Foreign Affairs Advisor

Position description

Responsibilities:

• Support implementation of the U.S. Conventional Arms Transfer Policy and institutionalize human rights considerations into U.S. government’s arms transfer review processes and procedures.
• Use the internet and classified databases to analyze human rights concerns and considerations related to the destination country, end-user, item, quantity, and value of a proposed arms transfers. This analysis will include liaising with FAO/VA Leahy team and senior advisors to check security forces members’ and/or units’ name and proposed recipients of U.S. defense articles and services for derogatory information, as well as understand the atrocity risks, incidents or likelihood of civilian harm, impact on children in armed conflict, and status of security sector governance associated with a proposed transfer.
• Complete analysis within designate time frame, e.g., within 10 working days of receipt from industry for export licenses.
• Compile data on office review requests.
• Provide periodic reports to management on arms transfer case load.
• Make recommendations on review procedures, when requested by management.
• Participate in bureau and interagency meetings on issues related to human rights reviews of U.S. arms transfers.
• Working with the FAO/VA Leahy team, use open source and classified resources to develop foreign country security force organizational charts.
• Conduct research and policy analysis and assist with policy recommendations in support of FAO/VA equities, including but not limited to security sector assistance, arms sales, and human rights; security force conduct, human rights abuses and accountability for abuses; civilian harm mitigation and civilian casualties; preventing and countering violent extremism; preventing and responding to atrocities; addressing issues related to children and armed conflict; and Women, Peace, and Security. To this end, participate in meetings across the USG and foreign policy community on issues related to security and human rights, and maintain relationships with key USG, civil society, and bilateral stakeholders and counterparts.
• Draft briefing checklists and talking points for FAO leadership; author congressionally mandated reports on security and human rights concerns; attend domestic, bilateral, and multilateral meetings on relevant policy topics, and coordinate with other agencies to schedule roundtable discussions on human rights topics and shared concerns.
• Serve as a FAO/VA subject matter expert and advisor on laws, policies, and procedures including but not limited to arms transfer controls, gross violations of human rights, conduct and accountability of security forces, security sector assistance, Leahy vetting, civilian casualties, atrocity prevention and early warning, preventing and countering violent extremism, gender-based violence, and child soldiers.
• Attend weekly FAO/VA Arms Transfer Team Meeting and brief FAO/VA on review status and issues for assigned countries.
• Attend regular Department meetings to review export license applications and Conventional Arms Transfer Policy implementation with appropriate stakeholders.
• In coordination with appropriate stakeholders, draft, clear, and distribute an annual list of countries and munitions of human rights concern to determine which types of export licenses will be staffed to FAO for human rights assessments.
• As required, serve on Department task forces.
• It is anticipated that domestic and/or international travel may be required. Travel will be on an as needed basis.

Qualifications:

• Ability to develop professional working relationships with officers throughout the Department and with other foreign affairs agencies.
• Knowledge of research and analytical methods to validate, evaluate, and interpret information obtained from a variety of sources.
• Skill in oral and written communications to prepare and present analysis, to defend recommendations and proposals, and to participate in meetings and discussions.
• Skill in using open source and classified information sources to determine human rights concerns associated with a given arms transfer and to map those concerns geographically, functionally, and temporally.
• Familiarity with individuals, organizations, and other sources of expertise in the field of human rights, arms transfers, and security assistance activities in the academic and non-governmental sector.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, including follow-up on pending and ongoing tasks.
• Ability to operate significantly under own initiative and as part of a team, including drafting proposals and recommending effective approaches to tasks with minimal guidance.
• Ability to work with a wide variety of actors within FAO and with other Bureaus and offices within the Department of State, as well as with interagency and external partners.

• Bachelor’s degree in subject matter area or closely related field with at least 6 years of related experience OR a master’s degree in a related field with 4 years of related experience, or high school diploma/equivalent with at least 10 years of related and demonstrated work experience.
• Must have an active TS clearance

• Master’s degree in a related field.

Application instructions

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