows candidates with exceptional qualifications to enter the Foreign Service as mid-level generalists on the strength of their qualifications and experience. All LEPP candidates will be assessed as FSO candidates. Successful candidates will enter the Foreign Service as untenured FP-03 or FP-02 officers, as determined by their qualifications and experience. LEPP participants will complete one directed assignment in their area of expertise before bidding as untenured mid-level officers and are expected to fulfill the same requirements for tenure, promotions, and onward assignments required of all FSOs. As the lead U.S. foreign affairs agency, the U.S. Department of State advances the interests of the American people, their safety, and economic prosperity. The Department has Foreign Service employees serving as diplomats in more than 270 locations abroad and throughout the United States. Foreign Service personnel practice diplomacy to advance America’s interests, solve global challenges, build alliances, counter adversaries, promote peace, and find new opportunities for our nation. They make a difference globally every day through solving intellectually challenging issues, innovating creatively, achieving lifelong learning and professional development, and helping people around the world. The mission of a U.S. diplomat in the Foreign Service is to promote peace, support prosperity, and protect American citizens while advancing the interests of the U.S. abroad. If you’re passionate about public service and want to represent the U.S. around the world, a challenging and rewarding career is waiting for you. The opportunity to work abroad and experience cultures, customs and people of different nations is truly a career unlike any other. The work you’ll do will have an impact on the world. You will be asked to serve at one of the more than 270 embassies, consulates and other diplomatic missions in The Americas, Africa, Europe and Eurasia, East Asia and Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, and South Asia. When hiring Foreign Service Officers, we look for motivated individuals with sound judgment and leadership abilities who retain their composure in times of great stress— or even dire situations, like a military coup or a major environmental disaster. We are looking for individuals dedicated to public service. A career with the Foreign Service may appear glamorous with travel, government-paid housing, and generous pay and benefits. In some instances, though, working as a Foreign Service Officer can be very challenging and sometimes dangerous. In any posting, you may face an irregular schedule or extended work schedule. These posts can be in remote locations, without U.S.- style amenities; there can be sporadic power outages, unreliable internet service, etc. Health and sanitation standards can be below U.S. standards. Some assignments are “unaccompanied,” which means family members may not travel to the post with you. That’s why it takes a special type of person to represent America abroad, to advance diplomatic initiatives to the benefit of both the United States and the host country. Serving as a U.S. diplomat requires fortitude, flexibility, a commitment to public service, and the ability to adapt to changing situations and cultures other than your own. Whether you want to follow a professional path that grows your management skills, impacts economic policy or helps reunite families, you’ll find five different career tracks that can direct you towards realizing your goals. Please see these links for more information on each of the five career tracks. Economic Consular Political Management Public Diplomacy Requirements Conditions of Employment Be a U.S. citizen and accept assignments based on the needs of the FS.* Be able to obtain a Top Secret Security Clearance. Meet the minimum medical qualification standard. Be able to obtain a favorable Suitability Review Panel determination.* Be at least 20 years old to apply at least 21 years old to be appointed. Be appointed prior to age 60 (preference eligible veterans excepted). . Qualifications SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE In addition to the education requirements, applicants must be able to demonstrate adequate Specialized Experience in order to be considered. Specialized Experience is professional work of a progressively responsible nature that demonstrates that the applicant has acquired and/or can apply specific knowledge, skills and abilities appropriate to a Foreign Service Officer. This experience must have been acquired within the last 15 years. Examples of Specialized Experience for Strategic Competition with China candidates include, but are not limited to: Work in development and deployment of strategic messaging to promote policies that advance U.S. priorities to invest, align and compete in the bilateral relationship with the People’s Republic of China (PRC), and combat information manipulation activities by the PRC. Experience working in the government, private sector, academia, or nonprofit space on matters focusing on China (such as political science, journalism, cultural exchanges, environment/science/technology policy – international ocean, conservation, freedom of the seas, etc.) Experience in the laws, regulations, treaties, and agreements governing the development and deployment of U.S. messaging in relation to China Experience in business or messaging related to interactions with China and cultural exchanges with China Knowledge, Skills, and Other Characteristics Successful candidates will demonstrate the following dimensions that reflect the skills, abilities, and personal qualities deemed essential to the work of the Foreign Service at the United States Department of State. CRITICAL THINKING To discern what is appropriate, practical, and realistic in a given situation; to weigh relative merits of competing demands using sound judgment; to consider multiple points of view when making recommendations; to formulate creative alternatives or solutions to resolve problems; to show flexible and innovative thinking/problem solving. CULTURAL ADAPTABILITY To work and communicate effectively and harmoniously with persons of other cultures, value systems, political beliefs, and economic circumstances; to recognize and respect differences in new and different cultural environments. EXPERIENCE & MOTIVATION To demonstrate knowledge, skills or other attributes gained from previous experience of relevance to the Foreign Service; to articulate appropriate motivation for joining the Foreign Service. INFORMATION INTEGRATION & ANALYSIS To evaluate the importance, reliability, and usefulness of information from a variety of sources; to distill relevant details from available information; to synthesize and analyze available information; to recognize patterns or trends and draw reasoned conclusions from data. LEADERSHIP To recognize and assume responsibility for work that needs to be done; to