Hiring Path:

• Open to the public

Who May Apply/Clarification From the Agency:
For USEFM - FP is 04. Actual FP salary determined by Washington D.C.

All Interested Applicants / All Sources

!!! Post policy update: Inbound USEFM applicants DO NOT have to wait until they are within 90 days of arriving at post to apply. !!!

If the candidate meets all of the onboarding criteria they could start working effective February 2025.

Security Clearance Required:
Public Trust - Background Investigation

Appointment Type
Permanent

Appointment Type Details:
Indefinite subject to successful completion of initial one-year contract.

Marketing Statement:
We encourage you to read and understand the Eight (8) Qualities of Overseas Employees before you apply.

Summary:
The work schedule for this position is Full Time (38 hours per week)

Start date: Candidate must be able to begin working within a reasonable period of time (15 weeks) of receipt of agency authorization and/or clearances/certifications or their candidacy may end.

If the candidate meets all of the onboarding criteria they could start effective February 2025.

Supervisory Position:
No

Relocation Expenses Reimbursed:
No

Duties

The Press and Media Specialist works under the direct supervision of the Deputy Public Affairs Officer (or PAO designee). Oversees press and media operations for the Mission, promoting understanding of and support for U.S. policy. Serves as chief advisor to the Mission on policy advocacy through media engagement. Identifies long-term trends and emerging policy-relevant issues and advises Mission leadership on strategies for promoting accurate, balanced Belgian press and media coverage of U.S. foreign policy and American interests; correcting misinformation; and countering disinformation. Monitors, analyzes and reports on Belgian press and media coverage of issues of importance to the U.S. Builds productive relationships with press and media professionals, including media owners, editors, producers, and journalists. Develops and coordinates media tours and exchange programs.

Press and Media Engagement Operations

Advances U.S. foreign policy objectives through engagement with opinion leaders in the media and information spheres. Oversees press and media operations for the Mission, to explain and advocate for U.S. policy positions in Belgian broadcast, print, and online media. Serves as chief advisor to the Mission on media engagement, the Belgian media landscape, and issues relevant to U.S. policy and interests reflected in the media. Advises the Ambassador, Deputy Chief of Mission and senior Mission leadership and Washington policy offices on strategies for communicating U.S. policy effectively in Belgium. Leads efforts to ensure balanced and informed coverage of all aspects of the United States, such as U.S. foreign policy, economy and trade, culture, society, and education. Advises on tact and tone for Mission/U.S. Government responses to breaking stories, misinformation, and dis-information in traditional and online media.

Strategic Planning

Recommends communications strategies to shape Belgian opinion and affect behavior of Belgian policymakers using the full range of U.S. Government communications tools, both at post and in the broader geographic region, and among interagency partners. Designs and recommends Mission strategies to engage effectively with the press and media, both in response to Belgian coverage and to initiate dialogue on specific issues. Recommends media engagement strategies for the Ambassador and other Mission leadership, based on analysis of individual skill, language ability, portfolio, experience and expertise.

Intra- and Interagency Coordination

Develops and recommends Mission-wide press strategies and activities, and coordinates press and media engagement for all Mission agencies on judicial, legal, consular, economic, political, cultural, military, security and other issues. Plays a leadership role in ensuring that messaging and engagement are consistent across all Mission sections and agencies.

Administrative Functions

Prepares, manages and tracks annual budgets for press and media related activities; monitors and tracks USG funds allocated to counter disinformation and for media grants; ensures appropriate accountability measures are in place, USG branding requirements are observed; Recommends audits to prevent misuse of resources and contributes to the overall PD Resource Allocation Module (PDRAM), in consultation with the Resource Coordination unit.

Qualifications and Evaluations

Requirements:
EXPERIENCE: A minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in a media outlet, think tank, university, NGO, international organization, embassy, government office or corporation is required, with responsibility for public relations, public affairs, journalism, communications, marketing, managing public relations, outreach events, press conferences, or other media interactions as significant parts of the job.

JOB KNOWLEDGE: Detailed knowledge of Belgian political, economic, social and cultural policies and trends is required. Detailed knowledge of U.S. foreign policy objectives and American interests in Belgium, especially as they apply to press and media professionals, outlets and online publications is required. Comprehensive understanding of Belgian press/media institutions and professional journalism standards and practices, as well as trends in audience preferences for information consumption (print, TV, radio, online) is required. Must have detailed understanding of communication trends in the region and internationally as they affect Belgian information landscape and must be familiar with influence patterns in information flow. Knowledge of marketing techniques, market analysis and audience analytics in Belgium.

Education Requirements:
A university degree in Journalism, Communications, International Relations, Political Science, Economics, or related.

Evaluations:
LANGUAGE: Fluency in English, French and Dutch. This may be tested.

SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
Analytic skills : Must be able to interpret Belgian policy, economic and social history and trends. Ability 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 match specific U.S. foreign policy objectives with relevant Belgian attitudes, perceptions, and stereotypes, and the ability to conceptualize how best to use the full range of PD communication and program tools to move those attitudes in positive ways. 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. Must be able to perceive significant changes in the Belgian influence landscape, and to adjust press/media operations and products to maximize balanced coverage for priority audiences.

Communication/Interpersonal skills : Must have excellent customer relations, interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills. Must be able to identify influential voices in both traditional and digital information outlets, and engage them successfully. 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 in order to speak publicly; write reports, press releases and other products; engage in on-line fora; and contribute to publications in English, Dutch and French. Must be able to tailor communications to fit formal and informal situations. Must be able to brief senior U.S. officers and high-level visitors on a variety of issues and interpret between English, Dutch and French for written materials, press events, and programs.

Management skills : Strong event and management skills are required. Must be able to organize and run events such as press conferences, speeches, interviews, workshops and journalism training seminars, often on short notice or in emergencies. Must be able to negotiate agreements with partner institutions and manage their fulfillment.

Technical skills : Excellent keyboarding and data entry skills are required; 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, and databases, as well as PD-specific software, databases, and reporting tools is required. Knowledge of PD-specific funding authorities is required. Detailed knowledge of and ability to use digital platforms, tools and products are required. Must have good numerical skills to develop budget projections and press and media analytics, and to manage project budgets. Must have detailed knowledge of TV and radio production skills. Ability to use social media and mobile platforms and photo editing software, photo and video sharing sites is required.

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.

Qualifications:
All applicants under consideration will be required to pass medical and security certifications. All candidates must be able to obtain and hold a Sensitive But Unclassified (SBU) certification.

Benefits and Other Info

Benefits:
Agency Benefits:
Locally Employed Staff, including Members of Household (MOHs), and Third-Country Nationals (TCNs), working at the U.S. Mission in Brussels may receive a compensation package that may include extra-legal benefits: life insurance, hospitalization insurance (family included), meal tickets, transportation reimbursements, seniority leave, special holidays, training, Employee Assistance Program, etc.

For EFMs, benefits should be discussed with the Human Resources Office.

The pay plan is assigned at the time of the conditional offer letter by the HR Office.

Other Information:
HIRING PREFERENCE SELECTION PROCESS: Applicants in the following hiring preference categories are extended a hiring preference in the order listed below. Therefore, it is essential that these applicants accurately describe their status on the application. Failure to do so may result in a determination that the applicant is not eligible for a hiring preference.

HIRING PREFERENCE ORDER:
AEFM / USEFM who is a preference-eligible U.S. Veteran*

AEFM / USEFM

FS on LWOP and CS with reemployment rights **

• IMPORTANT: 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”), 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 Foreign Service employees on LWOP and CS with re-employment rights back to their agency or bureau.

For more information (i.e., what is an EFM, USEFM, AEFM, MOH, etc.?) and for additional employment considerations, please visit the following link .

How to Apply

How to Apply:
All applicants must create an ERA profile and submit their complete application through ERA for each vacancy of their interest.

A complete application means that your ERA profile outlines how you meet the minimum qualifications as listed in the vacancy announcement (education, experience and language proficiency), and contains the required attachments.

For more information on how to apply visit the Mission internet site.

Required Documents:
NOTE: Resume and cover letter are not required documents and will not be considered in the recruitment process. Instead, please complete your Electronic Recruitment Application profile thoroughly to capture all information you would like for the recruiters to consider.

To qualify based on education, you MUST submit the requested degree 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:

• Residency and/or Work Permit
• University diploma (preferably a copy recognized by Belgian/U.S. authorities*)
• Language Scores (if available)

Eligible Family Member Applicants:

• Copy of Sponsor's 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)
• Clarification:

If you have a diploma of one of the following countries, your diploma is automatically recognized:

USA

Belgium

Netherlands

Luxembourg

International diplomas awarded by the European University Institute Firenze

In case you have a foreign diploma from a country not listed above, preferably submit the professionally recognized version by cfwb / naric as outlined on our website . The recognition type that applies for this vacancy is: special recognition. The process may take about 120 days.

Next Steps:
Applicants who are invited to take a language or skills test, or who are selected for an interview will be contacted via email.

Applicants, who may need reasonable accommodation during the interview process may contact the Human Resources Office to coordinate the reasonable accommodation at the moment when they receive the invitation to a test/interview.

For further information - the complete position description listing all of the duties, responsibilities, required qualifications, etc. may be obtained by contacting the Human Resources Office.

Thank you for your application and your interest in working at the U.S. Mission in Brussels.