Strategic Content Coordination Specialist

Announcement Number: HOCHIMINH-2024-20 Hiring Agency: Consulate Ho Chi Minh City Position Title: Strategic Content Coordination Specialist (All Interested Applicants) Open Period: 12/31/2024 - 01/21/2025 Format MM/DD/YYYY Vacancy Time Zone: GMT+7 Series/Grade: LE - 6520 10 Salary: USD $26,353 - USD $26,353 /Per Year Work Schedule: Full-time - The work schedule for this position is: 40 hours per week, from Monday to Friday. Promotion Potential: LE-10 Duty Location(s): 1 in Ho Chi Minh City, VM Telework Eligible: No For More Info: HR Section 84-24-3520-4200 HCMCRecruitment@state.gov

Overview

Hiring Path:

Open to the public

Who May Apply/Clarification From the Agency: For USEFM - FS is FP-5 (steps 5 through 14). Actual FS salary determined by Washington D.C. Open to: 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. Marketing Statement: We encourage you to review the Eight (8) Qualities of Overseas Employees before you apply. 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. Summary: The work schedule for this position is:

Full Time (40 hours per week)

Supervisory Position: Yes Relocation Expenses Reimbursed: No Travel Required: 25% or less The incumbent works an average of five to 10 hours outside normal business hours each week and is responsible for overnight or longer travel four to five times per year.

Duties

The Strategic Content and Media Specialist works under the supervision of the Public Diplomacy Officer - Press and Media (PDO/PM) or Public Affairs Officer (PAO) designee. Receives work guidance from the U.S. Embassy Hanoi Strategic Content Coordination Specialist. The position directly supervises two Locally Employed (LE) Staff positions: the Press and Media Coordinator and the Community Management and Digital Production Coordinator. Oversees online public engagement through the Consulate’s digital properties (social media, mobile) and is responsible for building, maintaining, and sourcing content for digital properties and tailoring messages to reach specific audience sectors. Develops the policies, procedures, and guidelines for Consulate use of evolving digital technologies. Coordinates Public Diplomacy (PD) strategic planning, audience research, and program evaluation and measurement for Consulate General Ho Chi Minh City. Develops policies, procedures, and guidelines for external Consulate communication in crisis situations. Monitors the Ho Chi Minh City consular district for press and media coverage of issues of importance to the United States. Identifies and advises Consulate leadership on strategies for promoting accurate, balanced local press and media coverage of U.S. foreign policy and American interests; correcting misinformation; and countering disinformation. Builds productive relationships with press and media professionals in person and online. Develops policies, procedures, and guidelines for external Mission communication in crisis situations, in close collaboration with the Embassy Hanoi Strategic Content Coordination Specialist. Develops on-the-job training for Consulate staff participating in press and social media engagement. Coordinates with Embassy Hanoi Strategic Content Coordination team to align Mission-wide messaging and digital content.

Qualifications and Evaluations

Requirements: All applicants under consideration will be required to pass medical and security certifications. Start date: Candidate must be able to begin working from 45 days to 90 days of receipt of agency authorization and/or clearances/certifications or their candidacy may end. Education Requirements: EDUCATION: University degree in communications, international relations, political science, or local equivalent is required. [please upload University degree as verification of educational requirement] Evaluations: You will be evaluated against the qualifications and requirements in this vacancy announcement. You may be asked to complete a pre-employment language or skills test. You must complete the application form and provide the required documents. Your application must address all the position qualifications and requirements including education, experience, language, and any knowledge/skills/abilities listed. If you fail to submit a complete application, then your application may be disqualified for this position. Qualifications: EXPERIENCE: A minimum of four years of progressively responsible experience in a multilingual, multicultural, or multinational commercial or communications enterprise, media outlet, think tank, university, NGO, international organization, foreign embassy, government office, or corporation is required, with responsibility for public relations, public affairs, journalism, communications, marketing, managing public relations, outreach events, press conferences, and other media interactions as significant parts of the job. Experience must include market research and analysis, project management, designing and executing information/marketing/advocacy campaigns using multifaceted (multilingual, multimedia) digital and traditional formats. This may be tested. LANGUAGE: Fluency Level Speaking/Reading/Writing of English is required. Fluency Level Speaking/Reading/Writing of Vietnamese is required. Please clarify level of your English and Vietnamese language skill on your application. JOB KNOWLEDGE: Incumbent must have - Knowledge of U.S. foreign policy objectives and American interests in Vietnam (especially as they apply to press and media professionals, outlets, and online publications) and U.S. historical, political, economic, and cultural forces that shape U.S. foreign policy and of U.S. press and media standards, norms, and practices - Comprehensive understanding of:

