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INTERNATIONAL TRADE SPECIALIST
International Trade Administration
Department of Commerce

Overview

NSEP Exclusive

Open & Closing Dates
03/02/2026 to 03/20/2026

Salary
$57,736 - $70,623

Pay Scale & Grade
GS7, GS9 per year

Work Schedule
Full-Time

Promotion Potential
GS13

Appointment Type
Permanent

Location

City
Washington, DC

State
DC Metro Area

Duties

Summary
The International Trade Administration (ITA) strengthens the competitiveness of U.S. industry, promotes trade and investment, and ensures fair trade through the rigorous enforcement of our trade laws and agreements.

ITA MISSION: Create prosperity by strengthening the international competitiveness of U.S. industry, promoting trade and investment, and ensuring fair trade and compliance with trade laws and agreements.

ITA VISION: Foster economic growth and prosperity through global trade.

Responsibilities
Assists senior specialists in coordination and support of government trade programs and events.

Supports senior specialists by performing research and analysis of trade data, trade policy, trade promotion, export facilitation, trade barriers, foreign direct investment, and additional topics or issues within a larger project or assignment.

Participates in meetings or conferences for developmental programs.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment
You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.

Basic Requirements:

Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree that included a major field of study or specific course requirements generally as stated in paragraph A in the individual occupational requirements.

Where specific course requirements are not indicated in paragraph A, the number of semester hours required to constitute a major field of study is the amount specified by the college or university attended. If this number cannot be obtained, 24 semester hours will be considered as equivalent to a major field of study. The nature and quality of this required coursework must have been such that it would serve as a prerequisite for more advanced study in the field or subject-matter area. Related coursework generally refers to courses that may be accepted as part of the program major.

Specialized experience:

GS-7:

Education: 1 year of graduate-level education or superior academic achievement.

SUPERIOR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT: Demonstrated by a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with one of the following. NOTE It is your responsibility to ensure your application clearly states how you meet one of the provisions below:

o A grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher based on a 4.0 scale for all completed undergraduate courses, or those completed in the last 2 full years of undergraduate study;

o A GPA of 3.5 or higher based on a 4.0 scale for required courses completed in a major field of study, or those courses completed in a major field of study during the last two years of undergraduate study;

o Class standing of upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision of the college;

o Membership in a national Scholastic Honor Society certified by the Association of College Honor

Societies, excluding freshman honor societies.

Specialized Experience: 1 year equivalent to at least GS-5

GS-9:

Education: 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree

Specialized experience: 1 year equivalent to at least GS-7

Requirements
For education substitution, major areas of study preferred: international policy, international commerce, international business, international development, government and foreign affairs, international business, international trade, international economics, international affairs, international relations, or other related fields of study

Qualifications
Knowledge of the basic principles and factors which influence trade and trade positions of various industries and/or countries.

Writing ability sufficient to summarize trade data and information clearly and concisely; verbal communication skills enabling clear and effective exchange of information within and outside the unit.

Ability to research, analyze, and interpret empirical trade data.

Security Clearance

Required
Secret

Required Application Materials

Resume, DD-214 (veterans or active duty military only), SF-50 (current or former federal employees only), NSEP Letter of Certification, Writing Sample

Application Instructions

to follow the application instructions may result in rejection of your application.

Resume and Supporting Materials

You will need to submit your application through the vacancy posting on the NSEPnet Job Board. Please upload each of the required documents in the appropriate location. Files should be in Word, Excel, PDF, Text or Html formats only. When naming each file, please follow the following naming convention:

Document Type_Last Name, First Name

For example, the applicant John Smith would submit a resume named “Resume_Smith, John”.

To access the NSEPnet Job Board, you will need to login to https://www.nsepnet.org. The link to NSEPnet Job Board is at the top of the page under the “Job Search” tab. Please select the position you are interested in, read over the application instructions carefully, and upload all required documents.

If you cannot login or do not remember your login credentials, please use the Forgot Username tool at https://nsepnet.org/ForgotUsername.aspx or the Forgot Password tool at https://nsepnet.org/ForgotPassword.aspx.

SF-50 and DD-214

If you are a current or former federal employee, you will need to include your SF-50 (or similar document proving federal employment) in your application. If you are a veteran or active duty member of the U.S. military, you will need to include a DD-214 in your application.

Letter of Certification

You will need to request a Letter of Certification for this exclusive position. To request a Letter of Certification from the NSEPnet home page, hover over the blue “Request a Letter” option at the top of the page and click on “Certification Letter” from the drop-down options. Requests for Letters of Certification are generally processed within 1-2 business days.

HIRING AUTHORITY

The Department of Commerce will utilize the Schedule A (r) and/or NDAA’13 hiring authorities afforded to all NSEP award recipients with outstanding service requirements to make appointments to this position in the excepted service. NSEP award recipients who have already completed their service requirement to NSEP in full are not eligible to apply.

Additional Notes

NSEP cannot pre-approve positions for service credit, but positions with national security responsibilities with the Department of Commerce, a Tier Two federal agency, may be considered for service credit. All requests for credit outside of Tier One are considered on a case-by-case basis.

This opportunity is only open to NSEP award recipients who have not yet fulfilled their service requirement to NSEP in full. If you have completed work which may fulfill part or all of your service under the terms of your Service Agreement with NSEP, please submit a Service Agreement Report (SAR) requesting service credit for that work as soon as possible. Feel free to reach out to the NSEP Service Team at nsep@nsep.gov if you have any questions or concerns.

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