Program and Training Assistant

The United States Peace Corps is a non-political, non-religious organization that will bring Americans to Viet Nam to serve as Peace Corps Volunteers. Volunteers will co-teach English language classes with Vietnamese teachers in secondary schools. The Peace Corps is serving in Viet Nam at the invitation of the Government of Viet Nam and working closely with Ministry of Education and Training with a goal to improve the English language skills of teachers and students. Peace Corps Volunteers commit to two years of service, will live with host families, and will support and co-lead additional school related activities in accordance with the school leadership. A new cohort of Volunteers will arrive each year. The Peace Corps was founded by U.S. President John F. Kennedy in 1961 to promote world peace and friendship.

General information about the Peace Corps can be found on www.peacecorps.gov.

Position Title: Program and Training Assistant

Opening Date: March 26, 2021

Submission Date for first review: April 16, 2021, Open until filled

Area of Consideration/Who may apply: All applicants must be a naturalized citizen or permanent resident of Viet Nam who are legally able to work within the country.

Point of Contact: Peace Corps Human Resources - PCVietNamJobs@peacecorps.gov

Market Value/Salary (per annum): US$ 13,827– US$ 20,571 + benefits

Period of Performance/ Length of Contract/ Work Schedule: Definite term – five years/ Monday to Friday (40 hours per week). Peace Corps expects this contract to be continuing in nature for the contractor to perform under a series of sequential contracts, subject to the availability of funds.

Place of Performance: Peace Corps Viet Nam, Peace Corps office Ha Noi.

Security Level required: Local Security Certificate

Background information of the position

Under the supervision of the Director of Programming and Training (DPT), and in coordination with all members of the Programming, Training and Evaluation (PTE) Unit, the Program and Training Assistant (PTA) is responsible for general support of Peace Corps Viet Nam’s English Education Program (EEP). The PTA provides administrative and logistical support primarily to the Program Manager (PM) and Training Manager (TM) and to other members of the PTE Unit, as required.

The PTA supports programming operations by anticipating materials and logistics required to for annual site development and site visit cycles, and related documentation, and by assisting the PM and other staff in responding to queries or requests from counterparts, homestay families, Volunteers, trainees, and other stakeholders. The PTA supports training by acting as an on-site coordinator for training events and may serve as a sub-cashier. The PTA may be responsible for the content and delivery of some learning experiences. The PTA is responsible for the management of the information resource center and training inventory, and provides translation and interpretation when needed.

The PTA may be required to live outside Ha Noi for the duration of Pre-Service Training (PST) (up to 14 weeks), and will be required to travel as needed to support training events or other PC needs. The PTA may need to travel internationally to trainings provided to Peace Corps staff. The PTA may also be required to work outside of, or in addition to, normally scheduled hours to support training events and other Post needs. Training events are often six-day work weeks.

The PTA must consistently use a range of support and communication skills including active listening, intercultural competence, interactive coaching, and timely and consistent follow through on requests for support and/or assistance and/or program adaptations. The PTA should foster personal and professional growth in Peace Corps Trainees/Volunteers (PCT/Vs), celebrate their accomplishments, promote best practices and consistently champion the efforts of PCT/Vs and staff colleagues.

Qualifications

Required:

• Education/Certification: University Degree in any subject

• Years of Experience: Minimum of 5 years of related work experience, such as being an assistant on a multicultural team, inclusive of at least two years as a language teacher.

• Experience with administration, logistics and budgeting

• Experience with public speaking and/or giving presentations

• Experience using written and oral communication skills in English and Vietnamese proficiently for professional purposes

• Computer skills including demonstrated proficiency in Outlook, Excel, Microsoft Word, Databases and PowerPoint

Preferred:

• Certifications or coursework in one or more of the following areas:

English teaching
teacher training
adult education
non-formal education
experiential education
intercultural competence
monitoring and evaluation

• Experience as a teacher or trainer (English preferred)

• Experience working with the Vietnamese educational system at local, provincial, or national level.

• Living or working with rural areas of Viet Nam.

• Experience living or working in multiple areas of Viet Nam (for example, northern and southern provinces).

• Experience in youth, education, or community development sectors.

• Professional experience in multi-cultural environment with diverse groups of people.

• Experience coordinating a team of staff and/or volunteers.

• Experience facilitating discussions of large groups.

• Experience in documentation of work processes and supporting materials.

• Experience in manipulating and summarizing data using text, graphs, charts.

• Experience in translation or interpretation

• Experience with use of social media and/or video for business purposes.

Duties and Responsibilities / Tasks and Deliverables

Support for Country Program

• Support the management, development and enhancement of post’s Information Resource Center (IRC). Help to organize collection of materials, select new materials, and respond to requests for information from Volunteers. Devise creative ways in which to collect and share PCT/V-produced resources for addition to the IRC.

