Joining the Office of Trade and Labor Affairs (OTLA) means making a difference in the lives of workers in the United States and around the world! OTLA is the voice of the Labor Department in U.S. international trade and investment policy. We work to level the playing field for American workers and businesses by negotiating strong labor rights provisions in our trade agreements, monitoring and enforcing those commitments, providing technical assistance to advance compliance with partner countries’ labor laws and internationally recognized labor rights. As part of our team, you will not only help shape U.S. trade and labor policies and engagements with other countries – you will also help protect fundamental principles and rights at work, including freedom of association, collective bargaining, and non-discrimination, and prohibitions on child labor and forced labor. In doing so, you will help promote fair competition in international trade and foster a strong middle class.
OTLA is highly interested in applicants with experience in labor rights, trade policy, international development and economics, comparative labor law, and/or on-the-ground experience in designing and implementing international technical assistance programs.
For a listing of all available jobs in OTLA, job application guides, and useful tips and tutorials for applicants, please visit the following websites:
- OTLA Job Opportunities
- USAJOBS: To conduct a broad search for jobs available in OTLA on USAJOBS, we suggest putting in the following search words, ILAB and OTLA. We also suggest setting up an auto-notification for new job postings.
Who We Are
The Office of Trade and Labor Affairs is a team of highly motivated professionals trained and equipped to negotiate strong labor provisions in U.S. trade agreements and preference programs, monitor and enforce these provisions through tracking other trade partners countries’ laws and practices, and provide technical assistance to trade partner countries willing to improve compliance with their international commitments. We also partner with business stakeholders to improve their understanding of and ability to comply with labor standards and advance responsible business conduct. We employ rigorous monitoring and evaluation of our efforts to closely monitor the performance of our projects, assess their effectiveness, and ensure good stewardship of public funds. We are passionate about our work.
Diversity Policy
OTLA aims to foster a culture of promoting and supporting a diverse and inclusive workforce as it is key to achieving our underlying mission of ensuring that U.S. trade agreements are fair for American workers and workers worldwide. We believe in respecting and leveraging the creativity and unique experiences and backgrounds individuals bring to the job. With this goal in mind, OTLA along with the rest of the Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) ensure that principles of diversity and inclusion are included in all aspects of personnel policies, program practices, and operations to attract and retain the best, brightest, and hardest working professionals.