Applicants must meet the following criteria before the closing date of this announcement.

Have at least 3 years of specialized experience with at least one year at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to that of a GS-14 in the Federal Service.

Applicants must also be eligible to receive a top-secret clearance and a medical clearance for posting to Beijing, China.

Specialized experience is defined as experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled as follows, etc.:

• Work with a team of Foreign Commercial Service officers and foreign-national employees in assisting U.S. businesspeople export goods and services to China.
• supervise locally-employed staff supporting the team in fulfilling its primary functions.
• Briefing visiting businesspeople and visiting officials on assigned industry sectors in China.
• Promote investment into the United States by Chinese businesses and individuals.
• Participate in high-level meetings with host-country officials and visiting U.S. officials.
• Submitting reports on commercial activities and related matters to post's senior management.
• Speak to U.S. and Chinese business audiences on trade-related and other topics.

See position description for additional qualifications, duties, and responsibilities.

NOTE: Your resume must document specialized experience and support your responses to the vacancy questions.

• Tour of duty is two years. Extension(s) up to a maximum of 5 years is possible, however, extensions are not guaranteed and no promise of an extension is implied.
• Starting Foreign Service Officer salary is commensurate with experience.
• An employee of any agency who accepts, with the consent of the head of that agency, a limited appointment in the Foreign Service under Section 309 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 is entitled, upon the expiration of that appointment, to be reemployed in that employee's former position or in a corresponding position in that agency. Upon reemployment under this section, an employee shall be entitled to any within-grade increases in pay which the employee would have received if the employee had remained in the former position in the agency. Current Department of Commerce employees will be converted at their current grade level. Upon conversion to the Foreign Service, there are no promotion opportunities. Employees will be converted in accordance with Subchapter 200-1 of DAO 202-900 at the foreign service salary that equals or exceeds employee's current pay.
• Must meet qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
• APPLICANTS WITH A DISABILITY: The Department of Commerce provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Office of Foreign Service Human Capital contact identified in this vacancy. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis. THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE IS AN EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY (EEO) EMPLOYER.
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959 must certify at the time of appointment that they have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under Selective Service law.
• Must be available for frequent overnight travel.

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

1. We will review your resume, optional cover letter, and supporting documentation to determine if you meet the qualification requirements for the position as described in this vacancy announcement.

2. If you meet the qualification requirements stated in the vacancy announcement, we will compare your resume, optional cover letter, and supporting documentation to your responses to the vacancy questions.

3. Your resume or optional cover letter must support your responses to the vacancy questions or your score may be lowered.

4. High self-assessment in the vacancy questions that is not supported by information in your resume and/or supporting documents may eliminate you from further consideration and/or best qualified status.

5. Your eligibility for consideration and qualifications for the position will be determined based upon a review of your resume, supporting documentation and scored occupational questionnaire for required competencies and specialized experience.

6. Only the best qualified candidates will be referred to the selecting official for further consideration.



To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time, or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.