persist in the completion of a task; to influence a group’s activity or direction significantly; to motivate others to participate in the activity one is leading. NEGOTIATION To recognize divergent and overlapping interests; to recognize advantages and disadvantages of agreement and available options; to advocate, influence and/or persuade others using information, facts, and reasoning rather than emotion; to resolve disagreements; to maintain or develop mutually beneficial working relationships with counterparts in the process. OBJECTIVITY/INTEGRITY To be fair and honest to all employees and keep an open mind; to present issues frankly; to analyze facts and data effectively, without interjecting bias; to be consistent in words and actions; to be dependable. PLANNING & ORGANIZING To prioritize and order tasks effectively, to employ a systematic approach to achieving objectives, to make appropriate use of limited resources. PRESENTATION SKILLS To present fluently in a concise, grammatically correct, organized, and precise manner; to think on one’s feet, adjusting quickly to changing situations; to convey key elements and nuances of meaning accurately; to respond to questions from others effectively; to use appropriate styles of communication to fit the audience and purpose. TEAMWORK To interact in a constructive, cooperative, and harmonious manner toward a common goal; to work effectively as a team player; to establish positive relationships and gain the confidence of others; to ease tension as appropriate. WRITTEN COMMUNICATION To write concisely yet comprehensively; to use clear arguments and facts; to use correct grammar and syntax; to use appropriate vocabulary to promote understanding. For additional information please visit https://careers.state.gov/career-paths/foreign-service/dimensions/ Education At the time of application, applicants must possess one of the following to be considered for the FP-03 grade: A bachelor’s degree, required with 10 years of specialized experience; or A master's degree, required with eight years of specialized experience; or A PhD degree, required with six years of specialized experience At the time of application, applicants must possess one of the following to be considered for the FP-02 grade: A bachelor’s degree, required with 12 years of specialized experience; or A master's degree, required with 10 years of specialized experience; or A PhD degree, required with eight years of specialized experience Foreign language proficiency in Chinese Mandarin, demonstrating, through State Department testing of speaking abilities, either Minimum Professional Proficiency or Limited Working Proficiency. For additional details, section 3 FAM 2245.7 of the Foreign Affairs Manual https://fam.state.gov/fam/03fam/03fam2240.html Supervisory experience - at least four years of experience directly supervising others. You must submit a copy of your university transcript(s) with your application. If you do not submit this documentation to demonstrate your educational achievements, your candidacy will not continue. Official or unofficial transcripts may be submitted with your application. Your transcript must include your name, the school’s name, the degree and date awarded, and have no missing pages. A transcript missing any of these elements will not pass the minimum qualifications and the candidacy will not continue. Copies of diplomas may not be submitted in lieu of transcripts for education above high school level. PDF documents are required. Illegible documents will not be accepted. Education from a program or institution within the United States must be accredited at the time of completion by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation. Education completed in foreign high schools, colleges or universities may be used to meet the education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. Only accredited organizations recognized as specializing in the interpretation of foreign education credentials that are members of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) or the Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (AICE) are accepted. If documentation from an accredited organization is not provided, your candidacy will not continue. NACES: https://www.naces.org/members AICE: https://aice-eval.org/members/ For further information on the evaluation of foreign education, please refer to the Office of Personnel Management and the U.S. Department of Education. The U.S. Department of State neither endorses nor recommends any individual evaluation service. OPM: www.opm.gov U.S. Department of Education: http://www.ed.gov Additional Information *EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION PROGRAM (E-Verify) – Verification of employment eligibility in the United States is required. U.S. law requires companies 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 uses E-Verify to compare information from the 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 the 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. For more information about how Veteran’s Preference is applied in the selection process, visit Are veterans given hiring preference? - Careers (state.gov) *The Department of State Suitability Review Panel and standards are defined in Chapter 3 of the Foreign Affairs Manual. For more information visit https://fam.state.gov/. No applicant will be considered who has previously been separated from the Foreign Service under sections §607, §608, §610 or §612 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980, as amended, or who resigned or retired in lieu of separation under these provisions. In addition, no applicant will be considered who has previously been separated for failure to receive a career appointment under section §306 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980, as amended, or who resigned or retired in lieu thereof. A Foreign Service Specialist separated for failure to receive a career appointment under section 306 may not re-apply to be a Foreign Service Specialist in the same skill code but may apply for another skill code or to be a Foreign Service Generalist. Executive Branch agencies are barred by 5 US Code 2302(b)(2) from soliciting or considering prohibited political recommendations and are required to return any prohibited political recommendations to sender. In addition, as mandated by 5 US Code 3110, relatives of public officials may not be appointed, employed, promoted, or advanced in or to a position if such employment is advocated by their relative. It is the policy of the Federal Government to treat all employees with dignity and respect and to provide a workplace that is free from discrimination whether discrimination is based on race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity or pregnancy), national origin, disability, political affiliation, marital status, membership in an employee organization, age, sexual orientation, or other non-merit factors.