Driver (Peace Corps)

Job Description

Position Title: Driver
Opening Date: December 1, 2023
Submission Date for first review: December 20, 2023, 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$ 9,437 – US$ 13,679 + benefits
Period of Performance/ Length of Contract/ Work Schedule: Definite term – five years/ Monday to Friday (44 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

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 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.

Background information of the position

Under the supervision of the General Services Manager (GSM), the Driver is responsible for the safe operation of Peace Corps vehicles, transports staff, Volunteers and other personnel while conducting official Peace Corps business, and keeping vehicles in continual state of readiness. The incumbent is expected to provide services in the area of logistic support, and will also be required to perform manual labor and other administrative activities when not driving. S/he assists the General Services Manager (GSM) with other general services tasks as directed.

Qualifications

Required:

Education/Certification: Completion of Secondary Education is required
Years of Experience: A minimum of 3 years’ work experience as a Driver for a position within an established organization
Proficiency in oral and written English
Knowledge of basic Auto repair
Knowledge of MS Office computer applications (Word, Excel, Outlook).
Valid Driver’s license with a class “B” designation required
Proof of clean driving record from police is required
No prior at fault vehicle accidents and /or traffic citations/violations within the last 5 years
Must be knowledgeable about the city of Hanoi and its neighboring provinces, Vietnam traffic laws, city traffic patterns, streets, locations of major buildings and government offices.

Preferred:

2 or more years of working experience in a similar capacity with international organizations
Understanding of logistics management
Understanding of basic procurement principles
Skill and abilities with small equipment and vehicle maintenance is desired
Experience working in cross-cultural setting as part of an intercultural team

Duties and Responsibilities / Tasks and Deliverables

Vehicle Operations and Maintenance

Helps to ensures that vehicles are properly maintained and operated according to Peace Corps and United State Government (“USG”) guidelines, and manufacturer specifications. Operates the vehicles in a safe and courteous manner at all times, obeys all traffic laws.
Ensures that vehicles are clean, in good condition, and ready to operate at all times. Monitors the use of vehicles and ensures completion of records of all trips in the vehicle log and only operates vehicle for official business purposes as defined in 31 USC 1334.
Recommends maintenance and performs minor mechanical maintenance as necessary. Records repair and maintenance operations of PC vehicles as outlined in the Vehicle Maintenance Log.
Ensures that vehicles are locked and secured after office hours. Supports field visits with Volunteers, Trainees, and Staff Members; transports Trainees and Volunteers to their sites, coordinates with local officials when needed in support of Peace Corps Volunteers (“PCV”)’s and Trainees.
Performs a daily check of Peace Corps vehicles in accordance with vehicle check list and ensures vehicles have sufficient fuel for planned activities and purchases fuel when necessary.
Ensures that vehicle maintenance (fuel, washing, etc) is carried out in a timely manner and inspect and maintain all vehicle fluid levels daily.
Transports supplies, equipment, materials, mail, and other communication to and from the Peace Corps office for official events.
Drives staff to/from Volunteer sites and appointments as necessary. Drives Volunteers to/from airport and bus stations for official travel. May assist Peace Corps with travelers’ customs and immigration procedures for official travel. May assist with facilitating customs clearance for mail, packages or other items. Drives and performs “guard” services for PC cashier (or delegate) while transporting cash to and from PC office. Serves as Duty Driver for emergencies and off hour duties. Provides support at all times during emergency situations.
Assists with coordinates motor vehicle inspections and registration for PC and United State Direct Hires (“USDH”) vehicles.
Ensures exterior and interior of vehicles are clean especially after site visits.
Maintains accurate records of vehicle maintenance log sheet, daily vehicle usage and weekly vehicle inspections including information such as km, date repair done, expense of repair, fuel usage and receipts, etc. Provides all fuel usage documentation to GSM in a timely manner.
Collects and reviews mileage forms from vehicles and place new ones for each vehicle.
Informs the GSM when vehicles need service or repairs, and performs minor mechanical maintenance as necessary.

Logistics and Facilities

May assist with coordinating logistic arrangements for receptions, seminars, conferences or Peace Corps sponsored projects.
Performs required errands, to include purchase of local supplies and payment of bills to local suppliers.
Assists with conducting “Market Basket” surveys while in the field.
Assists General Services Manager with tasks as assigned, such as maintaining fuel consumption records, assisting with inventory, etc.
Picks up/delivers mail, documents, and packages to/from post office, the U.S. Embassy or other designated sites on a daily or as needed basis. May assist in sorting and distribution of mail. Will be familiar with safely handling all suspicious mail and understand and apply safety and security policies and procedures regarding PC vehicles.
Supports all activities carried out by post during an emergency and understand role in Post’s Emergency Action Plan

Other Duties

May be designated as a receiving officer if assigned by the Country Director and with the approval of the Regional Director. Responsibilities as a receiving officer include accurate review of goods or services, their accompanying invoices, and the purchase order/contract to ensure that the specifications, quality, amounts, price, timeliness, etc. of the goods are consistent with the terms and conditions of the contract/purchase order after successful completion of the requisite training to perform receiving duties. (See MS 511, the Personal Property Management Handbook and OFMH 19)
Performs other duties not specifically mentioned in the Statement of Work as assigned or delegated by GSM.
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.
Acting back-up GSM as required.
COVID-19 and Other Flexibilities: If there is a time at post, due to the COVID-19 pandemic or for any other reason, when there are limited or no Peace Corps Trainees and/or Volunteers (jointly referred to as “Volunteers”) at Peace Corps/Viet Nam, the PSC may be temporarily assigned during that period, as determined by the Peace Corps Country Director (CD), to carry out additional duties and responsibilities in furtherance of the goals of the Peace Corps in order to enhance the ability of Peace Corps Volunteers to perform functionsunder the Peace Corps Act, including facilitating a safe environment in order for the successful return or increase of Volunteers.

This temporary assignment may require the PSC to provide services and/or support beyond what is listed in their current Statement of Work (SOW). The services and/or support may take many forms, examples of which may include but are not limited to, training, providing administrative, technical, medical, and/or operational assistance, building on host country programs, etc. This temporary assignment also may require the PSC to provide these services and/or support to individuals/organizations other than those listed in their current SOW such as host country government, partner organization(s), community member(s), staff, and/or contractors.

Physical Exam and Other Requirements

Must pass physical exam whenever scheduled determining fitness for duty as required by Peace Corps and U.S. Mission.
Must become familiar with Department of States rules and regulations on safe driving practice and pass Smith System Defensive Driver’s training.

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 steam 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:

Operates Peace Corps vehicles safely at all times.
Immediately communicates Volunteer safety and security concerns and issues to the Safety and Security Manager (SSM) and CD.
Knowledgeable and supportive of Peace Corps safety and security policies and procedures, including the timely reporting of suspicious incidents, persons or articles.
Rotates as on-call duty Driver for a one week period and returns vehicles to PC unless permission is granted otherwise by CD or DMO Operates Peace Corps vehicles safely at all times.

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.

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:

Application Cover Letter
Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Closing date: Applications should be received 6:00 pm Wednesday, December 20, 2023 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.