Public Engagement Assistant (English Language) at Embassy of The United States

Duties

The English Language Coordinator works under the direct supervision of the Emerging Voices (EV) Specialist and receives work guidance from the Regional English Language Officer (RELO), who may be located in another country, and has no supervisory responsibilities.  The position has no supervisory responsibilities. Coordinates Mission Public Diplomacy (PD) English language outreach to EV audiences, reaching youth, minorities and those who influence them through English teaching and learning programs.  Conceives, develops, and implements both in-person and virtual English language teaching and learning projects and activities, and organizes teacher training and professional development opportunities for English teachers.

Qualifications and Evaluations

EXPERIENCE:  

• A minimum of three years of English Language teaching experience OR a minimum of two years of English language teaching experience and at least one additional year of experience in teacher training, including organizing and presenting workshops, OR a minimum of three years of experience in project management which includes organizing and presenting workshops on English language education, linguistics, or American Studies is required.

JOB KNOWLEDGE:

• Detailed knowledge of U.S. foreign policy and American interests as they apply to Kenya and especially to the Emerging Voices (EV) sector is required.  General knowledge of U.S. government and Department of State (DOS) structures, as well as of Public Diplomacy (PD) Bureaus within the Department, is required.  Detailed knowledge of the U.S. higher education system is required.  Must have knowledge of the latest trends in teaching English as a foreign language.  Detailed understanding of the full range of Public Diplomacy tactics and tools designed to engage Emerging Voices (EV) audiences, and general knowledge of cross-cultural communications, is required.  Must have general knowledge of project management, including defining project objectives, outcomes, and assessment methods. Full understanding of Public Diplomacy (PD)-specific funding authorities and their planning and reporting tools is required.
• A thorough understanding of the attitudes and preferences of the Emerging Voices (EV) audience sector in Kenya, including the regional, ethnic, social, cultural, linguistic and other  factors and institutions that shape those attitudes, is required.  Detailed knowledge of Kenyan secondary and tertiary academic institutions, standards of instruction and English language curricula is required.
• Knowledge of typical customer service standards and marketing tools designed to engage specific audience segments, particularly the Emerging Voices (EV) sector, in Kenya is required.  Knowledge of latest trends in audience engagement in related public service institutions such as think tanks, museums, academic institutions, professional training institutes, as relevant for the Emerging Voices (EV) sector, is required.  Must have an understanding of communication trends in the region and internationally as it affects the Kenyan information landscape, and must be familiar with digital practices and procedures used by, or influential with, Kenya’s Emerging Voices (EV) sector.

 Education Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree in English, Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Education, Applied Linguistics, American Studies or local equivalent is required.

Evaluations:

LANGUAGE:

• Level 4 (Fluent) Speaking/Reading/Writing English is required. (This may be tested).
• Level 4 (Fluent) Speaking/Reading/Writing Swahili is required

SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Analytic skills:  Must have strong analytic skills and the ability to conceptualize how best to use Public Diplomacy (PD) tools to move Kenyan attitudes in positive ways.  Must be able to advise senior leaders of opportunities to promote Mission objectives through English teaching and learning; identify, analyze, predict and continually assess Emerging Voices ( EV) audience attitudes; evaluate the impact of projects and modify approaches for best outcomes.  Must be able to perceive the emergence of new influencers and adjust operations and program accordingly.   
• Communication / Interpersonal skills:  Must have excellent customer relations, interpersonal 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 material for publication in English.  Must be able to tailor communications to fit formal and informal situations and different ethnic, religious and linguistic cultures.  Must be able to brief on a variety of issues for public programs.
• Management skills:  Strong project management skills are required, including the ability to develop and oversee project budgets and to organize, run, and present professional and educational projects such as workshops, seminars, digital and in-person 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 Public Diplomacy (PD)-specific software, databases, and reporting tools is required.  Must be able to use social media and mobile platforms, photo and video sharing sites, podcast creation, and basic photo and video tools.  Must have good numerical skills to be able to develop and manage project and grant budgets; must be able to develop descriptive statistical analysis of target audience segments and impact of English language activities and initiatives.