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Specialized Experience

Specialized Experience demonstrates that the applicant has acquired, and is able to apply, a combination of specific knowledge, skills, and abilities appropriate to this Foreign Service position. Qualifying Specialized Experience must be a) of a progressively responsible nature and b) must have been acquired supporting office or programmatic goals. Duties must have been comprised of at least 60% administrative components. Specialized experience must have been performed within the last 10 years to be counted towards qualification.

Examples of Specialized Experience include, but are not limited to:

1. Managing schedules and calendars, arranging meetings, conferences, events, and travel.

2. Planning and assisting with events and visitors, tracking budgets, expenses, vouchers, and submitting and monitoring supply requests.

3. Developing and implementing administrative procedures.

4. Analyzing technical, operational, and administrative functions for the purpose of recommending process improvements or increasing program effectiveness.

5. Formulating and implementing knowledge management and records management policies, such as developing and maintaining databases, records management, and conducting research.

6. Providing basic computer hardware/software support and troubleshooting, to include maintaining office equipment. Skill in web-based navigation, virtual communication platforms, and common Microsoft Office applications.

7. Preparing materials, documents, handouts, or presentations (e.g., PowerPoint) for meetings, including proofing and editing documents for others.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Other Characteristics

The applicant’s experience, education, and training must show that they have an in-depth knowledge of their field and possess the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs) to successfully perform OMS duties worldwide.

1. 1. Interpersonal skills, including team work: Interacting effectively with others, including developing and maintaining constructive and cooperative working relationships and resolving conflicts. Working with teammates, customers, and others from widely diverse backgrounds, views, priorities, knowledge, and needs in order to cooperate to get the work done.
   2. Customer service skills: Gathering information regarding customer requirements, assessing underlying needs, finding optimal solutions, and providing effective customer service.
   3. Communications skills: Applicants must demonstrate a strong command of the English language, both written (overall structure as well as grammar, spelling, and punctuation) and spoken (overall structure as well as delivery, clarity, and succinctness).
   4. Cross-cultural skills: Skill in working with people from varied backgrounds, educational levels, and cultural surroundings in order to create and maintain an amiable and success-oriented working environment. Acceptance of peoples and cultures other than your own and interest in living in such cultures.
   5. Planning, organizing, and project management skills: Skill at organizing multiple and varied tasks into an achievable system quickly and accurately with minimal supervision in order to complete duties on time. Identifying resources, making use of limited resources, correcting or preventing known problems, anticipating challenges, establishing milestones.
   6. Time management: Skill in time management and prioritization of work, often under conditions of tight deadlines. Utilizing time efficiently, handling multiple priorities simultaneously, judging how to prioritize and delegate work appropriately.
   7. Problem solving and decision making/judgment: Skill in using logic and reasoning to evaluate facts, identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems, including creative and resourceful solutions, and present the alternatives in an unbiased way to others. Professional judgment and maturity to make decisions within appropriate areas of responsibility that move projects forward and enable timely achievement of section goals, including knowing when it is necessary to seek guidance from more experienced employees.
   8. Management and supervision skills: Coordinating, scheduling, tracking, managing information flow, negotiating work priorities, supervising locally employed (LE) staff and interns. Taking initiative and showing leadership to proactively identify issues and tasks, motivate others, give guidance, and serve as a role model.
   9. Record management skills: Creating archives, saving documents, searching, tracking paperwork, and creating and managing databases.
   10. Computer skills: Assists and trains others on office and specialized department software and helps resolve computer-related problems as first line of support, including proactively learning new systems and changes. Knowledge at the Microsoft Office Specialist level in Microsoft Office, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, Access or SharePoint, in order to perform tasks assigned and troubleshoot information technology issues.
   11. Adaptability and flexibility: Changing one’s behavior to adapt to the situation and recover from setbacks and extreme job demands in a timely and positive manner to ensure effectiveness under any circumstances.
   12. Dependability and integrity: Reliable, responsible, dependable, and conscientious at fulfilling obligations in order to perform work and assist customers. Honest and ethical in all aspects of performing the responsibilities of one’s job, regardless of the demands of the situation.
   13. Tolerance for international career: Tolerance of worldwide availability, including intensive world travel and sometime living away from family, and tolerance for working overseas.