U.S. Embassy & Consulates in India Looking for Public Engagement Assistant at Kolkata, West Bengal Full Time

For USEFM – FP is 05 (steps 1 through 4). Actual FP salary determined by Washington D.C.

• All Interested Applicants / All Sources

We encourage you to read and understand the Eight (8) Qualities of Overseas Employees before you apply.

The work schedule for this position is:

• Full Time (40 number of hours per week)

Start date: Candidate must be able to begin working within a reasonable period of time (4-12 weeks) of receipt of agency authorization and/or clearances/certifications or their candidacy may end.

EXPERIENCE: A minimum of three years of progressively responsible experience in a multilingual, multicultural, or multinational work environment is required, with project management, marketing, public relations, communication, or education duties as a significant part of the job.

JOB KNOWLEDGE:

Detailed knowledge of U.S. foreign policy and American interests as they apply to India and especially to the EV and EOL sectors is required. General knowledge of USG and DOS structures, as well as of PD bureaus within the Department, is required. Detailed understanding of the full range of PD tactics and tools designed to engage EV and EOL audiences, and general knowledge of cross-cultural communications, is required. Detailed understanding of USG exchange programs, regulations and practices is required. Full understanding of PD-specific funding authorities and their planning and reporting tools is required. Must have general knowledge of project management, including defining project objectives, outcomes, and assessment methods.

A thorough understanding of the attitudes and preferences of the EV and EOL audience sectors in India, including the regional, ethnic, social, cultural, linguistic and other factors and institutions that shape those attitudes, is required. Detailed knowledge of Indian higher education, business, and professional exchanges programs as well as secondary education, exchanges, and youth programs is required. Knowledge of typical customer service and marketing tools designed to engage specific audience segments, particularly the EV and EOL sectors, in India is required.

University degree in international relations, political science, economics, communications, marketing or local equivalent is required.

LANGUAGE:

Level 4 (fluent) Speaking/Reading/Writing English is required AND

Level 4 (Fluent) Speaking/Reading/Writing Bengali OR

Level 4 (Fluent) Speaking/Reading/Writing Hindi is required.

SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Must have strong analytic skills and the ability to conceptualize how best to use PD tools to move Indian attitudes in positive ways. Must be able to advise senior leaders of opportunities to promote Mission objectives through exchanges to and from the U.S.; identify, analyze, predict and continually assess EV and EOL audience attitudes; and evaluate the impact of projects and modify approaches for best outcomes. Must be able to perceive the emergence of new influencers and adjust operations and programming accordingly.

Must have excellent customer relations, interpersonal cross-cultural communication skills, and be able to identify and engage key figures critical to shaping local public opinion. Must have excellent written and oral communication skills, including public speaking, interviewing for evaluation purposes, writing reports and contributing material for publication in English and Bengali or Hindi language; must be able to tailor communications to fit formal and informal situations and different ethnic, religious and linguistic cultures. Must be able to brief on a variety of issues and interpret between English and Bengali or Hindi for public programs.

Strong management skills are required, including the ability to develop and oversee project budgets and to organize, run, and present professional and exchange and alumni projects such as workshops, seminars, digital and in-person conferences, panel discussions, lectures and camps. Must be able to negotiate agreements with partner institutions and manage their fulfillment.

Good keyboarding and data entry skills and excellent familiarity with electronic discovery tools, in particular the Internet, and standard information retrieval practices and procedures are required. Thorough, detailed knowledge of various computer software programs, specifically Microsoft Word, Excel, graphic design and photo editing software, and PD-specific software, databases, and reporting tools is required. Must be able to use social media and mobile platforms, photo and video sharing sites, podcast creation, and basic photo and video tools. Must have good numerical skills to be able to develop and manage projects and monitor grant budgets; must be able to develop descriptive statistical analysis of target audience segments and impact of EV and EOL exchanges activities and initiatives.

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 Kolkata, India 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:
1. AEFM / USEFM who is a preference-eligible U.S. Veteran*
2. AEFM / USEFM
3. FS on LWOP and CS with reemployment rights **

• 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”), Letter from Veterans’ Affairs which indicates the present existence of a service-connected disability dated within the past six months, 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.