Social Media Manager

The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), the professional association and labor union for the United States Foreign Service, seeks a Social Media Manager to work at AFSA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. The position will report to the Deputy Director of Communications and Outreach.

Applications will be accepted through March 16, 2025, with an expected start date of April 2, 2025.

Compensation and Benefits

• Annualized salary of $67,000 - $77,000 across 26 pay periods, depending on experience.
• Option to telework up to 3 days a week once onboarding has been fully completed.
• Full-time employees have access to a health care and retirement benefits package.
  • Subsidized health, dental, and vision insurance
  • Disability (short and long), life, and AD&D insurance paid in full by AFSA.
  • 401(k) and/or Roth 401(k) with up to 5% matching
  • Paid sick, vacation and parental leave.

The Organization

The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), created in 1924, is the professional association for the U.S. Foreign Service. AFSA’s 17,000+ members include active and retired Foreign Service officers and specialists at the Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), the Foreign Commercial Service (FCS), the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), and the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM).

AFSA is also a labor union, serving as the exclusive representative of members of the Foreign Service. AFSA negotiates with the management of the principal U.S. Government foreign affairs agencies on personnel policies and procedures affecting members’ conditions of employment, and represents members in grievance proceedings, administrative investigations, and disciplinary proceedings. For more information about AFSA, please go to www.AFSA.org.

The Position and Its Principal Responsibilities

The Social Media Manager plays a key role in enhancing the visibility and understanding of the U.S. Foreign Service's work among the general American public and our target audiences. This position is responsible for creating, curating, and managing content across AFSA’s social media platforms to build brand awareness, engage with diverse audiences, and support the organization's overall goals. The ideal candidate is strategic, highly creative, detail-oriented, and has a nuanced understanding of social media trends, with a passion for storytelling that connects with our mission.

Specific duties include:

• Under the guidance of the Deputy Director of Communications and Outreach, develop and implement a comprehensive social media strategy aligned with organizational goals to increase brand awareness and public engagement.
• Create, schedule, and publish content (text, images, videos) that resonates with our target audiences, including members, government partners, and the general public.
• Monitor social media channels, responding to comments and messages in a timely and professional manner.
• Analyze performance metrics to inform strategy adjustments and provide regular reports on social media activities.
• Attend AFSA-related events within the DC-area to generate social media content like videos and photos.
• Collaborate across AFSA departments to align social media content with broader campaigns and initiatives.
• Stay up to date on social media trends and tools, making recommendations for new platforms or strategies as needed.
• Engage with and expand our online community, fostering a positive and informed dialogue around the work of the Foreign Service and AFSA.
• Assist in the creation and promotion of short-form video content to enhance engagement and reach on platforms like Instagram.

Competencies

• Content Creation and Curation: Ability to produce engaging and relevant content that resonates with diverse audiences. Skilled in storytelling, writing, video & photo editing and visual content development.
• Social Media Strategy: Strong understanding of social media platforms and trends, with the ability to develop and execute strategies that align with organizational goals.
• Audience Engagement: Expertise in building and nurturing online communities through responsive and interactive communication. Ability to foster positive dialogue and manage interactions professionally.
• Analytical Skills: Proficiency in analyzing social media metrics to assess performance and make data-driven decisions. Ability to translate insights into actionable strategies.
• Creativity and Innovation: Ability to think creatively and propose innovative ideas for content and campaigns. Skilled in adapting to changing trends and technologies in the social media landscape.
• Collaboration and Communication: Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams. Clear and effective communicator, both written and verbal.
• Attention to Detail: High level of accuracy and thoroughness in content creation, scheduling, and reporting. Ensures all content aligns with the organization's mission and branding guidelines.
• Adaptability: Ability to quickly adjust to new platforms, tools, or strategies as social media evolves. Open to continuous learning and professional growth.

Required Skills, Education and Characteristics

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, journalism, or a related field.
• 3+ years of experience in social media management, preferably in a nonprofit setting.
• Strong writing and editing skills, with an eye for detail and creativity.
• Proficiency with social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok) and related tools (Hootsuite, Hubspot, and creation tools like Canva, etc.).
• Ability to analyze data and translate it into actionable insights.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
• The ability to obtain and maintain a public trust clearance (SF 86P).

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of foreign policy or international affairs.
• Expertise with video editing software like Adobe Premiere.

To Apply

Please email a detailed cover letter, a writing sample and your resume to jobs@afsa.org, subject line "Social Media Manager." The deadline is March 16, 2025.

