Public Diplomacy and Technical Specialist

Cayuse Holdings • Washington, DC

12d • Onsite

About The Position

The Public Diplomacy and Technical Specialist manages communications infrastructure, develops and executes strategic messaging plans, creates content, and coordinates public diplomacy events to inform, engage, and influence domestic and international audiences. The role develops narratives aligned with policy priorities and collaborates across teams to amplify the client’s mission and objectives, with a focus on humanitarian affairs, religious freedom, foreign assistance, democracy promotion, human rights, and labor rights.

The specialist manages content for the F Family’s client-site presence, including annual reports, fact sheets, campaigns, and landing-page content, and ensures Section 508 accessibility. The role creates and clears social media, website, article, blog, graphics, video, and event content; monitors relevant accounts and recommends content for F and Department platforms; and plans, executes, and evaluates digital engagement and public diplomacy initiatives. It also coordinates clearances across offices and external entities, advises stakeholders on messaging and public diplomacy opportunities, supports events and virtual meetings, maintains records and files, researches equipment and supplies, and provides briefings and progress updates to leadership.

The position requires knowledge of U.S. foreign affairs and Department of State procedures, communications best practices, social media and web platforms, accessibility requirements, graphic design, audience analysis, and virtual event tools. A Secret clearance and successful background check are required. Work is in a professional office environment, with the ability to work onsite at the main office; occasional travel, flexible scheduling, holiday work, and hours outside normal business hours may be requested.

Requirements

• Knowledge and experience in U.S. foreign affairs and policy, especially democracy promotion and human rights protection.
• Detailed knowledge of 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 websites and social media presences.
• Experience hosting events on interactive virtual platforms.
• Ability to curate content by monitoring U.S. democracy-promotion and human-rights policies and global digital communications in these fields.
• Ability to develop original content for online properties and public fora using public affairs content, policy knowledge, and online communications best practices.
• Knowledge of Section 508 accessibility regulations and policies, ability to ensure online materials comply, and ability to educate partners about accessibility requirements.
• Experience with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access), Outlook, Adobe products (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Acrobat Pro, Dreamweaver, Premiere Pro), Hootsuite, G Suite (Google Docs, Gmail), Slack, Canva, Moovly, and digital conferencing tools (Zoom for Government, Teams, Webex).
• Ability to design original artwork, images, and infographics for online publication.
• Quantitative analysis skills to conduct audience segmentation and assess messaging effectiveness.
• Knowledge and experience in optical character recognition to convert PDFs into editable Word documents.
• Secret clearance required; must pass a background check and may be subject to additional project- or client-related background checks.
• 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.
• Proficiency in Microsoft and Adobe toolsets, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Acrobat.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks at once.
• Ability to build individual and team relationships.
• Self-starter able to work independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to work onsite in the main office and establish a productive, professional workspace.
• Physical and mental ability to perform duties for extended periods; ability to use a computer and office productivity tools at the speed required by the role; ability to sit for long periods while looking at a computer screen.

Responsibilities

• Manage F Family content on the client site, including annual reports, documents, fact sheets, thematic campaigns, and landing-page content.
• Ensure Section 508 compliance of postings and remediate documents; communicate accessibility requirements to internal stakeholders.
• Research policy issues and develop public diplomacy and digital engagement programs supporting client goals.
• Develop short- and long-term strategic communications plans and advise partners on messaging strategies.
• Draft and clear public diplomacy proposals, social media messaging, campaigns, and video scripts on cross-cutting issues.
• Lead and contribute to messaging campaigns from conception and drafting through clearance and publication, securing required permissions and clearances.
• Monitor social media accounts and identify, clear, share, or publish relevant content on F Family platforms.
• Draft original social media content and coordinate its clearance across F, bureaus, agencies, and Missions.
• Design, create, and edit images, graphics, infographics, and video graphics for social media and other communications.
• Coordinate social media content with media engagement and assist the press team with messaging; provide press-officer backup when needed.
• Identify opportunities to communicate F equities through Department flagship and other principals’ social media accounts, and deliver approved content to the relevant points of contact.
• Contribute to oversight of the PD team’s shared mailbox and provide regular backup for team members.
• Perform rotational clearance duties, route content to relevant offices, consolidate clearances, track progress, resolve or escalate disagreements, and keep drafters informed.
• Translate complex foreign policy into accessible visual designs advancing democracy, human rights, and labor rights.
• Apply platform-specific requirements to optimize images, graphics, photographs, and videos for social media.
• Analyze audiences and digital engagement results to advise on messaging strategies.
• Pitch, produce, review, and secure clearances for website content, articles, and blogs.
• Coordinate digital and in-person engagements that spotlight human rights, labor rights, and democracy-promotion work.
• Develop, plan, execute, and evaluate interactive digital dialogues, including their technical aspects, on social media platforms.
• Partner with stakeholders on digital engagement with foreign audiences during principals’ travel and through other outreach.
• Plan, design, and execute outreach programs and major initiatives, including report rollouts, public events, and public diplomacy campaigns.
• Serve as a liaison to internal offices and advise them on public diplomacy opportunities and tools.
• Attend internal meetings and relay key information to the PD team and F/ELA office.
• Provide briefings, status reviews, and resource requirements to leadership and Department principals; keep senior leadership informed of progress.
• Contribute to strategic planning documents.
• Research equipment and supplies, including cost estimates, to support public diplomacy efforts.
• Create, file, and transfer content according to office conventions, Department regulations, and records-retention policies.
• Use Zoom for Government, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and WebEx to host and facilitate meetings and webinars, including breakout rooms.
• Create event graphics such as lower thirds and introduction graphics, and use music where appropriate.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Wellness program
• Flexible spending accounts for healthcare, dependent care, and commuter expenses
• Short-term and long-term disability options
• Company-provided basic life and AD&D insurance
• Voluntary life and AD&D options
• 401(k) retirement savings plan with matching after one year
• Paid time off

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Education Level: No Education Listed