Law Enforcement Project Specialist

The Celestar Corporation has been issued a task order to provide support to the Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). As a result, we’re looking for a Law Enforcement Project Specialist located within the INL section of the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade, Serbia. If interested and qualified, we welcome you to post for this challenging opportunity.

CLEARANCE REQUIREMENT : A Moderate Risk Public Trust (MRPT) is required for this position; however, the contractor may begin work with an interim Moderate Risk Public Trust (MRPT). If the incumbent is a Local National, they will be required to meet security access requirements for the U.S. Embassy RSO local vetting. If applicable, badge issuance will be in compliance with Regional Security Office guidance.

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE : The period of performance for this order will be one (01) year from the date of award with the option to exercise four (04) one-year option periods, subject to performance, need, and funding. The INL Contracting Officer (CO) will notify the Vendor of the Government’s intent to exercise an option prior to the end of each performance period in accordance with FAR 52.217-9.

BACKGROUND
The U.S. Department of State is the lead institution for the conduct of American diplomacy and the Secretary of State is the President’s principal foreign policy advisor. The Department of State’s mission is to advance U.S. national security interests, fight terrorism, protect U.S. interests abroad, and implement foreign policy initiatives that build a freer, prosperous, and secure world.
The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) keeps Americans safe at home by countering international crime, illegal drugs, and instability abroad. INL helps countries deliver justice and fairness by strengthening their police, courts, and corrections systems. These efforts reduce the amount of crime and illegal drugs reaching U.S. shores.
In Serbia, INL assistance seeks to reinforce and advance its European Union (EU) membership by assisting in EU required institutional reforms, directly or indirectly addressing the reform requirements of Chapters 23 and 24 of the EU accession acquis. INL’s law enforcement programs seek to strengthen Serbia’s ability to investigate complex crimes, including organized crime, terrorism, and corruption; enhance internal anti-corruption controls in the Ministry of Interior (MOI), and improve police-prosecutor cooperation.

POSITION DESCRIPTION
The purpose of this TPC is to fill the new position of Law Enforcement Project Specialist located within the INL section of the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade, Serbia.
The Law Enforcement Project Specialist (hereinafter “the Specialist”) shall contribute to the formulation of strategy, objectives, and design of new projects and activities. The Specialist will be responsible for the entire project management cycle of law enforcement projects related to institutional capacity building, including planning, budget formulation, execution, completion, and on-going evaluation of activities which include: planning, conducting, and evaluating INL program efforts to influence strategic planning and implementation of police reforms in Serbia, establishing high-level communication between INL and counterparts in the MOI, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and other stakeholders; providing recommendations for systemic reform actions to U.S. government and host government counterparts in development of future INL assistance activities. The Specialist will formulate collaborative working relationships between INL and various MOI sectors and external stakeholders concerning law enforcement capacity building, evaluate the progress and results of capacity building activities by analyzing project outcomes and effectiveness and making recommendations for future modifications, and coordinate with MOI officials in determining training and equipment requirements and proposing capacity building activities and organizational change solutions to address critical needs. The Specialist will provide strategic advice to the MOI and identifying areas of engagement for INL to advance police reform in Serbia, ensure alignment of INL activities with mission objectives and the Integrated Country Strategy, facilitate relations between embassy staff and key host government counterparts by arranging meetings, providing expert advice, and performing interpretation. Provide expert advice on selection of MOI participants for training, conferences, and study visits as incentives for increased support of reform activities and accompany and manage study visit delegations to facilitate effective participation and logistical success.

LEVEL OF EFFORT: Hours for the position will be the core hours of the Department of State: Monday through Friday, 40 hours per week, 8 hours per day. The level of effort for this position is equivalent to the labor category Program Assistant / Program Support Specialist, Level 1.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
• Establish, develop, and maintain relationships with a broad array of law enforcement entities. Provide technical assistance to improve the independence of law enforcement institutions.
• Coordinate with other components of the host country’s criminal justice system, civil society, and government officials to ensure system-wide integration and functionality of reform efforts.
• Contribute to strategic planning and program development for targeted INL law enforcement programming.
• Communicate and coordinate with other donors to avoid waste and duplication of effort.
• Assist with the drafting of reports and assessments, provide input to strategy and other briefing papers, and provide oral and written briefs to the INL Director/Coordinator, INL/EA Program Officer in DC, and leadership at the Embassy and in Washington.
• Liaise with U.S. Embassy agency representatives involved in law enforcement, rule of law and anticorruption efforts, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Department of Defense (DOD).
• Attend and report on general law enforcement meetings, national and international conferences and seminars, and meetings with Serbian government officials.
• Participate in visits by senior officials and serve as an escort or control officer. Arrange itineraries and logistical support for official visitors.
• Assist with briefings to DOS, Congressional, Embassy staff, and other visiting officials on the INL’s role and the status of U.S.-Serbia law enforcement projects and related initiatives.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

