Public Diplomacy and Technical Specialist

Cayuse Holdings•Washington, DC

1d•$22 - $40•Onsite

About The Position

The Public Diplomacy and Technical Specialist is responsible for managing communications infrastructure, developing and executing strategic messaging plans, creating impactful content, and coordinating public diplomacy events designed to inform, engage, and influence key audiences domestically and internationally. The role demands expertise in crafting narratives that align with policy priorities, fostering collaboration across cross-functional teams, and leveraging innovative communication platforms to amplify the mission and objectives of the client. It requires a proactive, results-driven professional with a deep understanding of humanitarian affairs, religious freedom, and foreign assistance priorities. This position aligns with Cayuse’s core values of Innovation, Excellence, Collaboration, Adaptability, and Integrity by fostering technical solutions that meet customer needs, promoting teamwork, and prioritizing quality in deliverables.

Requirements

Knowledge of U.S. foreign affairs/policy, especially pertaining to democracy promotion and human rights protection.
Experience with U.S. foreign affairs/policy, especially pertaining to democracy promotion and human rights protection.
Detailed knowledge of the Department of State policies and procedures.
Knowledge of communications and public relations theories and best practices.
Extensive technical knowledge of platforms and best practices for maintaining online presences—including internet websites and social media.
Experience hosting events on interactive virtual platforms.
The ability to curate content for F online properties by actively monitoring the development of U.S. democracy promotion and human rights protection policies and global digital communications in this field.
The ability to develop original content for F online properties and other public fora such as press releases and remarks using public affairs content, policy knowledge, and best practices for online communications.
Knowledge of Section 508 accessibility regulations and policies; the ability to ensure 508 compliance of materials posted to the internet; and the ability to educate partners about 508 accessibility requirements.
Experience with these software products: Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access); Microsoft Outlook; Adobe Products (PhotoShop, InDesign, Illustrator, Acrobat Pro, Dreamweaver, Premiere Pro); HootSuite; Gsuite (Google Docs, Gmail); Slack; Canva; Moovly; digital conferencing (Zoom4Government, Teams, Webex).
The ability to graphically design original artwork, images, and infographics for posting online.
Quantitative analysis skills to conduct audience segmentation and assess messaging effectiveness
Knowledge and experience in optical character recognition to convert PDFs to editable and usable Word documents for Senior managers.
Secret Clerance is required.
Must be able to pass a background check. May require additional background checks as required by projects and/or clients at any time during employment.
Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
Strong technical skills in network hardware, software, and operating systems.
Strong systems management and integration skills.
Ability to respond effectively to customers with a sense of urgency.
Proficient in Microsoft and Adobe toolsets, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Acrobat, etc.
Highly motivated with the ability to handle and manage multiple tasks at any one time.
Ability to forge new relationships, individual and teaming in nature.
Must be a Self-starter, that can work independently and as part of a team.