Director, Professional Policy Issues

The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), the professional association and exclusive bargaining agent for the United States Foreign Service, seeks a Professional Policy Issues Director to work at its Washington, D.C. headquarters located at 2101 E St NW, Washington, DC. The position reports to the AFSA President and is a key member of AFSA’s senior leadership team. The position includes the option of flexible telework, but the incumbent must be in the office a minimum of 2 days a week. Applications will be accepted through January 31, 2025. The start date will be no later than March 15, as we hope for some overlap between the incumbent and the successful candidate.

Compensation and Benefits

• Annualized salary of $120,000 - $135,000 across 26 pay periods, depending on experience.
• Optional telework up to 3 days a week once onboarding has been fully completed.
• Full-time employees have access to a health care and retirement benefits package:
  • Subsidized health, dental, and vision insurance
  • Disability (short and long), life, and AD&D insurance paid in full by AFSA.
  • 401(k) and/or Roth 401(k) with up to 5% matching once vested
  • Paid vacation, parental, and medical leave.

The Organization

The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), created in 1924, is the professional association for the U.S. Foreign Service. AFSA’s 17,100 members include active and retired Foreign Service officers and specialists primarily at the Department of State as well as at the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Foreign Agricultural Service, the Foreign Commercial Service, the U.S. Agency for Global Media, and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

AFSA is also a labor union, serving as the exclusive representative of members of the Foreign Service. AFSA negotiates with the management of the principal U.S. Government foreign affairs agencies on personnel policies and practices affecting members’ working conditions, and represents members in formal grievance proceedings, office of security and inspector general investigations, disciplinary proceedings, and EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity) cases.

The Position and Its Principal Responsibilities

AFSA is seeking a highly motivated self-starter to serve in a full-time position as a Professional Policy Issues Director that would take the lead on workforce issues pertaining to the U.S. Foreign Service.

Specific duties include:

• Take the lead on analyzing Foreign Service workforce conditions, including morale, compensation and benefits, professional development, the viability of the FS career path, and Foreign Service “life” issues with an eye toward advocating for the long-term health of the professional Foreign Service.
• Develop opportunities to engage with the Foreign Service workforce, including in focus and other discussion groups, professional development workshops and panels, and workforce-wide surveys.
• Advise AFSA leadership on workforce policy approaches that achieve multiple organizational objectives and are informed by a consideration of all AFSA constituencies.
• Share workforce analysis with management at the State Department at regular meetings with the DGHR family offices and other agency counterparts.
• Create conditions for the AFSA Governing Board to deepen its strategic planning capability and provide, with the Executive Director, periodic updates to the Board on progression toward strategic goals.
• Draft, with the communications and outreach director, talking points for the AFSA President’s use in speeches and other public outreach opportunities.
• Analyze key documents available to the public concerning personnel issues at the foreign affairs agencies for relevance to AFSA’s mission and operations.
• Provide background information to media outlets on important statistics about the Foreign Service workforce and related issues.
• Oversee the maintenance of a data library with information on the Foreign Service workforce. Share data as needed to create content for AFSA messages and publications.

Required Skills, Education and Characteristics:

• College or advanced degree required.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Knowledge of the Foreign Service career path, professional development, and personnel systems of U.S. Government foreign affairs agencies.
• Extensive familiarity with and understanding of the structure and functions of the Foreign Service within the Department of State, USAID, or another foreign affairs agency.
• Deep understanding of U.S. foreign policy and the role of the Foreign Service in formulating and implementing foreign policy and advising foreign policy makers.
• Ability to analyze issues related to budget, management, and the workforce to support efforts to maintain the highest standards of U.S. diplomacy.
• Ability to identify opportunities for engagement with the Foreign Service workforce or opportunities to deepen Foreign Service workforce skills through panels, workshops, and Foreign Service Journal columns.
• Demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite products and related software.
• Ability to obtain a public trust clearance.

Preferred Qualifications:

• The longer a candidate’s experience within the Foreign Service or foreign affairs agency human resources offices, the stronger their application.
• Willingness to take the initiative to propose solutions to complex challenges.
• Strong leadership and team-building skills.
• Ability to prioritize tasks and to delegate them when appropriate.
• Ability to function well in a high-paced and at times stressful environment.

To Apply

Please email a detailed cover letter, a writing sample, and your resume to jobs@afsa.org, subject line “PPI Director.” The deadline is January 31, 2025.