Public Engagement Specialist for Established Opinion Leaders at U.S. Embassy South Africa

Duties

• The Established Opinion Leaders Specialist is the leading locally employed (LE) staff strategist/advisor responsible for Consulate General Cape Town's Public Diplomacy (PD) engagement with established opinion leaders in South Africa, including influential individuals and institutions such as think tanks, labor unions, professional associations, civil society organizations, prominent academics, and professional training institutions.  Designs and recommends PD strategies to connect with EOL audiences to build and sustain productive dialogue and promote mutual understanding. Plans, develops, coordinates, oversees, and evaluates projects and initiatives to engage EOL subject matter experts.

Implementation 

• Designs and oversees programs and projects tailored to EOL audience segments to engage EOL individuals, their institutions, and their networks on critical issues such as security, countering transnational threats, economic growth, human rights, governance, countering extremism, and ESTH (environment, science, technology, and health). 
• Coordinates and markets Mission South Africa's professional exchanges, including the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), Fulbright, academic programs, citizen exchanges, journalism tours, speaker programs, and others to connect experts and audiences in the consular district. 

Strategic Planning: Analysis, Evaluation, and Recommendations 

• Serves as lead observer, strategist, and advisor for Consulate General Cape Town Public Diplomacy engagement with voices and institutions within the EOL sector.  Develops and cultivates substantive relationships with influential South African experts and institutions to sustain Consulate engagement and expand opportunities for collaboration. 
• Identifies objectives, outcomes, and evaluation/assessment methods appropriate for EOL engagement projects and initiatives, ensuring that goals for EOL activities are consistent and complementary. Evaluates previous PD activities for impact and cost effectiveness as the basis for enhanced performance.

Intra- and Interagency Coordination 

• Participates in Mission-wide policy and strategy working groups. Encourages shared priorities for EOL public engagement; identifies and recruits Consulate experts to participate in EOL engagement activities and initiatives. Collaborates with the Emerging Voices (EV) Specialist in Cape Town and the Alumni Coordinator in Pretoria in support of alumni programs and activities.

Administrative Functions 

• Budgeting and Financial Resources: Prepares, manages, and tracks resource requirements associated with EOL activities. contributes to the PD  budget plan in consultation with the Resource Coordination Assistant. Monitors and tracks U.S. government (USG) funds allocated to entities that receive both USG and South African funding, ensuring that appropriate accountability measures are in place. Develops partnership agreements including grants.
• General: With the Resource Coordination Assistant, maintains required office records and files and ensures that EOL activities are recorded in contact databases as needed. Drafts office correspondence in English and local language, including cables, event proposals, and evaluation reports. Provides informal interpretation and translation from/to English and local language when required.

Qualifications and Evaluations

Requirements:

• All selected candidates must be able to obtain and hold a: Public Trust security clearance. 
• All selected candidates will be subject to a background investigation and may be subject to a pre-employment medical exam.  
• Selected candidate must be able to begin working within a reasonable period of time 12 weeks upon receipt of agency authorization and/or clearances/certifications or their candidacy may end.

Education Requirements:

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

Evaluations:

• You will be evaluated against the qualifications and requirements in this vacancy announcement. 
• You may be asked to complete a pre-employment language or skills test.
• You must complete the application form and provide the required documents.  Your application must address all the position qualifications and requirements including education, experience, language, and any knowledge/skills/abilities listed.  If you fail to submit a complete application, then your application may be disqualified for this position.

Qualifications:

Experience:

• This position requires at least four years of progressively responsible experience in a multilingual, multicultural, multinational, academic, or governmental work environment, with communications, project management, or education duties as a significant part of the job is required.