• Assists the PTE Unit with developing or adapting materials to represent Peace Corps and its programs.

• Supports the management of a joint PTE calendar to track programming and training events throughout the year.

• When required, represent Peace Corps at meetings and events with governmental (National, Provincial, District and Commune levels) and non-governmental agencies, public and private, to advance the goals of Peace Corps and the EEP project.

• As required by unit needs and as time allows, the PTA may be asked to:

• Provide general support as needed to PTE unit, requiring familiarity with PCVs, projects, sites, and functions of the unit.

• Complete special projects and assignments for the PTE unit as needed.

Site Identification and Site Visits

A key element of Peace Corps’ program design is the identification and monitoring of the sites where PCVs serve. Site identification occurs prior to PCV arrival in country and is done in collaboration with Ministry partners. Site visits occur after the PCV has moved to site. This is done through established procedures such that agency and post standards and criteria are met. The PTA’s duties and responsibilities in the area of development and site visits include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Assist the PM with all preparations related to site identification and site visits. Help with scheduling appointments, ensuring general and site-specific materials and/or records are available for review, and scheduling vehicles and drivers, if necessary.

• Support the PM with external communication related to site identification and site visits; contact and maintain relations with appropriate government offices; and prepare and/or translate correspondence as needed.

• Support the PM in maintaining records and files related to site identification and site visits, and ensure that Volunteer Information Database (VIDA) is updated continuously, including contacts at sites and associated schools and government offices.

• Assist the Program Manager to develop potential assignments for Volunteers through site visits and other relevant activities, and initiate and maintain contact with potential sponsoring schools and other organizations that might appropriately host Volunteers. Explain Peace Corps Viet Nam’s development philosophy and the role of Volunteers to sponsoring organizations, supervisors, school staff, co-workers, host family and other community members. Evaluate and negotiate job viability, housing and office environments, safety and security, level of supervisor involvement, and local community involvement

Training Site Administration

Peace Corps conducts extensive pre-service training to prepare Volunteers for their service, as well as various in-service events that provide Volunteers and their partners with updated knowledge and skills needed for successful service. The PTA’s duties and responsibilities in the area of administrative support for training events include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Assist TM with all preparations for Pre-Service Training (PST) and various In-Service Training events. Help with research on and arrangements for venues, transportation, guest speakers, and other logistical coordination.

• Support the TM with external communication related to training events; contact and maintain relations with appropriate school and Government offices; and prepare and/or translate correspondence as needed.

• Maintain and update all training inventory, records and files.

• During PST, act as primary backup support for TM. Provide support for the TM and all PST staff; act as liaison between PST staff and Ha Noi office staff, communicating needs and organizing the transportation of information and supplies to the PST site.

• Maintain records of training sites, contacts and current and former training staff.

• Maintains and inventories training materials and items, working with General Services Officer for appropriate storage of same during non-training times.

• Works closely with the Administration team in arranging lodging needs with training venue, (hotel) manager and thereafter reviews and reconciles bills at training venue.

• Ensure technical and computer needs are set up at the training event.

• Assists Financial Specialist in coordinating any meal service required during Training of Trainers (TOT), PST orientation week, training days, and final PST week. Takes care of timely reporting of meal costs.

• Reports to the Financial Specialist on a timely basis of any upcoming requirements, and any concerns of the PST staff and Trainees.

• Assists in photocopying and preparation of training materials.

• Assists in scheduling all PC vehicles used for training events.

Volunteer Support

Trainees and Volunteers are provided quality training and ongoing project support that equips them to be self-sufficient and to have a productive and fulfilling experience at site. The PTA is an important support and contact person for PCT/Vs. Support duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Provide information and feedback in a timely manner to Volunteers on all email correspondence and phone requests. Encourage Volunteers and offer positive feedback on their accomplishments.

• Assist the PM in processing leave requests from Volunteers.

• Support the PM and other staff with scheduling and preparing for Volunteer visits and site identification. On occasion, the PTA may be asked to travel on short notice to sites to assist PCT/Vs, host families, or counterparts.

• Provide assistance to Volunteers regarding work issues and personal needs if requested, encouraging self-sufficiency when appropriate. Offer information and guidance on cross-cultural issues.

• Upon request, provide input related to programming activities and training events for inclusion in post newsletter for PCT/Vs.

• Assist Volunteers in improving their job performance and their social and cultural adaptation through the provision of technical support, cultural insights, and direction to relevant and available resources. Support Volunteers with personal and cultural counseling and guidance on various policies, procedures, safety and security, and administrative matters, with guidance from Program Manager and Program and training Officer.

• Coordinate with Safety and Security staff and others as appropriate to ensure a safe and secure work and living environment for Volunteers. Duties include informing host organizations, host families and other appropriate host community members about safety and security requirements and gathering relevant information.

