Duties

The Economic Specialist must operate effectively and collegially with a rotating staff of six American officers up to the Counselor level, in addition to providing briefing for the Ambassador and Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM). The Economic Specialist will also work with a wide range of United States Government (USG), officials, ranging from Members of Congress to senior trade negotiators. On specific subtopics of Australian policy, the Economic Specialist will be the expert resource for the Economic Section.

The Economic Specialist is fully integrated into the strategic planning of the Economic Section and must have the confidence and professional competence to contribute coherent analysis and keen judgement - even in opposition to the consensus or to long standing beleifs.

What you'll do:

- Advance the bilateral economic relationship: Track and report Australia's economy, including the national budget, trade policy, legislation and emerging trends.

- Advise on strategic priorities: Give Embassy leadership practical recommendations through briefings, analysis and reporting.

- Build and maintain networks: Develop contacts across government, industry and civil society, and mentor colleagues across the Embassy and consulates.

- Support high-level visits: Plan and support U.S. delegations and Embassy events, from logistics to note taking and reporting.

- Deliver economic cooperation in the Pacific: Work with U.S. and Australian partners to advance joint projects in the Pacific Islands.

- Promote the U.S.-Australia economic partnership: Show how the relationship with he United States of America drives Australia's prosperity and economic security.

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Requirements:

All selected candidates must be able to obtain and hold a:

- Sensitive but Unclassified security clearance.

All selected candidates will be subject to a background investigation and may be subject to a pre-employment medical exam.

Selected candidate must be able to begin working within a reasonable period of time upon receipt of agency authorization and/or clearances/certifications or their candidacy may end.

To be considered for this vacancy, Eligible Family Members (EFMs) must have at least 12 months remaining at Post,



and local applicants must have at least 12 months of visa validity remaining.

Education Requirements:

Bachelor’s degree in Economics or a related field is required.

Please address this factor in your ERA application under Education.

Evaluations:

You will be evaluated against the qualifications and requirements in this vacancy announcement.

You may be asked to complete a pre-employment language or skills test.

You must complete the application form and provide the required documents. Your application must address all the position qualifications and requirements including education, experience, language, and any knowledge/skills/abilities listed. If you fail to submit a complete application, then your application may be disqualified for this position.

Qualifications:

Experience:

Five (5) years of economic-related work experience in relevant sectors, including government, industry, or think tank/academia is required.

Please address this factor in your ERA application under Major Duties and Responsibilities.

Language:

Fluent, speaking, reading and writing of English.

Please address this language requirement in your ERA application.

Job Knowledge:

Knowledge of the economic and political environment in Australia is required

Please address this language requirement in your ERA application.

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Perks:

Agency Benefits:

The U.S. Mission offers a competitive compensation and benefits package for local employees. Find out more by clicking the link Benefits and Compensation for Locally Employed Staff

For Eligible Family Member (EFM) applicants, benefits should be discussed with the HR Office. The pay plan is assigned by the HR Office and confirmed by Washington, D.C.

Other Information:

HIRING PREFERENCE SELECTION PROCESS:





Eligible and qualified applicants receive a hiring preference in the order listed below:

1. Appointment Eligible Family Member (AEFM) / U.S. citizen Eligible Family Member (USEFM) who is a preference-eligible U.S. Veteran*

2. AEFM / USEFM

Applicants must accurately describe their status in their application; failure to do so may result in a determination of ineligibility for a hiring preference.

* IMPORTANT: Applicants who claim status as a preference-eligible U.S. Veteran must submit a copy of the most recent Member Copy Four (4) of the DD-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, and, if applicable, a letter from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. If claiming conditional eligibility for U.S. Veterans’ preference, applicants must submit proof of conditional eligibility. U.S. Veterans’ preference must be claimed on the application to be properly taken into account.

For complete definitions of AEFM, USEFM, EFM, Member of Household, etc., please visit the 3 FAM 7210 Definitions.

Additional Employment Considerations

The following apply to EFMs, USEFMs, and AEFMs only:

- An EFM employed on a PSA or FMA with a regular work schedule (full-time or part-time) is subject to the New Employee 90-Day Application Limitation and must work 90 calendar days in the current position before applying for other positions advertised at the Mission.

- An EFM employed on a temporary PSA or Temporary Appointment (TEMP) with an intermittent work schedule is not subject to the New Employee 90-Day Application Limitation and may apply for advertised Mission vacancies at any time.

The following apply to Locally Employed staff only:

- Current employees serving a probationary period are not eligible.

- Current employees with an Overall Summary Rating of Needs Improvement, Unsatisfactory, or an MBC score of less than 100 points on their most recent Employee Performance Report are not eligible.

The following apply to all candidates:

Candidates who have already accepted a conditional offer of employment may NOT be extended a second conditional offer of employment unless and until they withdraw their candidacy for the first position in writing.

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📌 Economic Specialist – Canberra
🏢 American Embassy
📍 Canberra