Purchasing Agent (open to all)

EXPERIENCE: 2 years of experience in procurement, or in related work in commercial, legal, or accounting fields.

JOB KNOWLEDGE: Must quickly acquire a good working knowledge of Department of State and associated agency procurement regulations, instruction and procedures, GSA Catalog, U.S. Federal Specifications and Standards, and of contracting procedures and practice. Must have an excellent knowledge of local market practices and of the capability and reliability of local suppliers. Must understand local and foreign pricing customs and practice. Must have a good knowledge of local and overseas market conditions, and host country’s law and policies. Must possess familiarity with business and accounting practices in the Belgian, European Union, and U.S. marketplaces.

Minimum of two years of university studies required.

LANGUAGE: Good working knowledge in English. Fluency in French or Dutch with a good working knowledge of the other language.. This may be tested.

SKILLS AND ABILITIES: Strong organizational skills and ability to prioritize tasks required. Good interpersonal skills in order to deal with a variety of Embassy personnel and external contacts. Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office. Must possess good oral and written communication skills, as well as the ability to interact with and confidently advise the Contracting Officer, Embassy section heads, and post management. Must be customer-service oriented and be able to deal tactfully and effectively with a variety of local and overseas vendors and U.S. citizen clients. Must have exceptional interpersonal and negotiating skills.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY (EEO): The U.S. Mission provides equal opportunity and fair and equitable treatment in employment to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status, or sexual orientation.

All applicants under consideration will be required to pass medical and security certifications.

Locally Employed Staff, including Members of Household (MOHs), and Third-Country Nationals (TCNs), working at the U.S. Mission in Brussels may receive a compensation package that may include health, separation, and other benefits.

For EFMs, benefits should be discussed with the Human Resources Office.

The pay plan is assigned at the time of the conditional offer letter by the HR Office.

For the current COVID-19 Requirements please visit the following link.

HIRING PREFERENCE SELECTION PROCESS: Applicants in the following hiring preference categories are extended a hiring preference in the order listed below. Therefore, it is essential that these applicants accurately describe their status on the application. Failure to do so may result in a determination that the applicant is not eligible for a hiring preference.

HIRING PREFERENCE ORDER:

• 
  IMPORTANT: Applicants who claim status as a preference-eligible U.S. Veteran must submit a copy of their most recent DD-214 (“Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty”), equivalent documentation, or certification. A “certification” is any written document from the armed forces that certifies the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions within 120 days after the certification is submitted by the applicant. The certification letter should be on letterhead of the appropriate military branch of the service and contain (1) the military service dates including the expected discharge or release date; and (2) the character of service. Acceptable documentation must be submitted in order for the preference to be given.

** This level of preference applies to all Foreign Service employees on LWOP and CS with re-employment rights back to their agency or bureau.

For more information (i.e., what is an EFM, USEFM, AEFM, MOH, etc.?) and for additional employment considerations, please visit the following link.

All candidates must be able to obtain and hold a Sensitive But Unclassified (SBU) certification.

To apply for this position click the “Submit Application” button. For more information on how to apply visit the Mission internet site.

Required Documents:

To qualify based on education, you MUST submit the requested degree and / or transcripts as verification of educational requirement by the closing date of this announcement. Failure to provide requested information, or the information is insufficient to verify eligibility, may result in disqualification for this position.

All Applicants:

• 
  Residency and/or Work Permit

• 
  College/University transcripts

• 
  Secondary school diploma (a copy recognized by Belgian/U.S. authorities*)

• 
  Language Scores (if available)

• 
  Clarification:

If you have a diploma of one of the following countries, your diploma is automatically recognized:

• 
  Belgium
• 
  Netherlands
• 
  Luxembourg
• 
  International diplomas awarded by the European University Institute Firenze
• 
  USA

In case you have a foreign diploma of a country not on the list above, you need a professional recognition (type: level). For the procedure see Diploma Recognition - Mon Diplome Mydiploma. You can opt for the French procedure (via cfwb) or the Dutch procedure (via naric). Should you have questions regarding the recognition procedure, please contact cfwb or Naric directly (www.equivalences.cfwb.be or www.naricvlaanderen.be).

Applicants who are invited to take a language or skills test, or who are selected for an interview will be contacted via email.

For further information - the complete position description listing all of the duties, responsibilities, required qualifications, etc. may be obtained by contacting the Human Resources Office.

Thank you for your application and your interest in working at the U.S. Mission in Brussels.