Duties
The Public Engagement Assistant works under the American Spaces Program Specialist and assists with development and maintaining of U.S. government (USG) ties with the Emerging Voices (EV) sector through engagement with the regionwide (to include Guinea-Bissau) network of partner American Spaces and assists with day-to-day operations of the American Center. Assists with and executes the Mission’s strategic objectives and performance standards for American Spaces; recommends strategic locations for optimal return on investment in American Spaces and overall program development; coordinates sharing of activities and projects among partner American Spaces; maintains appropriate standards of professional staffing, customer service, physical design, and presentation, including branding and maintenance of facilities; and evaluates each partner space’s performance. Works under the direct supervision of the American Spaces Program Specialist or Public Affairs Officer (PAO) designee.

Qualifications and Evaluations
Requirements
Experience: This position requires a total of at least four (4) years of experience. Specifically, a minimum of three (3) years of progressively responsible experience in a multilingual, multicultural, or multinational institution (such as a cultural center, educational facility, non-governmental organization [NGO], or diplomatic engagement) that provides information resources, American studies, or international relations content to the public is required, with communications, marketing, or public relations duties as a significant part of the job.
Job knowledge: Must have detailed knowledge of U.S. foreign policy objectives and U.S. interests in Senegal and Guinea-Bissau, especially in the EV sector; an understanding of U.S. historical, political, economic, social, and cultural forces that shape U.S. foreign policy; comprehensive knowledge of the attitudes and preferences of the EV audience sector(s); and an understanding of regional, ethnic, socioeconomic, cultural, and linguistic factors and the influence of religious, cultural, and educational institutions in shaping EV perceptions of the United States. Must have general knowledge of project management, including defining project objectives, outcomes, and assessment methods.
Must have knowledge of marketing techniques, market analysis and analytics, and customer service standards in the United States and in Senegal and Guinea-Bissau; knowledge of trends in experiential learning and audience engagement; an understanding of the communications and information environment in the United States and Senegal and Guinea-Bissau; detailed knowledge of PD engagement tools and related policies and procedures for each; and knowledge of multiple PD resource streams and the regulations for their use.

Education Requirements
Education: A university degree in Communications, Library Science, English, International Affairs, American Studies, or relevant major is required.
Evaluations:
Language: This may be tested.
Level 4 (Fluent) Speaking/Reading/Writing English is required; Level 4 (Fluent) Speaking/Reading/Writing French is required, and Level 3 Speaking/Reading/Writing Wolof is required.

Skills and abilities: Analytic Skills: Must have strong analytic skills and the ability to conceptualize how best to use PD tools to move Senegalease and Bissau-Guinean attitudes in positive ways. Must be able to advise senior PD and Mission leaders of opportunities to promote Mission objectives; identify, analyze, predict, and continually assess EV audience attitudes; and evaluate the impact of projects and modify approaches for the greatest outcomes. Must be able to perceive the emergence of new influencers and adjust operations and programming accordingly.
Communication and Interpersonal Skills: Must have excellent customer relations, interpersonal, and 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 materials for publication in both English and French. Must be able to tailor communications to fit formal and informal situations and different ethnic, religious, and linguistic cultures. Must be able to brief U.S. officers and visitors on a variety of issues and interpret between English and French for public programs.

Management Skills: Strong management skills are required, including the ability to develop and oversee project budgets and to organize, run, and present professional and cultural projects such as workshops, seminars, digital video conferences, panel discussions, lectures, and camps. Must be able to negotiate agreements with partner institutions and manage their fulfillment.
Technical Skills: 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. A full understanding of PD-specific funding authorities and their planning and reporting tools is required. Detailed knowledge of and the ability to use social media and mobile platforms and basic photo and video skills are required. Must have good numerical skills to be able to develop and manage project and grant budgets; must be able to develop descriptive statistical analyses of target audience segments and the impact of American Space activities and initiatives.

Qualifications
All applicants under consideration will be required to pass medical and security certifications.

Benefits and Other Info
Benefits:
Agency Benefits:
Locally Employed Staff, including Members of Household (MOHs), and Third-Country Nationals (TCNs), working at the U.S. Mission in Dakar, Senegal 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.

Other Information
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.