Other Duties

• Supports other teams as needed taking on back-up support responsibilities and carrying out duties and responsibilities of agreed upon positions when deemed necessary by the Country Director and/or Supervisor for the successful management of Peace Corps operations in Viet Nam.

• Act as translator and interpreter for PC and PST staff as needed.

• Other tasks and duties as assigned.

Standard Roles and Responsibilities

A. Occasional Money Handler (OMH): may be requested to courier cash and /or purchase orders to various vendors who furnish supplies and/or services to Pre-Service Training/In-Service Training sites, or other locations as directed by the Contracting Officer. The PSC may also be requested to courier cash to PC trainees or volunteers. The PSC will not be functioning as a procurement or disbursing official but will only be acting as an intermediary between the Contracting or Disbursing Officer and the recipient. In the case of dealing with vendors, the PSC will not exercise any procurement discretion concerning the supplies or services to be purchased or the cost limits of these purchases; these will be determined by the Contracting Officer.

B. Safety &Security:

All members of the Peace Corps team must be familiar with the Emergency Action Plan, their responsibilities in the event of an emergency, and with the procedures for reporting and responding to safety and security incidents.

The duties and responsibilities, particularly as they concern Volunteers and Trainees, include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Addresses Volunteer safety and security by adhering to Peace Corps site development policies and procedures.

• Identifies and immediately communicates Volunteer safety and security concerns and issues to the Safety and Security Manager (SSM) and the Country Director (CD).

• Assists Program Managers/APCDs to ensure that prospective sites meet established programmatic and safety/security criteria (e.g., safe housing, a clearly defined assignment with an organization that shows real interest in working with a Volunteer, etc.).

• Reviews and references site history files when evaluating potential sites, and incorporates appropriate safety and security-related information into site history files.

• Monitors Volunteer compliance with Peace Corps policies, especially related to safety and security. Participates in the design and implementation of the Emergency Action Plan (EAP). Acts as duty officer, as needed.

• Knowledgeable and supportive of Peace Corps safety and security policies and procedures, including the timely reporting of suspicious incidents, persons or articles.

• Acts as Duty Officer as assigned: A Duty Officer is “on call” 24/7 for a one-week period, is restricted from travel during that period, and must be available through the Duty Officer cell phone at all times. The Duty Officer works closely with the Safety and Security Manager

Evaluation and Selection Criteria:

Applications will be initially screened for eligibility in accordance with the required qualifications mentioned above. Those applicants who meet the required qualifications will be scored based on the preferred qualifications. Highest scoring candidates will be called in for an interviews, language and skills test (presentations, excel/word tests). Performance from all interviews and skills test will be considered as a whole package to ensure the best candidate is selected that meets the needs of the Peace Corps mission. Professional reference checks will be conducted for selected candidates.

How to apply:

Please submit the following in English by email (with your name and the position you are applying for in as the subject of the email) as one PDF file to PCVietNamJobs@peacecorps.gov:

1. Application Cover Letter

2. Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Closing date: Applications should be received 6:00 pm Friday, April 16, 2021 for consideration in the first review. Position remains open until filled. Applications for one position maybe considered for any current open position. No phone calls or personal visits related to this vacancy will be accepted. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

All applicants must pass a background/security investigation and a medical certification. Any contract offer with the US Peace Corps is contingent upon a candidate’s ability to secure the necessary certifications.

All applicants must be a naturalized citizen of the host country or must have the required work permit or documentation that permits the applicant to work legally in the country in order to be eligible for consideration.

The application must contain all the information necessary to demonstrate that the candidate possesses the education, experience, skills and language abilities required for this position.

Benefits and Allowances:

BENEFITS:

• One-month basic salary Tet Bonus

• Contribution to mandatory insurances pursuant to GVN’s law/ regulations including social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance.

• Coverage of additional health insurance 90% for incumbent and each eligible family member

• Annual and sick leave according to local labor law

ALLOWANCES (as applicable):

• Unique Condition Work allowance: 7% of Annual basic salary (upon annual review).

• Miscellaneous Benefits Allowance: US$1,000 per annum or US$3,000 per annum

The Peace Corps is both a federal agency and a vehicle through which American citizens offer needed assistance to people around the world and, in doing so, promote greater cross-cultural understanding between Americans and the people of the host countries. The fulfillment of the Peace Corps’ mission to foster greater understanding among the world’s citizens requires that we adhere to the highest standards with respect to equal employment opportunity for all Volunteers, employees, and applicants. The U.S. Peace Corps Vietnam will provide equal opportunity and fair and equitable treatment in employment to all people without regard to race, color religion, ethnicity, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status, pregnancy and maternity or sexual orientation. The Peace Corps will also strive to achieve equal employment opportunity in all personnel operations through continuing diversity enhancement programs. Discrimination based on factors that have no bearing on a person’s ability to serve and perform his or her duties is not permitted and will not be tolerated.