Mixed emotions - and lots of them

Well, there's no need to restate what I've been saying for years now; my current job is shot and I'm desperate for a job in my dream office.

That door appears to have opened oh, so slightly today.

I got an email from one of my colleagues in my dream office today that they just posted a job announcement for a new position in that office. I was stupefied on several levels: I had been reviewing job postings practically hourly and hadn't seen anything advertised for that office, I thought that one of the division chiefs or indeed the deputy in that office would have notified me directly (to be fair, the div. chief I thought would have been in touch is traditionally off on Fridays), and I hadn't heard about the posting before it actually got put out there (I thought I would have gotten a "heads up - we're going to be posting something!"). The job position itself gives absolutely no hint that it's in the office it's in - it's very cryptic in that regard. Is that intentional? Is that an oversight? Am I overanalyzing this to death?

All that aside, when I read the posting I was even more puzzled. The position, as described, is highly administrative. Managing budget submissions, planning documents, grants and contract administration, etc. It was also posted at a grade level one step above where I am currently. That ordinarily wouldn't have been a problem, except that it's a bit strange technically. They advertise that they are looking for someone that has a year's experience at a GS*12 level, for this Band-IV position. I have been in Band*III (which is supposed to be a GS*11/12 equivalent) since October 2006, when my office moved to the payband system. However, I was in the PMF program, and technically converted in July to a GS*12 equivalent. Will HR consider 1+ years at Band*III enough for a Band*IV job? I know this is getting into the weeds, but it's a very real question for me. After July'08 this is a total non-issue, but before then I wonder whether it will come up.

So - will I have the opportunity to do foreign affairs work alongside the duties of the position? Will I even qualify technically for the position (I should actually know that answer soon enough, as I've got the same problem for the other job I recently applied for)? Big questions, no idea what the answers are.

The nice thing is that the person who sent me the post was completely convinced that I was perfect for the position and said that he had no doubt that I would be running the office in no time. Which is nice. I don't actually want to run the office - I like the staff level work and that's what I want to do.

So I guess I throw my hat into the ring and wait and see whether it gets tap-danced all over. It's been a total roller-coaster of emotions today, though, I gotta tell you.