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Administrative Specialist

Department Of State Headquarters

Job Location:

Washington, DC - USA

Yearly Salary: USD 70623 - 70623

Posted: 6 October 2026 (21 days ago)

Application Deadline: 3 January 2027

Vacancies: 1 Vacancy

Job Summary

Summary

This position is located in the Authentications Branch in the Records Creation and Retention Division housed in the Office of Records Management Passport Services Directorate Bureau of Consular Affairs (CA/PPT/S/RM/RCR). The Authentications Branch is responsible for certifying to the genuineness of a signature and/or seal or to the position of an official who has previously executed issued or certified a document.

Duties

Issues certificates of authentication under the Seal of the Department of State and uses the Secretary of States seal as well as the signature of the Secretary of State and Acting Secretary of State on assigned authenticating documents
Recommends authentication actions on documents submitted to foreign embassies and courts U.S. courts secretaries of state and federal agencies in accordance with applicable Department regulations.
Processes and articulates a wide range of moderately complex cases received through appointment mail-in and counter services.
Applies laws regulations policies and guidance to ensure the compliance with federal laws governing the flow and safeguarding of Government information.
At the GS-911 & 12 level the incumbent performs essentially the same duties as outlined above; however the scope and complexity of assignments are of less responsibility and independence and receives closer than normal supervision.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

U.S. Citizenship is required.
Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing.
Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all the required qualification requirements described below by the closing date of this announcement. If you are qualifying based on education OR if there are mandatory education requirements listed below you MUST submit a copy of your college transcript with your application.

NOTE: Applicants must meet time-in-grade and time after competitive appointment requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Time-In-Grade Requirements: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions per 5CFR 300 Subpart F.

Applicants applying for the GS-09 grade level must meet one of the following requirements: A. Have at least 1 full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service which provided you with the particular knowledge skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position. Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following:

Experience assisting with the examination of documents that need to be authenticate to which the previous seals or other certifications may have been affixed by other authorities.
Experience assistingwith applying the appropriate regulations and case law to analyze and respond to the request of a constituent inquiry or a customer complaint.

OR B. Have a masters or equivalent graduate degree OR 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree OR LL.B or J.D. from an accredited college or university. This education must demonstrate the knowledge skills and abilities to do the work of the position to be filled;

OR C. Have a combination of graduate level education and specialized experience (as described above) which is equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal Service. This experience and education together meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position.

Combination of Experience and Education: When an applicant has less than one year of specialized experience as described in the announcement he or she may combine successfully completed graduate-level education with experience to meet the total qualification requirements. Generally 18 graduate semester hours is equivalent to 1 full-time year of graduate study (your school and department determine what constitutes 1 full time year of graduate study). The percentage of specialized work experience and the percentage of graduate study must total at least 100%. Note: All applicants WILL BE required to submit transcripts as verification of educational requirement. If you fail to provide requested information or the information you submit is insufficient to verify your eligibility you may lose consideration for this position.

Applicants applying for the GS-11 grade level must meet one of the following requirements: A. Have at least 1 full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service which provided you with the particular knowledge skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position.

Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following:

Experience examiningdocuments that need to be authenticate to which the previous seals or other certifications may have been affixed by other authorities .
Experienceapplying appropriate regulations and case law to analyze and respond to therequest of a constituent inquiry or a customer complaint.
Experience monitoring current wait times and liaises with Authentication Services Community Relations Division to ensure accurate wait times are published on .

OR B. Have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree OR 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M. from an accredited college or university.

OR C. Have a combination of graduate level education and specialized experience (as described above) which is equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal Service. This experience and education together meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position. Combination of Experience and Education: When an applicant has less than one year of specialized experience as described in the announcement he or she may combine successfully completed graduate-level education with experience to meet the total qualification requirements. Generally 18 graduate semester hours is equivalent to 1 full-time year of graduate study (your school and department determine what constitutes 1 full time year of graduate study). The percentage of specialized work experience and the percentage of graduate study must total at least 100%. Note: All applicants WILL BE required to submit transcripts as verification of educational requirement. If you fail to provide requested information or the information you submit is insufficient to verify your eligibility you may lose consideration for this position.

Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service which provided the applicant with the particular knowledge skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position.

Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following:

Experience interpreting and applying the laws regulations policies and guidance to ensure the compliance with federal laws governing the flow and safeguarding of Government information.
Experienceverifying identification/citizenship and preventing fraudulentissuance are critical to maintaining the security of U.S. borders.
Experienceanalyzing a wide variety of legal documents submitted forauthentication by commercial organizations private citizens and officials of the Department of State and otherfederal state and foreign government agencies.

There is no substitute of education for specialized experience for the GS-12 position.

Education

See the qualifications section of this vacancy announcement for education requirements.

When an applicant has less than one year of specialized experience as described in the announcement he or she may combine successfully completed graduate-level education with experience to meet the total qualification requirements. Generally 18 graduate semester hours is equivalent to 1 full-time year of graduate study (your school and department determine what constitutes 1 full time year of graduate study). The percentage of specialized work experience (for example 6 months equals 50%) and the percentage of graduate study (for example 9 graduate hours for a GS-07 equals 50% where 18 graduate hours constitute a full time year) must total at least 100%.

Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For a list of accredited organizations recognized as specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials visit: information

To request a reasonable accommodation foradditionaltime on thetimed sections of theassessment pleasesubmityour request using the Request a Reasonable Accommodation button within theAssessment Application.
Forall otherreasonable accommodationsat the U.S. Department of State please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations(OAA)at .
OAAis responsible forreviewing andadjudicatingreasonable accommodation(RA)requests for the Assessment Battery being usedfor this following applies to all RA requests:
- RA requestscoveradditionaltime on timed sections only.
- Applicantssubmittinga RA request MUST attach supporting medical documentation signed by a licensed treatingmedical provider. The documentation should describe the nature severity and expected duration of the conditionidentifythe relevant medical condition or diagnosis and explain the basis for the requested extension.RA requests that do notcontainsupporting medical documentation attachmentsatthetime ofinitialrequest may be subject to further review.
- Note:the following documents do not on their own qualify for automatic approval oftheRA request:Schedule A letters VA benefits lettersorSSA letters.
- Applicants MUSTsubmittheir application before the vacancy closes even if pending anaccommodationdecision.
- Applicants are encouraged to carefully follow instructions related to medical documentation provided in the vacancy announcement prior to beginning the RA process.
- Applicants will have 48 hours after their RA request isadjudicatedto complete the assessment generated after the allottedtimeframewill not be admissible and the applicant will not be considered further for the vacancy.
- If a different type of RA is needed please contact OAA directly at.
If eligible situational telework agreements may be permitted with supervisory approval.
Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. If eligible applicants to this announcement may be referred to other similar positions in this Bureau for up to 240 days and may require a higher or lower security clearance. Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions.
Agency & Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP & ICTAP):View OPMs CTAP & ICTAP eligibilitywebsite for more information. You must be rated in the Well-Qualified category and submit supporting documents under the required documents section of this announcement to receive selection priority be considered Well-Qualified applicants must: score an85 or above meet Minimum Qualifications and demonstrateproficiencyin some but notall major aspects of the position.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government passionate about the ideals of our American republic and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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. Opens in a new windowLearn 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.

Required Experience:

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