International Affairs Specialist (Recent Graduate)

This is an excepted service appointment under the Department of Justice Pathways Recent Graduate Program. After successful completion of the program requirements, the individual may, at agency discretion, be converted to a term or permanent appointment. A recent grad converted to a term appointment may be subsequently converted non-competitively into a permanent competitive service position before the term expires.

Duties

As an International Affairs Specialist, you will:

• Assist Attorneys with the handling of large volumes of cases, including litigation;
• Review high volumes of U.S. and foreign requests for extradition, mutual legal assistance, and prisoner transfer to ensure that required documents are translated, authenticated, and submitted in accordance with U.S. law and applicable treaty provisions;
• Maintain OIA's physical and electronic case records. Refer requests to U.S. government agencies and attorney's offices to obtain the evidence requested from foreign authorities;
• Analyze documents received from foreign governments in criminal matters, including factual portions of legal assistance and extradition requests, often in the source language. Draft proposed diplomatic correspondence; track treaty deadlines/prioritizes cases;
• Prepare clear and concise summaries of investigative reports, allegations, and facts in international criminal cases and prisoner transfer cases for attorneys' review;
• Utilize open access legal databases to assist in gathering evidence (i.e. documents and investigative materials), and the U.S. Electronic Court Filing System (ECF) to conduct routine casework;
• Assist attorneys and supervisors in drafting briefing papers for senior officials in preparation for bilateral and multilateral meetings with foreign counterparts; and
• Communicate with representatives of U.S. private sector entities regarding the service of subpoenas and to review evidence to ensure compliance with U.S. legal process.

This vacancy includes a Selective Placement Factor. Please see below for more information.

Salary

• $46,610 - $91,815/year

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to qualify for this position.
• You must complete the online questionnaire and additional assessment(s).
• You must undergo a pre-employment security investigation.
• Selective Service Registration is required, as applicable.
• You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
• Eligibility Requirements: See Qualifications Section.
• You may be required to complete a two-year trial period.
• Direct Deposit: All federal employees are required to have federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
• The Criminal Division participates in the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program. E-Verify helps employers to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. For more information, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/.

Qualifications

To be eligible for this recent graduate position, one of the following requirements must be met:

1. Recent graduates who have completed, within the previous two years, a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational, or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution. (Current students may apply if they are in their final semester, with a graduation date of Spring 2026. Include your expected graduation date on your resume and provide current transcripts. You must receive your degree prior to appointment.)
2. Veterans unable to apply within two years of receiving their degree, due to military service obligation, have as much as six years after degree completion to apply.

To qualify at the GS-05 grade level, applicants must have one of the following:

• A bachelor's degree from an accredited institution; OR
• Three (3) years of experience, one year of which was equivalent to at least the GS-04, that demonstrates your ability to: communicate effectively in writing; develop informal and formal written materials, to include various correspondence and summaries of information; and review and edit documents; OR
• A combination of education and experience may also be used to qualify. Please note that only education in excess of 60 semester hours of an undergraduate degree is creditable towards meeting the specialized experience requirement at the GS-05 grade level.

To qualify at the GS-07 grade level, applicants must have one of the following:

• A bachelor's degree AND meet one of the following provisions for Superior Academic Achievement: (1) A standing in the upper third of your college class or major subdivision (e.g., school of business) at the time you apply; (2) A grade point average of "B" (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) or its equivalent for all courses completed; (a) at the time of application; or (b) during the last 2 years of your undergraduate curriculum; (3) A "B+" (3.5 on a 4.0 scale) or its equivalent for all courses completed in a qualifying major field of study, either (a) at the time of application; or (b) during the last two years of your undergraduate curriculum; or (4) Election to membership in one of the national honorary societies (other than freshman societies): OR
• One (1) full academic year of graduate level education;OR
• At least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-05, that demonstrates the ability to: communicate effectively in writing; translate or draft correspondence and other written materials; and analyze documents to ensure processes and procedures are followed; OR
• Combination of education and experience may also be used to qualify. Please note, only education in excess of a completed undergraduate degree may be used in this calculation.

To qualify at the GS-09 grade level, applicants must have one of the following:

• Two (2) full years of graduate education or a master's degree, LL.B, J.D., or equivalent degree that demonstrates the competencies needed to do the work of the position may be substituted for the experience required; OR
• At least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 that demonstrates the ability to: analyze and draft clear and concise narratives, draw on disparate sources to identify salient facts; obtain, analyze, and interpret factual and statistical data; and apply basic knowledge of international affairs; OR
• A combination of education and experience as listed below. Please note, only education in excess of one year of graduate education may be used in this calculation.

Combination of Education and Experience - Your current education completed is credited as a percentage of the education required for the grade level and your current experience is credited as a percentage of the total experience required for the grade level. The two percentages are added and must equal 100% in order to qualify for the desired grade level.