Vietnamese press/media institutions and professional journalism standards and practices, and trends in audience preferences for information consumption (print, TV, radio, online)
Traditional and digital communication preferences of target audiences, and commercial marketing techniques, market (audience) analysis and analytics, and customer service
Target audience groups including regional, demographic, ethnic, socio-economic, cultural, and linguistic factors; the influence of religious, cultural, and educational institutions in shaping attitudes; and how to identify engagement opportunities and how to leverage them within the societal norms of each community
Marketing techniques, market analysis, and audience analytics in Vietnam; trends in regional and international communications patterns and how they affect Vietnamese communications landscape; and influence patterns in information flow
Vietnamese commercial and regulatory aspects of digital marketing and advertising products and services
Project management, including defining project objectives, outcomes, and assessment methods

SKILLS AND ABILITIES: Analytic skills: Must be able to identify, analyze, predict, and continually assess attitudes of press and media outlets and information consumers across a wide range of thematic policy areas is required. Must have strong analytic skills to identify target audiences, understand their sensitivities and identify the best strategic content and delivery means to influence them in support of U.S. policy objectives. Must have strong analytic skills to match specific U.S. foreign policy objectives with relevant Vietnamese attitudes, perceptions, and stereotypes, and the ability to conceptualize how best to use the full range of PD communication and program tools to move attitudes in positive ways. Must be able to perceive significant changes in the Vietnamese influence landscape, and to adjust press/media operations and products to maximize balanced coverage for priority audiences. Must be able to perceive the emergence of new influencers and changing preferences in information consumption; to assess the impact of evolving content formats and delivery channels; and to lead cross-section analysis to modify approaches for enhanced outcomes. Must be able to analyze Vietnamese communication trends as the basis for projecting future human resource skills and budget requirements. Must have the ability to advise senior PD/Mission leaders of opportunities to promote Mission objectives with key audience segments and identify creative approaches to address sensitive challenges. Communication/Interpersonal skills: Must be able to lead PD Section and other Mission discussions of priority engagement, strategic content, and appropriate dissemination, to reach consensus, and to recommend the optimal course of action to the PDO/PM. Must have excellent customer relations, interpersonal, and cross-cultural communication skills. Must be able to identify key Vietnamese communications, broadcast, marketing analysis, government, and other influential voices, and engage them to positive effect. Must be able to communicate effectively in formal and informal situations on nuances of U.S. policy; must have excellent written and oral communication skills to speak publicly; to interview for evaluation purposes; to write reports, press releases, and other products; engage in online fora; and contribute to publications in English and Vietnamese. Must be able to create and host online conversations to build relationships with the public on foreign policy issues. Must be able to tailor communications to fit formal and informal situations and different ethnic, religious, and linguistic cultures. Must have excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to develop, write, and edit materials for broadcast or digital dissemination in English and Vietnamese. Must be able to brief U.S. officers and visitors on local communication patterns and optimal dissemination of strategic content and interpret informally between English and Vietnamese for public programs and professional briefings. Management skills: Must have strong management skills including the ability to develop policies, procedures, and guidelines in response to changing communication technologies, formats, and internal Mission preferences for sharing strategic content; and the ability to convene groups, reach consensus, and develop recommendations. Must be able to organize and run events such as press conferences, interviews, workshops, and journalism training seminars, often on short notice or in emergencies. Must be able to manage projects and oversee budgets, schedules, and daily operations to produce, adapt, and disseminate time-sensitive content through preferred channels for optimal target audience impact. Technical skills: Must have knowledge of and ability to use social media, digital, and mobile platforms, graphic design and photo editing software, photo and video sharing sites, podcast creation, and basic photo and video skills are required. Must have good numerical skills to develop budget projections and statistics for press and media analytics, develop statistical analyses of audience segments, and report impact of PD operations. Must have knowledge of how digital platforms are managed, to include software licenses, role-based permissioning of accounts, management of accounts, and various levels of functionality built in to manage platforms. Must have basic familiarity with TV and radio production skills to oversee logistics for press and television coverage. Availability: Must be available to travel throughout the Ho Chi Minh City consular district and other consular districts in Vietnam, as needed to support PD operations, projects, activities, and special events.

