Federal

PROTOCOL OFFICER

๐Ÿ“ Camp H.M. Smith Marine Corp Base, Hawaii GS-15 $154,454 - $197,200/yr
Posted: Feb 11, 2026 Deadline: Feb 17, 2026 (Closes in 2 days days left)

About This Position

You will serve as a Protocol Officer in Headquarters, United States Indo-Pacific Command HEADQUARTERS US INDO-PACIFIC COMMAND. This announcement uses the Direct Hire Authority for Certain Personnel of the Department of Defense to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to certain positions in the competitive service.

Qualifications

Your resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-14 grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience must demonstrate the following: 1) Developing and managing protocol and distinguished visitor programs; 2) Leading protocol operations at a combatant command (or equivalent) organization; 3) Managing Official Representation Funds (ORF); 4) Leading and supervising protocol personnel. Additional qualification information can be found from the following Office of Personnel Management web site: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=List-by-Occupational-Series. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment.

Major Duties

You will support the visions, goals objectives and milestones of United States Indo-Pacific Command through proper protocol support and representation commensurate with the level of distinguished visitors to the Command.
You will recommend appropriate protocol actions to avoid pitfalls and/or capitalize on opportunities while hosting distinguished visitors to the Command.
You will develop and implement proactive protocol and distinguished visitor programs that support the command.
You will balance workload and provide advice, guidance and direction on a wide range of protocol and administrative issues.
You will Identify employee professional developmental needs and provides or arranges for training (formal and on the job) to maintain and improve performance.
You will assess and revise policies and procedures as needed to find ways to improve quality, timeliness and efficiency or work.

Education

No educational requirement.

How You Will Be Evaluated

In order to qualify for this position, your resume must provide sufficient experience and/or education, knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are being considered. Your resume is the key means we have for evaluating your skills, knowledge, and abilities as they relate to this position. Therefore, we encourage you to be clear and specific when describing your experience. When the application process is complete, we will review your resume to ensure you meet the hiring eligibility and qualification requirements listed in this announcement. You will be rated based on the information provided in your resume and application package, along with your supporting documentation. If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation. If after reviewing your resume and supporting documentation, a determination is made that you inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may be found ineligible/not qualified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment. All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Additional Information

This position is covered by the Department of Defense Priority Placement Program. Term appointments may be extended up to 8 years at the discretion of management and in accordance with applicable regulations. Additionally, you may be noncompetitively converted to a permanent career-conditional or career appointment under specific conditions. Additional vacancies may be filled by this announcement. A tentative offer of employment will be rescinded if the selectee fails to meet the pre-employment requirements, including failure to report to any of the scheduled appointments. Federal annuitant information: The selection of an annuitant is subject to the Department of Defense and Department of the Navy policy on the employment of annuitants. Policy information may be found at: http://www.secnav.navy.mil/donhr/Documents/CivilianJobs/FedCivAnnuitants.pdf Veteran's preference does not apply when selecting individuals under the specific hiring authority addressed in the Summary section of this announcement. However, if you claim veteran's preference, you will be required to submit supporting documentation with your application as described in the Required Documents section below. During the application process you will have the ability to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions in the local commuting area. Depending on the hiring organization and the position being filled, job requirements (e.g., security clearance, travel, drug testing, financial disclosure filing, bargaining unit status, etc.) may vary. Other hiring managers filling similar positions may offer relocation expense reimbursement and/or may offer recruitment incentives for new employees, depending on funding availability and in accordance with policy. If you opt-in and are referred on a certificate, your resume will be available to other hiring managers for 180-days from the date the job announcement closes. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

How to Apply

Click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes: 1. Complete resume with relevant experience, job title, duties and accomplishments. Resumes are restricted to no more than 2 pages. Illegible/unreadable resumes will not be considered. Your resume must show complete information for each job entry to support minimum qualifications. The following information should be provided in your resume, but it is acceptable to provide elsewhere in your application package: employer's name, starting and end dates (Mo/Yr), hours per week if experience was less than full time (35-40 hours per week), and pay plan, series and grade level (e.g. GS-0201-09) for relevant federal experience. TIP: A good way to ensure you include all essential information is to use the Resume Builder in USAJOBS to create your resume. 2. Supporting documentation. Failure to submit a complete application package will result in an ineligible rating and loss of consideration. You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application. Your complete application must be received by 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) on 02/17/2026 . Applications received after 02/17/2026 will generally result in an ineligible rating and loss of consideration. If more than one resume is received, only the last resume received and processed will be reviewed. Do not email or send hard copy resumes/applications to the Contact Information or Agency Information listed in this vacancy announcement. All resumes/applications received at the addresses listed in the Contact Information or Agency Information will be destroyed and will not be considered for this vacancy announcement. It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that all information in their resume and documents are legible and accurate. HR will not modify answers/documents submitted by an applicant.