All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see www.ed.gov.

Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For more information about this requirement, please visit the U.S. Department of Education website for Foreign Education Evaluation. All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.

Selective Placement Factor: To qualify for this position at the GS-05/07/09 grade level, applicants must be proficient in (English) writing. Applicants' proficiency in (English) writing will be assessed through an online (USA Hire) writing assessment. Applicants who do not display a minimum level of proficiency on the USA Hire Writing Assessment will be ineligible for further consideration.

Education There is no degree requirement for this position. As described in the Qualifications, you must be a recent graduate in order to be eligible for this position. Other Information Upon successful completion of the Pathways Recent Graduate Program, candidates may be converted to a position with a different career ladder. Candidates may be converted to the grade at which they qualify. Conversion to a permanent or term position is not guaranteed and is subject to many factors such as funding, position availability, and performance. Additional selections may be made from this vacancy announcement to fill vacancies that occur subsequent to this announcement. EEO Statement: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. Additional information on DOJ's EEO policy can be found on our website. USA Hire Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request an RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need an RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments online at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us/articles/45424542500371-How-to-request-a-reasonable-accommodation. Required Documents

You are strongly encouraged to convert your resume to an Adobe PDF file prior to submitting your application, especially if you are submitting using a Mac system. Resumes not pre-converted to a PDF file will undergo conversion by the system. This conversion process may cause some formatting changes to your resume, including line and page break errors. To ensure your submitted resume does not display with formatting issues, please submit your resume as a PDF. This error does not affect USAjobs resumes.To apply for this position, you must provide a complete application package which includes:

1. Resume (cover letter is optional) - Applicants will be evaluated based on a comparison of the position requirements against the quality and extent of experience or related education as reflected in their resume. Applicants are encouraged to ensure work experiences clearly show the possession of knowledge of the subject matter pertinent to the position and the technical skills to successfully perform the duties of the position. Your resume must be no more than 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. Please ensure all information you believe is qualifying for the position is contained in the first two pages, or you may be marked ineligible. Additionally, your resume must include the following information for each job listed: month and year, start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008), and full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week).
2. Unofficial Transcripts - transcripts must reflect cumulative GPA. If selected, applicants will be required to provide an official copy of their transcript before they enter on duty.
   1. Degree audits will not be accepted. Transcripts need to display your name and credit hours earned.
   2. If it cannot be determined that you meet the eligibility requirements, you may be removed from consideration.
   3. If you have already graduated, your degree conferral date must be indicated on your transcripts.
3. USA Hire Reasonable Accommodations Requests - If you are requesting a reasonable accommodation to the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you may be asked to submit documentation to support your request (https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us/articles/45424542500371-How-to-request-a-reasonable-accommodation).
4. Documentation of Eligibility for Special Hiring Authorities (if applicable) to prove appointment eligibility. Examples include: Schedule A disability letter, Peace Corps volunteer letter, military spouse hiring authority documentation, etc.
5. Current or Former Political Appointees (if applicable) - Please note on your resume and attach an SF-50. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office.
6. Schedule A Documentation (if applicable) - The Criminal Division welcomes and encourages applications from persons with disabilities and is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on the basis of merit within the Department. The Criminal Division also encourages eligible Schedule A applicants to submit their resumes directly to the Criminal Division disability POC at crm.schedulea@usdoj.gov.
7. Veterans' Preference Documentation (if applicable):

• If you are a discharged, non-disabled veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character discharge (Member 4 Copy), or other documentation of service and separation under honorable conditions. If you do not have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives at http://www.archives.gov/veterans.
• If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, and 6) dated within 120 days of your separation.
• If you are a disabled veteran, Purple Heart recipient, or parent or spouse of a disabled or deceased veteran, you must submit a completed SF-15 (https://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf) and all additional proof required by the SF-15, as applicable, if you do not have your Department of Veterans Affairs letter establishing proof of disability, you may request it at https://www.va.gov/resources/getting-started-with-va/ or call 1-800-827-1000.

How to Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments, and required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents sections. The complete application package must be received by 11:59 PM, Eastern Time, on 06/12/2026 to receive consideration.

The application process is as follows:

1. Click the Apply Online button.
2. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
3. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM, Eastern Time, on 06/12/2026.
4. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
5. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
6. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
7. Set aside about 2 hours to take the USA Hire assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
8. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.

Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us.

You may update your application documents and some questions related to your personal information at any time during the announcement open period. However, you will not be able to make changes to questions related to assessing the minimum qualifications and competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics) mentioned in the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section above. To make an allowed update to your application, return to your USAJOBS account (https://usajobs.gov). There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/howto/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.

???????Reasonable Accommodation Statement: Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the Human Resources team at CRM.RA@usdoj.gov. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.