Benefits and Other Info

Benefits: Agency Benefits: The U.S. Mission offers a competitive compensation and benefits package for local employees, including the following allowances and benefits in addition to the annual basic salary listed above.

Allowances:

Unique Conditions of Work Allowance: 7% of Annual basic salary (subject to review every two years) Miscellaneous Benefits Allowance: US$1,000 per annum for FSN-9 & below, US$3,000 per annum for FSN-10 & above

Benefits:

Tet Bonus: 1-month basic salary Merit Based Compensation: annual salary increase based on performance Annual leave: 120 hours per year & annual leave hours will increase every five years of creditable service according to local labor law Sick leave according to local labor law Family leave: up to 5 days and other special leave as stipulated in the local labor law American & Vietnamese holidays up to 21 days per year Invest in yourself - 1 day Contribution to mandatory insurances according to Vietnam's Government law and regulation including social insurance, health insurance & unemployment insurance Supplemental Health Insurance that the U.S. Mission covers 90% of the premium for employees & each eligible family member Mission cash award for outstanding performance Training opportunities abroad, in-country, on-the-job and online sources for professional career development For Eligible Family Member (EFM) applicants, benefits should be discussed with the HR Office. The pay plan is assigned by the HR Office and confirmed by Washington, D.C. Other Information: HIRING PREFERENCE SELECTION PROCESS:  A hiring preference is extended to eligible and qualified applicants in the order listed below. It is essential you accurately describe your status in your application, failure to do so may result in a determination that you are not eligible for a hiring preference. HIRING PREFERENCE ORDER

Appointment Eligible Family Member (AEFM) / U.S. citizen Eligible Family Member (USEFM) who is a preference-eligible U.S. Veteran*
AEFM / USEFM
Foreign Service (FS) on Leave without Pay (LWOP) and Civil Service (CS) with reemployment rights **

* IMPORTANT:  US citizen Eligible Family Member (USEFM) 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”) preferably Member Copy 4, Letter from Veterans’ Affairs which indicates the present existence of a service-connected disability, 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 FS employees on LWOP and CS with re-employment rights back to their agency or bureau. For complete definitions of AEFM, USEFM, EFM, Member of Household, etc., please visit the 3 FAM 7210 Definitions. ADDITIONAL EMPLOYMENT CONSIDERATIONS The following apply to EFMs, USEFMs, and AEFMs only:

Current employees who used a hiring preference to gain employment who are within their first 90 calendar days of employment are not eligible. This does not apply when the hiring mechanism is TEMP or the work schedule is intermittent or irregular.
Candidates with a hiring preference who have already accepted a conditional offer of employment may NOT be extended a second conditional offer of employment unless and until they withdraw their candidacy for the first position in writing.

The following apply to Locally Employed (LE) staff only:

Current employees serving a probationary period are not eligible.
Current employees with an Overall Summary Rating of Needs Improvement, Unsatisfactory, or an MBC score of less than 100 points on their most recent Employee Performance Report are not eligible.

How to Apply

How to Apply: Click the “Apply to This Vacancy” button at the top of the page to begin your application. For an instructional video on how to apply click here. Please address all relevant experience, education, language skills (including English), and job related skills or requirements in your application. You may edit your application any time before the vacancy closing date. If you fail to submit a complete application by the vacancy closing date of this vacancy, then your application may be disqualified for this position. For a copy of the complete position description, please contact the HR Office. To request a reasonable accommodation, please contact the HR Office. We foster a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible workplace where employees can be themselves. We invite qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply. Next Steps: The HR Office will contact successful applicants. For more information on applying for jobs or employment with us, please visit the U.S. Mission website at https://vn.usembassy.gov/jobs/ or follow us at https://www.facebook.com/USConsulateHCMC/. Thank you for your application and your interest in working with us. Required Documents: In order to qualify based on education, you MUST submit the requested diploma 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:

University Degree
Residency permit
Certificates or Licenses

In addition, Eligible Family Member (EFM) Applicants must submit:

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

Next Steps: The HR Office will contact successful applicants. For more information on applying for jobs or employment with us, please visit the U.S. Mission website at https://vn.usembassy.gov/jobs/ or follow us at https://www.facebook.com/USConsulateHCMC/. Thank you for your application and your interest in working with us.