Responsibilities

Take needed actions for all activities related to the F Family’s content on the client site, including posting of the Annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, and other documents, fact sheets, thematic campaigns, and F landing page content.
Ensure 508 compliance for all of the client’s postings and remediate documents to make them 508 compliant.
Communicate requirements to internal stakeholders including F offices and GPA/Web.
Research and understands key policy issues and create public diplomacy, including digital engagement, programs to advance the client’s goals related to those issues.
Perform short and long-term strategic communications planning.
Advise the client with which we partner and collaborate on messaging strategies that could achieve greater impact in short- and long-term strategic communications planning.
Draft and clear public diplomacy proposals with social media messaging content, including campaigns and video scripts, on cross-cutting F issues.
Lead and contribute to messaging campaign planning that includes conception, drafting, clearing, and publication, including securing necessary permissions and clearances for PD content to include videos, remarks, social media content, and graphics.
As part of daily tasks when not on clearance duty: Monitor other social media accounts, identifying messaging to share on F Family’s institutional and principal digital media properties, including Facebook, X, and Instagram, and sharing them (through platform-relevant action) or clearing prior to sharing as needed
Content creation
Draft original social media messaging content and clear it in F and in other bureaus, agencies, and Missions
Design, create, and edit images, graphics, and infographics to accompany social media content across F social media platforms
Publish cleared content to F social media platforms.
Coordinate social media content, including text, graphics, and videos, to complement media content and engagement, assist the press team in overall messaging strategies, and serve as press officer backup where necessary.
Identify and recommend opportunities to message on F equities through Department flagship and other principals’ social media platforms.
Pitch recommendations and when approved to proceed, draft and deliver cleared content to the relevant POC, keeping the POC advised of progress throughout.
On a daily basis, contribute to oversight of the PD team’s shared mailbox.
Serve as regular backup for other team members.
Ensure timely and appropriate messaging on F equities by performing clearance duty for the PD team on a rotational basis. Clearance duty consists of the following actions for PD content, including social media content postings, graphics, remarks, video scripts, and videos:
Content drafted outside F: assess which F bureaus and offices need to clear, route it to those offices, providing clearance, including any edits, on the content, and return consolidated F clearances to the drafter on deadline.
Content drafted by F offices: assess readiness of draft content to be circulated for clearance; provide edits, as appropriate, on the content; assess and/or other Department entities, agencies, and Missions need to clear; route it to them for clearance; keep drafter informed of clearance progress; return consolidated F clearances to the drafter and/or take appropriate action such as publishing cleared content to F platforms.
Provide updates to the drafting and clearing entities and facilitates negotiation of content when disagreements exist or identify appropriate next step.
Monitor other social media accounts, identifying appropriate messaging to share on F platforms, and sharing them (through platform-relevant action) or clearing prior to sharing as needed.
Content creation: draft original social media content and clear it in F and with other bureaus, agencies, and Missions.
Publish cleared content to F platforms.
Using graphic design skills including computer graphics, photographs, infographics, video graphics, and special effects, translate complex foreign policy into easily understandable designs to advance democracy, human rights, and labor rights around the globe.
Understand social media requirements and restrictions for content including images, photographs, graphics, and videos and recommend necessary changes to optimize content. Adjust sizes, pixel requirements, etc. to optimize content and maximize the visual effectiveness of products on various social media platforms including Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube, among others, using understanding of social media requirements and restrictions for content including images, photographs, graphics, and videos.
Strategically analyze audiences and the success of digital engagements in order to advise the office of messaging strategies that could achieve greater impact.
Pitch, produce, review, and secure clearances for content for F’s website, articles, and blogs.
Coordinate digital and in-person engagements spotlighting individuals and institutions who are engaging in human rights work, labor rights work, and democracy promotion around the world.
Develop, plan, execute, and evaluate digital interactive dialogues – including all technical aspects - with U.S. government officials, experts, and activists on social media platforms, including Facebook, X, and Instagram accounts.
Partner with client stakeholders to engage digitally with foreign audiences while F principals are on travel or via other digital interactive outreach.
Plan, design, and execute F outreach programs and major initiatives, such as the rollout of the Department’s annual eports and other public events and public diplomacy campaigns.
Serve as a liaison to internal offices and advise them on public diplomacy opportunities and tools. Attend in-person and virtual internal meetings and relay key information from them to the PD team and F/ELA office.
Communicate verbally and in writing to provide briefings, status reviews, and resource requirements to office leadership and Department principals.
Keep office and bureau senior leadership informed on progress.
Contribute to the development of strategic planning documents.
Provide timely research on equipment and supplies, including cost estimates, that enhance the effectiveness of F public diplomacy efforts.
Create and file content following office conventions and according to Department regulations. Transfer files, as needed and directed, to ensure appropriate accessibility and in accordance with relevant records retention policies.
Use virtual platforms Zoom for Government, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and WebEx to host and run large meetings and webinars, including the facilitation of breakout rooms on these platforms. Ideally create graphics to overlay onto these platforms for sleekly designed events, including lower thirds, and intro graphics and music.
Other Duties as assigned.