Grievance Counselor/Attorney Advisor

The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), the professional association and exclusive bargaining agent for the United States Foreign Service, seeks a Grievance Counselor/Attorney Advisor to work within the Labor Management department at the US Department of State located at 2201 C St NW, Rm 2805, Washington, DC. The position reports to the Senior Attorney Advisor, Neera Parikh. The position includes the option of flexible telework, but the incumbent must be in the office a minimum of 2 days a week. Applications will be accepted through July 4th. The start date will be as soon as possible.

The Organization

The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), created in 1924, is the professional association for the U.S. Foreign Service. AFSA’s 16,800 members include active and retired Foreign Service officers and specialists primarily at the Department of State as well as at the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Foreign Agricultural Service, the Foreign Commercial Service, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, and the U.S. Agency for Global Media.

AFSA is also a labor union, serving as the exclusive representative of members of the Foreign Service. AFSA negotiates with the management of the principal U.S. Government foreign affairs agencies on personnel policies and practices affecting members’ working conditions, and represents members in formal grievance proceedings, office of security and inspector general investigations, disciplinary proceedings, and EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity) cases. For more information about AFSA, please go to www.AFSA.org.

Compensation and Benefits

• Annualized salary of $80,000 - $90,000 across 26 pay periods, depending on experience.
• Optional telework up to 3 days a week once onboarding has been fully completed.
• Full-time employees have access to a health care and retirement benefits package.
  • Subsidized Health, Dental, and Vision insurance
  • Disability (short and long), Life, and AD&D Insurance paid in full by AFSA.
  • 401(k) and/or Roth 401(k) with up to 5% matching
  • Paid Sick, Vacation and Parental leave.

The Position and Its Principal Responsibilities

The American Foreign Service Association is recruiting an individual with an interest in the Foreign Service, the U.S. Department of State and the other Foreign Affairs Agencies, and the Foreign Service Act (and related laws and regulations) to serve as Grievance Counselor in its Labor Management office in the Department of State. This position is available for a qualified individual seeking full-time employment.

Specific duties include:

• Grievance Counseling & Representation: Counsel and represent Foreign Service officers and specialists on a wide variety of grievance issues under the Foreign Service Act, the Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) and other laws and regulations (to include annual employee evaluation issues, entry-level salary and tenure, low ranking, disciplinary actions, EEO matters and potential separations for failure to meet the standards of the class). This requires strong research, writing and communication skills.
• Advise employees of adequate relief and remedies. Assist members in the drafting and preparation of grievances for final submission to the agency and Foreign Service Grievance Board (FSGB); engage in discovery, draft motions to compel, and represent employees in settlement discussions.
• Legal: Research regulations, laws, and previous FSGB decisions to assist employees with their submission or to aid AFSA in its representation of Foreign Service employees. Research and draft letters regarding broader policy issues affecting members. Provide input on revisions and updates to the FAM, as requested.
• Employee Inquiries: Answer employee inquiries and concerns on various issues including benefits and allowances in the form of phone calls, letters, and memoranda
• Agency Liaison: Maintain good working relationship with FSGB staff and Agency personnel including but not limited to the Grievance Staff, the Office of Performance Evaluation, and the Office of Career Development and Assignments. Develop and maintain professional relationships with staff of other agencies when assisting members of those constituencies.
• Other responsibilities as needed including assisting with in-person events as a part of the membership team and with recruitment campaigns.

Required Skills, Education and Characteristics

• College degree
• The ability to obtain and maintain a public trust clearance (SF 86P).
• Well versed with Microsoft Office tools, particularly Excel.
• Ability to proactively handle multiple competing priorities and demands.
• Strong research and analytical skills.
• High-level organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills.

Preferred Skills, Education and Characteristics

• Law Degree with 1-3 years of legal experience (Attorney Advisor)
• College degree with 8+ years of Foreign Service experience (Grievance Counselor)

Work Environment

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk working on a computer. Primary work location will be AFSA Labor Management Department located at 2201 C St NW, Rm 2805, Washington, DC.
• The position includes the option of flexible telework, but the incumbent must be in the office a minimum of 2 days a week.

