Senior Public Affairs Specialist - Embassy of the United States of America

Senior Public Affairs Specialist

The United States Consulate General invites applications for the Senior Public Affairs Specialist position located in our Public Affairs Section in Auckland.

Directing an exciting spectrum of programs, the Senior Public Affairs Specialist is responsible for managing a team of three Public Affairs staff; leading Consulate General engagement with key opinion leaders in the media, science, business, political and other sectors; developing substantive programs to connect with these and other audiences on key policy issues; supporting visiting U.S. experts and speakers; supporting media outreach; and organizing public diplomacy [JB emphasis] programs in the Cook Islands and Niue. The incumbent reports directly to the Public Affairs Officer.

If you are a communications/public affairs professional, and fostering ties between the U.S. and NZ in a range of areas sounds like your specialty, we would like to hear from you.

The starting salary range for this position is NZD $80,981 per annum with some special benefits e.g. both U.S. and New Zealand Holidays - a total of 20 days; and 8.7% contribution by the employer to an employee's retirement.  If you meet all the eligibility criteria for this role, please complete and submit your application form, cover letter and CV via Seek.com.  For further information, please write to: Wellington.HR@state.gov.

To qualify for this role you will have a minimum of four years of progressively responsible experience in media, education, programming cultural activities, public relations, marketing or government with speechwriting/writing experience plus one year of supervisory experience.  The ideal candidate will not only have experience in traditional public engagement and tools, but also strong writing skills, event planning abilities and media relations experience.  This professional experience is complemented with your Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (Liberal Arts, Education, Humanities, Business, History, Literature, Political Science, Public Policy, International Relations, Communications, Marketing, or Public Relations).

You must have exceptional organizational, interpersonal and communication skills, strong existing networks among relevant stakeholders, and an ability to develop and maintain key contacts with relevant sectors, institutions and organizations throughout New Zealand. The position also requires knowledge of New Zealand’s political, civic and business landscapes, organizations and communities, and a strong understanding of U.S and NZ society, culture, politics and history.

The NZ-U.S. bilateral relationship is a hugely exciting one – spanning many fascinating sectors including aerospace, innovation, trade, public health, security and a whole lot more – if you think you’re the right fit for this unique role, we look forward to your application.

All employees of the U.S. Government are required to complete full medical and security background checks.  The U.S. Government is not able to sponsor a work visa for applicants who do not already have work authorization for New Zealand.

Applications close Sunday, 2 December 2018.

Note: Only short listed applicants will be contacted regarding the next phase of the selection process.  To those applicants not short listed, we extend our appreciation for considering the U.S. Government as a potential employer.