Foreign Affairs Specialist

This listing is a summary.

Open: July 31, 2026 —
Closes: August 6, 2026

This position is located in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), with one vacancy in Silver Spring, MD. This position is also announced under vacancy number NMFS--DE, which is open to all US Citizens or Nationals. You must apply to both announcements if you want to be considered for both.

As a Foreign Affairs Specialist, you will perform the following duties:
Plan, coordinate, and provide input on related work to departmental formulation and direction of the foreign affairs of the United States, bearing on international fisheries relations, including bycatch and conservation of protected living marine resources. Implement seafood trade monitoring programs:
Antarctic Marine Living Resources Program, the Highly Migratory Species International Trade Program, the Seafood Import Monitoring Program, the Tuna Tracking and Verification Program, and Certification of Admissibility requirements. Negotiate and implement sustainable international management measures for living marine resources through regional fisheries management organizations, regional partnerships and protected species conservation organizations. Respond to stakeholder requests for assistance with program requirements and compliance.

Exercise responsibility as an independent specialist to analyze information to comply with international fisheries management, protected species conservation and trade measures, including formulating and executing capacity building efforts as directed. Perform analysis of information on sustainable fisheries management, illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, bycatch of protected living marine resources and trade. Implement trade monitoring programs to combat IUU fishing.

Facilitate trade and achieve other policy objectives.

NOTE:

These duties are described at the full performance level of the ZA-4; the ZA-3 is developmental leading to such performance. This position will be filled under the DOC Alternative Personnel System (CAPS). Under CAPS, positions are classified by career, pay plan, and pay band. The ZA-3 is equivalent to the GS-11/12. The ZA-4 is equivalent to the GS-13/14.