•Local National (LN);
• A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution;
• Zero to two years’ experience in relevant field;
• Demonstrated ability to work on projects and issues within overall policy guidelines;
• Demonstrated skilled in oral and written communication, sufficient to draft action and info memos, congressional testimony, press guidance and congressional and general correspondence;
• Knowledge of international narcotics and law enforcement issues.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• A Bachelor’s degree in social sciences, humanities, criminology, or police studies from an accredited university.
• Demonstrated experience working with Serbian law enforcement for at least five (5) years.
• Demonstrated experience supporting foreign assistance projects related to law enforcement development in Serbia.
• Demonstrated experience managing and overseeing programs involving law enforcement initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience maintaining positive working relationships in a cross-cultural setting, especially with foreign officials.
• Professional fluency in Serbian and English language.
• Demonstrated historical knowledge of Department of Justice (DOJ)/International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP) Serbia projects.

TRANSPORTATION
Transportation shall be for official business use only and is cost reimbursable as an other direct cost (ODC). Rental car expenses are authorized on a cost reimbursable basis for official use only. Rental car services may be obtained for transportation to and from approved official site visits necessary for performance of the duties outlined in this Statement of Work only. Use for routine home to office travel, recreation, etc. is not authorized. The contractor is responsible for tracking rental car use and mileage. Mileage logs and other supporting documentation must be submitted with the contractor’s monthly invoice.

TRAVEL
Travel is authorized for this position in accordance with the award and shall not exceed the designated ceiling. All travel must be approved by the INL Program Specialist or INL Director in advance.

TRAINING
This BPA Call provides for mandatory training for DOS-specific equipment, systems, and processes (reference 13 FAM 300 Agency Mandated Training), which shall be completed promptly and in accordance with Department policy. These trainings do not require INL Contracting Officer (CO) approval.
Travel related training (i.e. FACT (CT650), HTSOS-C etc.), may be required, if applicable. The contractor’s Program Manager (PM) shall coordinate with INL/EX/GAPP to determine if applicable and if INL CO’s approval is required prior. All other training requires INL CO approval.

POSITION LOCATION
The physical work location is located within the INL section of the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade, Serbia.

GOVERNMENT FURNISHED EQUIPMENT
DOS will provide the Advisor with office space, computer, phone, and other required equipment and supplies necessary to complete all job requirements. DOS will own and maintain all furnished property.

CONTRACT DELIVERABLES
This position requires the contractor to provide weekly updates throughout the life of the contract to the onsite supervisor and his/her company program manager. The candidate shall maintain open, timely, and effective communications with the onsite supervisor resulting in a relationship that proactively addresses potential problems with flexible, workable solutions.
The candidate shall also provide a final report. This report shall be a summary of the final contract period, specifically estimating progress toward reaching the long-term goals of the position. It should also detail the results of each projected output, outcome, performance measurement, and impact.

CLEARANCE REQUIREMEN T
A Moderate Risk Public Trust (MRPT) is required for this position; however, the contractor may begin work with an interim Moderate Risk Public Trust (MRPT). If the incumbent is a Local National, they will be required to meet security access requirements for the U.S. Embassy RSO local vetting. If applicable, badge issuance will be in compliance with Regional Security Office guidance.

IMPORTANT NOTE : This is a Best Athlete Selection Process Please ensure that the required and/or desired experience is reflected on your resume to receive fair and competitive consideration.

  Come onboard with a company that Values its Employees
Celestar, a Veteran Owned Company, is Very Competitive with Salaries and Benefits. As an example, we offer Company Paid Benefits that include Employee and Family Dental Insurance, Employee Health Insurance, Life Insurance and Disability Insurance as well. We also offer a 401k retirement company match, paid Holidays and Personal Time Off.

Celestar is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, protected veteran status, disability status, gender identity or national origin.