Jobs at AFSA

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Law Clerk

The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) is seeking a part-time law clerk (20 hours/week) to work in its Labor Management office at the Department of State at a rate of $20.00/hour. AFSA is the labor union and professional association for the U.S. Foreign Service at the State Department and five other foreign affairs agencies. This law clerk will work on several different areas of labor and employment law, primarily in the areas of administrative litigation and collective bargaining negotiations. As the exclusive bargaining agent for the Foreign Service, AFSA represents Foreign Service employees in everything from discipline cases and grievances to financial matters and dependent family education issues. This law clerk will work alongside attorneys both in representing clients and in negotiating bargaining agreements with the foreign affairs agencies.

Primary job responsibilities include:

  • Draft responses to proposals for discipline in administrative cases, as well as draft grievances and grievance appeals.
  • Assist in the discovery process by writing requests for documents, requests for admissions, and interrogatories.
  • Research statutes and case law by reviewing Federal Labor Relations Authority and Foreign Service Grievance Board decisions; Agency regulations; relevant federal statutes, Agency collective bargaining agreements; and case comparators in the preparation of legal memoranda.
  • Draft language for collective bargaining agreements.

Qualifications:

  • A 2L or 3L law student with an interest in labor and employment law.
  • Strong Academic Credentials. Membership on journal and a demonstrated interest in labor/employment preferred.

Candidates should submit a resume, cover letter, transcript, and writing sample to afsa@state.gov.

Retirement Counselor

About AFSA

The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), established in 1924, is both professional association and exclusive representative for the U.S. Foreign Service. AFSA’s more than 16,500 members include active-duty and retired Foreign Service officers and specialists at the Department of State, as well as members of the Foreign Service from the U.S. Agency for International Development, Foreign Agricultural Service, Foreign Commercial Service, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and Broadcasting Board of Governors.

Mission

AFSA is both the principal advocate for the long-term institutional wellbeing of the professional career Foreign Service and responsible for safeguarding the interests of AFSA members. AFSA also seeks to increase understanding among the American people about the vital role of the U.S. Foreign Service in sustaining American global leadership.

Who We Serve

AFSA exists to support the United States Foreign Service, which deploys worldwide to protect and serve America’s people, interests and values. The Foreign Service is the only U.S. government entity that is globally deployed with an enduring physical presence in almost every country in the world, creating an enormous competitive advantage for America and for Americans from all walks of life.

Overview - Retirement Counselor Position

This is a part-time position (approximately 16 to 20 hours a week) primarily responsible for assisting individual retiree members with navigating existing Federal benefit retirement resources available, program development related to retirement benefits, and oversight of an online social media community for members.

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS

  • Foreign Service experience (or EFM) strongly preferred.
  • Experience in a member-based organization desired.
  • Strong written and oral communication skills
  • Strong inter-personal skills
  • Results oriented and service oriented.
  • Bachelor’s degree required.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Remaining informed on retirement benefit issues by partnering with Federal Retirement Benefit stakeholders and serving as a resource for retiree members who may need one-on-one assistance navigating retirement resources available, health benefit options, retiree insurance plans options, and similar matters.
  • Developing on-going in-person programs and webinars by experts who can address retirement issues of concern to members, such as health benefit options, retiree insurance plan options, questions regarding Chapter 8 of the Foreign Service Act, "Foreign Service Retirement and Disability”, retiree related OPM issues, and other topics of interest to members.
  • Reporting out on programs to alert members to the information available through articles in the bimonthly retiree newsletter, regular updates in AFSA’s magazine, The Foreign Service Journal, and on the AFSA website (www.afsa.org).
  • Monitoring content and conversations on the association’s online community, moderating where necessary and notifying stakeholders and colleagues of information, relevant trends and other topics of interest to the community.
  • Handling basic membership functions which may include monitoring obituaries, representing AFSA at member-focused events, and assisting with retiree recruitment.
  • Performing other related duties as required.

AFSA offers a collegial working environment and competitive salary. Please send application (cover letter and resume) to jobs@afsa.org with the subject “Retirement Counselor” by close of business on June 22, 2018.