The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) directs the worldwide overseas building program for the U.S. Department of State. Working with other offices and bureaus, foreign affairs agencies, and Congress, OBO sets worldwide priorities for the design, construction, acquisition, maintenance, use, and sale of real properties and the use of sales proceeds. As the single real property manager for the U.S. government's diplomatic facilities overseas, OBO's portfolio spans 285 worldwide missions and over 80,000,000 square feet of functioning property. OBO's primary mission is to provide safe, secure, and functional facilities that represent the U.S. government to the host nation and support the Department's staff as they work to achieve U.S. foreign policy objectives abroad.
The Program Development, Coordination, and Support Directorate (PDCS) is responsible for the design, coordination, and management of OBO's building program.
The Office of Design and Engineering (DE) provides expertise in architecture and landscape architecture; interior design and space planning; space programming; graphic design; civil/structural, seismic, blast, and geotechnical engineering; electrical and telecommunications engineering, and mechanical engineering and energy optimization. DE also maintains the design standards and issues building permits for posts worldwide. DE monitors the performance of architecture-engineering contractors hired to develop the design of OBO's projects. The office serves as the building code official, confirming the technical adequacy of construction documents.
This position is in the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, Program Development, Coordination and Support Directorate, Office of Design and Engineering (OBO/PDCS/DE).
Job Duties:
OBO/PDCS/DE has a requirement for full-time consulting and support services of a Senior Program Advisor who serves as a subject matter expert (SME) to DE Office Director to provide expert guidance on variety of topics that align with Administration priorities to return to the basics, cut excess regulations, maximize productivity, bring accountability and transparency to federal spending.
Serves as a senior-level technical and program advisory resource supporting front office priorities by independently analyzing complex issues, synthesizing information across multiple stakeholders, and preparing executive-level briefing materials, options analyses, and recommendations for government leadership decision-making.
Provides expert analytical and coordination support for Office of Inspector General (OIG) and U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) inquiries, including leading document reviews identifying trends and systemic issues, developing draft responses, and tracking corrective action plans for government approval.
Performs senior technical research, drafting, and analytical review in support of proposed updates to the Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) and Foreign Affairs Handbook (FAH), evaluating impacts, risks, and alignment with Department objectives and industry best practices.
Acts as a senior coordination lead supporting collaboration with External Affairs (EA) by preparing strategic communication materials, synthesizing inputs from multiple offices, and ensuring leadership is informed of risks, opportunities, and dependencies.
Leads enterprise-level analysis and maintenance efforts for the OBO Guide and archival project portfolio data, ensuring accuracy, consistency, traceability, and usability to support executive planning and oversight.
Conducts advanced research and comparative analysis of modular and scalable technical standards by facility, post, and project type, developing data-driven recommendations to reduce redundancy, improve constructability, and align with recognized industry standards.
Provides senior advisory support to cross-directorate and department-wide working groups by developing analytical products, documenting outcomes, integrating stakeholder inputs,…