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Position overview
LANGUAGE SPECIALIST
US Department of the Air Force
Job details Salary $87,198 - $113,362 a year Job Type Full-time Part-time
Full Job Description
Duties
Summary
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The primary purpose of this position is to conduct open-source research of national defense related publications from the Peoples' Republic of China (PRC), and provide accurate and relevant translation of these publications from Chinese to English and to provide some evaluation of the significance of the information to U.S. national interests and U.S. military strategy.
Responsibilities
Conducts Research and Evaluation of Chinese National Military Strategy and Doctrine.
Supports development of written policy advice for DoD. Writes detailed scholarly research papers/reports and prepares briefings/presentations in support of and as a result of Director approved and/or directed research.
Represents the USAF and Air University in direct dealings with foreign military leaders, foreign civilian officials, authors, and US embassy personnel.
Supports the Annual China Aerospace Conference.
Supports maintenance of the CASI China Aerospace Library.
Travel Required Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position. Supervisory status No Promotion Potential 12
Job family (Series) 1040 Language Specialist
Requirements Requirements Conditions of Employment
U.S. Citizenship Required
Must be registered for Selective Service, see Legal and Regulatory Guide
A Secret security clearance is required. Incumbent is required to obtain and maintain a Secret clearance.
Relocation and travel expenses will NOT be paid
Recruitment incentives are authorized
This posn is subject to provisions of the DoD Priority Placement Program
Incumbent may be required to travel by commercial or military conveyance to perform temporary duty.
Disclosure of Political Appointments
Qualifications In order to qualify, you must meet the specialized experience requirements described in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions, Administrative and Management Positions, GS-1040 Language Specialist Overall minimum Mandarin language capability requirement is 2/2/2. A demonstrated record certified by either the Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT) or equivalent test within the last three years, or by documented equivalent proficiency from a previous employer or letter of reference is acceptable. (Submit proof of proficiency if available.) Department of Defense may test applicants for foreign language proficiency on a pass/fail basis prior to appointment. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience at the next lower grade GS-11, or equivalent in other pay systems. Specialized experience includes translating or Interpreting both from and to the Mandarin Chinese and English languages. Interpreting Mandarin Chinese from and to English with fluency and precision of vocabulary to understand and participate in any conversation, meeting, or conference; Interpreting English from and to Mandarin Chinese with fluency and precision of vocabulary to understand and participate in any conversation, meeting, or conference; translating open source papers and/or speeches from Mandarin Chinese to English; Providing expertise in terminology, dialects, idioms, colloquialisms, and inflections in Mandarin Chinese; Conducting complex analyses on emerging trends in military actions and doctrine, relevant to military strategy. This experience must be comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service (obtained either in private or public sectors). Your resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:
Knowledge and proficiency in Mandarin (speaking, reading & translation), knowledge (extensive) of Chinese culture and government, military developments and emerging trends to their potential significance to U.S. national military strategy.
Knowledge of and skill to use a variety of scholarly graduate-level research techniques to analyze, synthesize and evaluate security and defense issues.
Ability to teach graduate-level seminar courses and mentor graduate-level research, focused on China aerospace, US-China relations, and Chinese aerospace/military capabilities.
Knowledge of safety and security regulations, practices, and procedures.
Ability to communicate both orally and in writing.
Other significant facts:
Knowledge and proficiency as a China military analyst in one capacity or another, such as having served as an attaché in Beijing, Hong Kong, Taiwan or another Asia country where the candidate routinely used China-related skills and/or in an analytic or policy capacity in the United States Government (USG), a U.S. think tank or Federal Funded Research & Development Center (FFRDC), or major academic institution and experience in more than one such capacity is highly desired.
Knowledge in the PLA Air Force (PLAAF), PLA Rocket Force (PLARF), PLA Naval Aviation or PLA Strategic Support Force is highly desired.
Knowledge and proficiency in Mandarin (reading & translation) in at least one of the expert knowledge areas (PLAAF, PLARF, PLA Naval Aviation or PLA Space operations) is desired.
An advanced academic degree in relevant field/fields of study such as but not limited to History/Military History, China/Asia Studies, International Relations, International Security Studies, Strategic/Security Studies, Political Science, Public Policy, etc., is highly desired.
Knowledge and proficiency in speaking Mandarin is highly desired.
A demonstrated record of applying qualifications as delineated, certified by either the Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT) or equivalent test within the last three years, or by documented equivalent proficiency from a previous employer or letter of reference is highly desired.
PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid and or part-time work. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week. VOLUNTEER WORK EXPERIENCE: Refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service Programs (i.e., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student and social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge and skills that can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Education IF USING EDUCATION TO QUALIFY: If position has a positive degree requirement or education forms the basis for qualifications, you MUST submit transcriptswith the application. Official transcripts are not required at the time of application; however, if position has a positive degree requirement, qualifying based on education alone or in combination with experience, transcripts must be verified prior to appointment. An accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education must accredit education. Click here to check accreditation. FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. Additional information Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): For information on how to apply as an ICTAP eligible click here. To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated in the "Highly Qualified" or "Best Qualified" Category on the rating criteria for this vacancy. You must submit a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location. Employed Annuitants (Reemployed Annuitants): Applicants in receipt of an annuity based on civilian employment in the Federal Service are subject to the DoD Policy on The Employment of Annuitants. Click here for more information. 120-Day Register: This announcement may result in a 120-day register that may be used to fill like vacancies for 120 days after the closing date. Applicants may be referred for consideration as vacancies occur. Selective Service: Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service. For additional information, click here. Direct Deposit: All federal employees are required to have direct deposit. Incentives: Recruitment and/or retention incentives may or may not be used. If you have questions regarding this announcement and have hearing or speech difficulties click here. Tax Law Impact for PCS: On 22-Dec-2017, Public Law 115-97 - the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017" suspended qualified moving expense deductions along with the exclusion for employer reimbursements and payments of moving expenses effective 01-Jan-2018 for tax years 2018 through 2025. The law made taxable certain reimbursements and other payments, including driving mileage, airfare and lodging expenses, en-route travel to the new duty station, and temporary storage of those items. The Federal Travel Regulation Bulletin (FTR) 18-05 issued by General Services Administration (GSA) has authorized agencies to use the Withholding Tax Allowance (WTA) and Relocation Income Tax Allowance (RITA) to pay for "substantially all" of the increased tax liability resulting from the "2018 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" for certain eligible individuals. For additional information on WTA/RITA allowances and eligibilities please click here. Subsequently, FTR Bulletin 20-04 issued by GSA, provides further information regarding NDAA FY2020, Public Law 116-92, and the expansion of eligibility beyond "transferred" for WTA/RITA allowances. For additional information, please click here. How You Will Be Evaluated You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. Your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment. Your responses to the questionnaire may be compared to the documents you submit. The documents you submit must support your responses to the online questionnaire. If your application contradicts or does not support your questionnaire responses, you will receive a rating of "not qualified" or "insufficient information" and you will not receive further consideration for this job. Applicants who disqualify themselves will not be evaluated further. BASIS OF RATING: Your application will be rated under the Category Rating procedures based on the extent to which the quality, depth, and complexity of your experience and education relate to the qualifications requirement. Additional points are not added for Veteran's Preference; however, Veteran Preference is still applied. Category 3, Best Qualified: Candidates in this category possess exceptional skills and experience to exceed well above the minimum requirements. Category 2, Highly Qualified: Candidates in this category possess good skills and experience above the minimum requirements. Category 1, Qualified: Candidates in this category meet the minimum education and/or experience requirements. Once the application process is complete, a review of your application will be made to ensure you meet the job requirements. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire. The numeric rating you received is based on your responses to the questionnaire. The score is a measure of the degree to which your background matches the knowledge, skills and abilities required of this position. If, after reviewing your resume and or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your score can and will be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities. Please follow all instructions carefully. Background checks and security clearance Security clearance Secret Drug test required No Position sensitivity and risk Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk Trust determination process Suitability/Fitness, National security
Required Documents Required Documents The following documents are required and must be provided with your application. Applicants who do not submit required documentation to determine eligibility and qualifications will be eliminated from consideration. Other documents may be required based on the eligibility you are claiming. Click here to view the AF Civilian Employment Eligibility Guide and the required documents.
Online Application - Questionnaire
Resume - For qualification determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week (if part-time) and dates of employment (i.e., month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as insufficient and you will not receive consideration for this position. If you are a current Federal employee or previous Federal employee, provide your pay plan, series and grade, i.e. GS-0301-09. Do NOT include photographs (or links to social media such as LinkedIn), inappropriate material, inappropriate content, nor personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number, etc., on your resume.
Transcripts/Registration/License: If qualifying on education/position requires education, you must submit copies of your transcripts and if required for the position, submit an active, current registration/license.
Veterans: If claiming 30% Disabled Veteran or Veteran's Preference - Submit VOW certification memo or copy of the official DD-Form 214, which must include the character of service (i.e., with an honorable or general discharge). This will be annotated in block 24 on member copy 2, 4, or 7 of the DD-Form 214. If claiming 30% Disabled Veteran, you must also submit a VA Letter or a disability determination from a branch of the Armed Forces. NOTE: All veterans claiming 10-point preference must also submit a SF-15.
Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible: You must include a copy of the Military Spouse PPP Self-Certification Checklist along with the documents identified on the checklist to verify your eligibility for MSP. Click here to obtain a copy of the Military Spouse PPP Self-Certification Checklist.
ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS: The VOW Act requires federal agencies to treat an eligible active duty service member as a veteran, disabled veteran, and preference eligible (as applicable) when applying for civil service positions before the effective release or discharge date. Appointment of military members before the release or discharge date is permissible if the member is on terminal leave. At the time the active duty member applies for a civil position, he or she must submit a "certification" memo in lieu of a DD-Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty. Active duty members applying for a civil service position without submitting a valid certification memo or DD-Form 214 with their application will render the member ineligible for the position. The certification memo must originate from the member's military service branch on official letterhead and contain the following:
Name/Rank/Grade of Service Member
Branch of Armed Forces
Dates of Active Service (Start and End Date(s)
Expected Date of Discharge/Release from Active Duty
Terminal leave start date (if applicable)
Expected character of service/discharge and type of separation (i.e. separation or retirement)
Must be certified within 120 days of anticipated discharge
Signature by, or by direction of the adjutant, personnel office, unit commander, or higher headquarters commander.
Note: The VOW Act provides tentative preference. If appointed, a DD Form-214 must be submitted upon receipt. Performance Appraisals for Current Federal Civilian Employees - Most recent performance appraisals (dated within last 3 years) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable. Awards for Current Federal Civilian employees - List any awards received within the last 3 years on the resume. Note: Applicant must not submit award SF50s-Notification of Personnel Actions (SF50s). 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.
Benefits Benefits A career with the U.S. Government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Learn more about federal benefits. Review our benefits 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.
HelpThis job is open to
The public U.S. citizens, nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
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