Required Documents

You are required to provide documentation that supports the eligibility and qualification claims made in your resume. You must submit the applicable documents listed here and those listed with the eligibilities you select in the announcement questionnaire with your application package. Applicants who do not provide supporting documentation that fully support their claims will not be referred to the hiring manager. Cover letter is optional. A complete resume is required. Resumes are restricted to no more than 2 pages. Illegible/unreadable resumes will not be considered. Your resume must show relevant experience, job title, duties and accomplishments. Your resume must show complete information for each job entry to support minimum qualifications. The following information should be provided in your resume: employer's name, starting and end dates (Mo/Yr), hours per week if experience was less than full time (35-40 hours per week), and pay plan, series and grade level (e.g. GS-0201-09) for relevant federal experience. TIP: A good way to ensure you include all essential information is to use the Resume Builder in USAJOBS to create your resume. Are you claiming membership in any professional organizations, or possession of a license, certificate or credentials? Check the Conditions of Employment section above to see if any are required. If you claim membership, license, certification, or credentials, you must submit a copy of said document in your application package. Are you using education as a substitute for some or all of the experience requirement? Is there a basic education requirement for this position? Check the Education section above to see what is allowed and what is required. Any claims you make in your resume regarding education or degrees MUST be supported by submitting with your application official or unofficial transcripts or a list of courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned issued from your school. While unofficial transcripts are acceptable for initial application, an official transcript will ultimately be required if you are selected for the position. You may submit a copy your degree(s) if specific coursework does not have to be verified. Are you a veteran claiming 5-point veterans' preference or claiming sole survivorship preference? It's recommended that you submit a copy of your latest DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (any copy that shows all dates of service, as well as character of service [Honorable, General, etc.] is acceptable) OR a VA letter that shows dates of service or service connected disability AND character of service. If you have more than one DD-214 for multiple periods of active duty service, submit a copy for each period of service. If you were issued a DD-215 to amend aforementioned information on the DD-214, we recommend you submit that, too. If you are not sure of your preference eligibility, visit the Department of Labor's website: Veterans' Preference Advisor Are you a disabled veteran or claiming 10-point veterans' preference? If you are eligible to claim 10 point veterans preference, it's recommended that you submit a DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, as described above for 5-point preference. It's recommended you also provide the applicable supporting documentation of your disability (e.g., disability letter from the VA), as described on the Standard Form-15 (SF-15). http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf. Are you an active duty service member? Active Duty Service Members are required to submit a statement of service printed on command letterhead and signed by the command. The statement of service must provide the branch of service, rate/rank, all dates of service, the expected date of discharge and anticipated character of service (Honorable, General, etc.). Application documents, including supplemental ones, may be shared outside the Human Resources Office. Supplemental documents may contain your SSN, DOB, or personal information of others (e.g., on military orders, marriage certificates). You may redact this information before submitting; however, if selected, you must provide unredacted originals.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the salary for the PROTOCOL OFFICER position at Immediate Office of the Chief of Naval Operations?
The salary range for this position is $154,454 - $197,200/yr. This is a GS-15 position on the General Schedule pay scale. Actual pay may vary based on locality adjustments.
Where is the PROTOCOL OFFICER job located?
This position is located in Camp H.M. Smith Marine Corp Base, Hawaii. This is an on-site position.
What qualifications do I need?
Your resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-14 grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience must demonstrate the following: 1) Developing and managing protocol and distinguished visitor programs; 2) Leading p...
How do I apply for this position?
Apply through USAJobs.gov by clicking the 'Apply on USAJobs' button. You'll need a USAJobs account, a federal-style resume, and supporting documents. The deadline is Feb 17, 2026.
Is a security clearance required?
Yes, a Top Secret clearance is required.
What does GS-15 mean?
GS-15 refers to the General Schedule grade level. Higher grades require more experience and offer higher pay. Visit our GS Pay Scale page for full salary tables by grade and locality.
What benefits do federal employees receive?
Federal employees receive comprehensive benefits including health insurance (FEHB), retirement through FERS, Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) with government matching, paid annual and sick leave, paid parental leave, life insurance, and student loan repayment programs.