American Center Director at the U.S. Embassy

The U.S. Mission to Nigeria comprises of the Embassy in Abuja, FCT, and the Consulate General in Lagos. U.S. Consulate General Lagos is the Mission’s representative to the Nigerian people in the southern region.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: American Center Director - All Interested Candidates (Public Engagement Assistant)

Announcement Number: Abuja-2023-115
Location: Abuja
Work Schedule: Full-time - 40 hour per week
Hiring Agency: Embassy Abuja
Series / Grade: LE - 6510 9
Promotion Potential: LE-NA

Overview

• Hiring Path:  Open to the public
• Who May Apply/Clarification From the Agency: For USEFM - FP is 5/1 ($50,662).  Actual FP salary determined by Washington D.C.
  • All Interested Applicants / All Sources
• Security Clearance Required: Public Trust - Background Investigation
• Appointment Type: Permanent
• Appointment Type Details: Indefinite subject to successful completion of probationary period.

Summary

• The work schedule for this position is: Full Time (40 hours per week)
• Start date: Candidate must be able to begin working within a reasonable period of time (6 weeks) of receipt of agency authorization and/or clearances/certifications or their candidacy may end.
• Supervisory Position: No
• Relocation Expenses Reimbursed: No

Duties

• The American Center Director develops and maintains ties with the Emerging Voices (EV) and Established Opinion Leaders (EOL) sectors in the Embassy Abuja consular district to support foreign policy goals. Is responsible for the day-to-day oversight, management, and operations of the Embassy’s U.S. government (USG)-owned and operated American Center.
• Develops Center-specific activities and programs to attract EV and EOL audiences at the Center and for Partner American Center audiences throughout the Embassy Abuja consular district; collaborates with non-Center Public Diplomacy (PD) staff on a range of other PD activities and projects to broaden the Center’s EV and EOL activities and programs.
• This position has a large degree of autonomy as director of a public access facility that is open during hours when the Embassy may be closed, may not be co-located with other Embassy facilities, and must maintain a dynamic schedule of simultaneous activities and projects of interest to the public.

Requirements
Education:

• A University Degree in Communications, Library Science, Museum Education, International Affairs, American Studies, or local equivalent is required.
• NYSC Certificate/Exemption/Exclusion document is required.

Experience: 

•  Four (4) years of experience in an international, academic, government, or cultural institution is required. Experience in communications, marketing, or public relations is required.

Job Knowledge: 

• Incumbents must have comprehensive knowledge of the attitudes and preferences of the EV and EOL audience sectors and an understanding of regional, ethnic, socioeconomic, cultural and linguistic factors and the influence of religious, cultural, and educational institutions in shaping EV and EOL perceptions of the United States.
• General knowledge of project management, including defining project objectives, outcomes, and assessment methods is required.
• Knowledge of marketing techniques, market analysis and analytics, and customer service standards in the United States and Nigeria is required; knowledge of trends in experiential learning and audience engagement; and an understanding of the communications and information environments in Nigeria and internationally is required.

Evaluations:

• This may be tested. Please specify your level of proficiency in the language listed.

Language:

• Fluent Speaking / Reading / Writing of English is required

Skills and Abilities:
Analytic Skills:

• Must have strong analytic skills.
• Must be able to identify, analyze, predict, and continually assess EV and EOL audience attitudes and evaluate the impact of projects and modify approaches for the best 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 for public speaking, interviewing for evaluation purposes, writing reports, and contributing materials for publication in both English and Yoruba, Hausa, or Igbo.
• Must be able to tailor communications to fit formal and informal situations; different ethnic, religious, and linguistic cultures; and, as necessary, transmission through multimedia channels.
• Must be able to brief U.S. officers and visitors on a variety of issues and interpret between English and Yoruba, Hausa, or Igbo 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 knowledge of various computer software programs, specifically Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and graphic design and photo editing software, is required.
• Detailed knowledge of and the ability to use social media and mobile platforms, photo and video sharing sites, podcast creation tools, and basic photo and video skills are required.
• Must have good numerical skills to be able to develop and manage project and grant budgets

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.

Qualifications:

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

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:

• AEFM / USEFM who is a preference-eligible U.S. Veteran*
• AEFM / USEFM
• 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.

Marketing Statement:

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

Remuneration

• USD30,488 Annually

Agency Benefits:

• Locally Employed Staff, including Members of Household (MOHs), and Third-Country Nationals (TCNs), working at the U.S. Mission in Lagos, Nigera 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.

Application Closing Date
29th November, 2023.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Important Information

• All candidates must be able to obtain and hold a Secret clearance. 
• To apply for this position click the "APPLY TO THIS VACANCY" button at the top of the page.
• Click on the "Submit Application" button to complete your application process.
• For more information on how to apply visit the Mission internet site.

Required Documents
To qualify based on education, you MUST submit the requested degree and / or transcripts as verification of educational requirement by the closing date of this announcement. Failure to provide requested information, or the information is insufficient to verify eligibility, may result in disqualification for this position.

All Applicants:

• Residency and/or Work Permit
• Degree (not transcript)
• NYSC Certificate/Exclusion/Exemption

Eligible Family Member Applicants:

• Copy of Sponsor's Orders/Assignment Notification (or equivalent)
• DD-214 - Member Copy 4, Letter from Veterans’ Affairs, or other supporting documentation (if applicable)
• SF-50 (if applicable)

Next Steps:

• Applicants who are invited to take a language or skills test, or who are selected for an interview will be contacted via email.
• For further information - the complete position description listing all of the duties, responsibilities, required qualifications, etc. may be obtained by contacting the Human Resources Office.
• Thank you for your application and your interest in working at the U.S. Mission in Lagos, Nigeria.