To Apply

Please email a detailed cover letter that explains why you are interested and qualified in this position and your resume, along with a brief writing sample, to jobs@afsa.org. The deadline is July 4th.

Member Operations Coordinator

The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), the professional association and exclusive bargaining agent for the United States Foreign Service, seeks a Member Operations Coordinator to work within the Membership department at its Washington, D.C. headquarters located at 2101 E St NW, Washington, DC. The position reports to the Director of Programs and Member Engagement. The position includes the option of flexible telework, but the incumbent must be in the office a minimum of 2 days a week. Applications will be accepted through June 12th, 2023. The start date will be as soon as possible.

The Organization

The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), created in 1924, is the professional association for the U.S. Foreign Service. AFSA’s 16,800 members include active and retired Foreign Service officers and specialists primarily at the Department of State as well as at the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Foreign Agricultural Service, the Foreign Commercial Service, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, and the U.S. Agency for Global Media.

AFSA is also a labor union, serving as the exclusive representative of members of the Foreign Service. AFSA negotiates with the management of the principal U.S. Government foreign affairs agencies on personnel policies and practices affecting members’ working conditions, and represents members in formal grievance proceedings, office of security and inspector general investigations, disciplinary proceedings, and EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity) cases. For more information about AFSA, please go to www.AFSA.org.

Compensation and Benefits

• Annualized salary of $55,000 - $60,000 across 26 pay periods, depending on experience.
• Optional telework up to 3 days a week once onboarding has been fully completed.
• Full-time employees have access to a health care and retirement benefits package.
  • Subsidized Health, Dental, and Vision insurance
  • Disability (short and long), Life, and AD&D Insurance paid in full by AFSA.
  • 401(k) and/or Roth 401(k) with up to 5% matching
  • Paid Sick, Vacation and Parental leave.

The Position and Its Principal Responsibilities

The primary duty of the incumbent is to support AFSA’s membership operations including responding to member questions and requests for information; processing membership applications and assisting with invoicing; tracking data and membership statistics for analysis of trends; managing the membership functions of the website, and the CRM. The incumbent will work closely with the Member Events and Marketing Coordinator and the Director of Programs and Member Engagement to ensure efficient membership operations of the Association.

Specific duties include:

• Responsible for maintaining the overall integrity of membership data including processing new applications, updates to member data, and membership cancellations.
• Reconcile and update member data using queries and Excel formulas to compare with bi-monthly reports received from the various Foreign Service agencies. Lead audits of membership data.
• Create workflows for managing on-going changes to membership status and resultant communication with members.
• Assist with monthly invoicing process for annual payers and identify improvements to avoid lapsed memberships.
• Produce regular reports and queries to understand AFSA membership data, including retention and attrition statistics, and work with the Director of Programs and Member Engagement to convert data to action steps for improved member recruitment and retention.
• Responsible for maintaining the primary inbox for membership communication, determining the best department for response, and developing accurate and customer-friendly communication with members regarding their inquiries.
• Primary staff resource for the CRM as it pertains to AFSA Membership
• Primary staff resource for the e-commerce portions of the AFSA website (purchasing and updating memberships).
• Project lead on the production of the annual Directory of Retired Members.
• Other responsibilities as needed including assisting with in-person events as a part of the membership team and with recruitment campaigns.

For more information about AFSA, please go to www.AFSA.org.

Required Skills, Education and Characteristics

• College degree
• Analytical and comfortable managing data.
• High-level organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to proactively multi-task multiple competing priorities and demands.
• Well versed with Microsoft Office tools, particularly Excel.
• The ability to obtain and maintain a State Department badge.

Preferred Skills, Education and Characteristics

• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Experience working with a CRM database.
• 1+ years of relevant work experience.

Work Environment

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk working on a computer. Will occasionally need to move heavy equipment and furniture. Primary work location will be AFSA HQ located at 2101 E St NW, Washington DC 20037.
• The position includes the option of flexible telework, but the incumbent must be in the office a minimum of 2 days a week.

To Apply

Please email a detailed cover letter that explains why you are interested and qualified in this position and your resume, along with a brief writing sample, to jobs@afsa.org. The deadline is June 12th.