U.S. Mission to the Organization of American States (USOAS) Program Specialist

Position description

Cape Fox subsidiary Kwaan Tech is seeking an experienced Program Specialist (PS).  The  PS is responsible for performing a full range of duties supporting the U.S. Mission of the Organization of American States (USOAS), serving the U.S. Permanent Representative to the OAS, who is a Senate-confirmed Ambassador, as well as the Political and Development sections of the Mission. The position entails providing programmatic, research, and writing support for the Mission’s efforts to advance our regional foreign policy goals at the OAS.

Core Duties:

• Assist in preparations for meetings of the OAS Permanent Council and its various committees. This entails researching and writing background papers on a variety of topics, drafting talking points and interventions for the Permanent Representative and Alternate Representatives, clearing such paper with other stakeholders in the Department, and taking notes and preparing written readouts of such meetings
• Participate in OAS committee meetings, presenting and explaining U.S. policy positions in those meetings, and providing context and support to USOAS Alternate Representatives as they draft and negotiate OAS declarations and resolutions
• Draft and clear official communications and correspondence with the OAS and its various sub-institutions, such as the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the Inter-American Defense Board, or the Inter-American Commission of Women, to coordinate and promote USG collaboration with these groups
• Support the U.S. Permanent Representative and USOAS staff on matters relating to public affairs activities, including speeches, media appearances, and other public presentations of issues and activities involved in the U.S. relationship with the OAS and its Member States
• Liaise with officers in Political, Economic, and Public Affairs Sections of U.S. Embassies throughout the region to promote greater understanding of the work of the OAS in those countries
• Coordinate and collaborate with our Embassies to ensure that the OAS’s work furthers U.S. foreign policy objectives and contribute to ideas and planning for ways to highlight that work in those countries
• Coordinate closely with other Offices and Bureaus in the Department (i.e., Offices within Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs (WHA), the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL), the Under Secretariat for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment (E and its Bureaus), and the Bureau of Legal Affairs (L)) to ensure that policy positions taken at the OAS, as well as any related public statements or messaging, correspond to and complement the policy statements and messaging from other Department officials
• Will be assigned a specific portfolio of primary responsibility, but in addition, on an as-needed basis, will provide support to activities across the Mission, particularly during especially busy periods or in case of staffing gaps. Such support will not include inherently governmental work

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in a relevant field such as (but not limited to) communications, international relations, international development, political science, economics, or Latin American or Caribbean studies
• Demonstrated minimum of four years (or two years with a Master’s degree) of combined work experience in international affairs, such as working with U.S. embassies or agencies, or foreign policy NGOs or think tanks in the United States or overseas. A graduate degree in international studies or other relevant field is acceptable in lieu of two years of experience
• Strong English verbal and written communication skills including drafting, editing, and verbal presentation
• Strong attention to detail
• Strong interpersonal skills, including active listening, persuasion, and an ability to work with individuals of all professional levels and of diverse experience
• Ability to manage multiple tasks under tight deadlines, coordinate activities in multiple locations, act decisively in daily work, and work well in a multicultural and virtual team environment
• Ability to work independently to assess priorities and coordinate daily requirements with minimal supervision
• Basic understanding of federal government agencies and stakeholders
• Demonstrated expertise working with Microsoft office products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams) to create professional and comprehensive documents and communicate with colleagues
• Highly Desired Qualifications:
  • Master’s degree from an accredited university in a relevant field
  • Proficiency in Spanish is strongly desired but not required

Application instructions

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