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.

Spring 2025 Part-time Membership Intern

The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) is recruiting a part-time intern for the spring to support the Membership team. The intern will support a wide range of Membership activities: member outreach and recruitment; event planning and execution; content development; and data management.

The time frame for this position is January 2025 – May 2025; specific dates will be discussed at the beginning of the internship based on the intern’s school/personal schedule. The intern will not exceed 20 hours of work per week. The position is based in Washington, D.C., and while some telework is available, the candidate must be able to come into the office for work ideally on Monday and Wednesday and for large events.

Applications will be accepted until January 6, 2025.

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 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 Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, and the U.S. Agency for Global Media.

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 cases.

For more information about AFSA, please visit: www.AFSA.org.

Compensation

This is a paid internship at $17.50 per hour paid on a bi-weekly basis aligned with our payroll cycle. The maximum hours per week for this internship is 20 hours.

The Position and Its Principal Responsibilities

This position will support the Membership team which works on recruitment of new members, plans and hosts member events (both in-person and virtual). The team also manages AFSA’s college scholarship program, numerous professional performance awards offered to Foreign Service members. The intern will report to the Program Coordinator for Scholarship and Awards and the Member Events and Marketing Coordinator.

Responsibilities may include:

Scholarships:

• Audit scholarship applications for completion, and compile applicant documents for review by judging panel.
• Assist in management of the general email inbox, corresponding with applicants, recommenders, judges, and members in a professional manner.
• Support Program Coordinator in the organization and execution of virtual and in-person judging panels and orientations, hosted at AFSA HQ.

Awards:

• Compile and track award nominations of Foreign Service Members for review by AFSA Governing Board’s Awards Committee.
• Assist the Program Coordinator with outreach to Award winners, tracking required materials for Awards Ceremony.
• Draft and/or copy-edit promotional materials and other written event collateral.
• Support Program Coordinator in the organization and execution of virtual and in-person judging panels.

Foreign Service Day:

Foreign Service Day is recognized as the first Friday in May each year. AFSA hosts two big events in commemoration: the Memorial Plaque Ceremony to be held at the Department of State and AFSA’s Foreign Service Day Open House at AFSA HQ.

• Support Program Coordinator in the organization and execution of in-person event details for the Memorial Plaque Ceremony held on Friday, May 2, 2025.
• Support membership team in the planning of the annual Open House held on Thursday, May 1, 2025.
• Ideal candidates will be available to work on these dates to support day-of logistics.

Outreach and Recruitment:

• Aid in the facilitation of quarterly recruitment events, helping with set-up, breakdown, and any day-of logistics as needed.
• Assist AFSA staff at new class onboarding fairs welcoming new members of the Foreign Service and introducing AFSA.
• Draft and track marketing messaging to new class members, identifying any key opportunities for outreach.
• Maintain accurate membership data, inputting prospective members and grouping classes together accordingly.

Virtual and In-Person Events:

• Serve as support for virtual events by gathering questions and organizing Q&A sessions.
• Attend AFSA networking events and assist in any day-of logistics.
• Aid in the creation and dissemination of event materials, from marketing collateral to run-of-show and post-event analytics.
• Maintain records of event attendance and feedback.

Requirements

• High school diploma required.
• Working toward a bachelor's degree.

Preferred Skills and Characteristics

• Excellent interpersonal skills, to include email and phone.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Works well in a team.
• Interest in international affairs and the Foreign Service.
• Well versed with Microsoft Office tools, particularly Excel. Comfortable with virtual platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams.
• Comfortable with learning and managing software systems, including the application platform (CommunityForce) and membership database (NetForum).

To Apply

Please email Hannah Chapman at Chapman@afsa.org and cc: stegner@afsa.org with your resume and detailed cover letter that explains why you are interested in and qualified for this position. Please note in your cover letter the number of hours you’d be able to commit to (up to 20 hours) based on your current Spring 2025 schedule.

Applications are due by January 6, 2024.