Foreign Service Regional English Language Officer (FS-4300)

Summary

The U.S. Department of State is developing a rank-order list of eligible hires for a limited number of Regional English Language Officer positions based on the needs of the Department. Learn more about the Department of State and a career in the Foreign Service at https://careers.state.gov.

There is more to joining the Foreign Service than just salary. Refer to the Benefits section for more information on total compensation.

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Duties

Foreign Service Regional English Language Officers (RELOs), under the supervision of the Office of English Language Programs and embassy Public Diplomacy Sections, provide professional expertise and program support to U.S. posts worldwide, often operating at the same fast-paced work environment, through a variety of responsibilities:

Tasks at Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and Washington-based Offices:

• Advise the Office of English Language Programs and other stakeholders in Washington, D.C. on English language programming in regional environments.
• Promote English language programs and resources to domestic and international audiences.
• Evaluate proposals and reports from Regional English Language Officers serving overseas and embassy officials in terms of strategy,. audience, goals, and budget.
• Reporte regional programming successes and concerns to the Office of English Language Programs.
• Provide guidance and expertise to bureau officers in the development and administration of bureau exchange programs through which foreign teachers of English visit and observe English teaching programs in the United States.
• Create, maintain, improve, and monitor a range of programs and resources overseen by the Office of English Language Programs, in collaboration with domestic and international stakeholders and colleagues, using a variety of online and in-person professional mediums.
• Establish and cultivate professional relationships with U.S. academic institutions, other government agencies, and non-governmental organizations (NGO) in areas of policy and program development for English language programs.

Tasks at Overseas Missions Assigned to Regional English Language Officers Portfolios

• Counsel and assist U.S. mission officials in determining and developing the most effective use of English language programs and services to meet U.S. goals while keeping abreast of country and region educational contexts.
• Conduct contextual analyses, needs assessments, and institutional assessments to guide the development of English language strategic plans and programs that serve to realize those plans.
• Create strategic plans focusing on public diplomacy outreach through English language teaching that are informed by a mission’s public diplomacy goals.
• Design, implement, and evaluate programs, projects, and academic exchange programs for educators and students. Developing, organizing, and implementing in-country and regional teacher training programs.
• Establish and cultivate professional relationships with ministries of education, host country education officials, and academic institutions involved in delivering English language programs, especially programs training teachers of English.
• Provide policy guidance for English language exchanges and programs to office colleagues.
• Nominate participants for USG-sponsored exchange programs (virtual and physical) and participating in the selection process as appropriate.
• Negotiate partnerships with a range of in-country, regional, and U.S. stakeholders, including private and public sector entities, related to English for Specific Purposes to advance the shared interests of all involved partners in the field of English language education.
• Travel, often several times a month, within the assigned geographic region to work on strategic planning, needs analyses, program monitoring and evaluation or consulting with relevant contacts and post personnel regarding English language programs in collaboration with Public Affairs sections at U.S. Embassies and Consulates.
• Evaluate and report to Washington on the English language programs in the geographic area of responsibility and, when appropriate, recommending innovative programs.
• Develop and manage the Regional English Language Officer programming and operational budgets.
• Cultivate relationships throughout the U.S. mission, contributing to policy and strategy discussions, and supporting English language programs in Public Diplomacy Sections, ensuring the Public Diplomacy Sections make use of English language programs and Regional English Language Officer expertise.
• Research, develope, and supervise the creation of printed, audio, visual, and electronic media English teaching materials.
• Assist with the editing and production of the Department’s journal for English language professionals, English Teaching Forum.
• Take training to keep abreast of developments in the fields of second language acquisition, country/region educational and policy context, and new educational instructional technologies.
• Maintain professional knowledge of computer programs and using social media for marketing and audience analysis.
• Oversee all RELO office operations and ensuring the effective use of funds for all ongoing programming. Hiring, managing, evaluating, and mentoring local staff employees. Working daily with the local staff in the RELO office to plan strategy, programs, and projects.

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Be a U.S. citizen and accept assignments based on the needs of the FS.*
• Be able to obtain/maintain a Top-Secret Security Clearance.
• Be able to meet the minimum medical qualification standard.
• Be able to obtain a favorable Suitability Review Panel determination.**
• Be at least 20 years old at application and 21 years old to be appointed.
• Be appointed prior to age 60 (preference eligible veterans excepted).***

Foreign Service Regional English Language Officers (RELOs), under the supervision of the Office of English Language Programs and embassy Public Diplomacy Sections, provide professional expertise and program support to U.S. posts worldwide, often operating at the same fast-paced work environment, through a variety of responsibilities:

Qualifications

Specialized Experience demonstrates the candidate has acquired, and is able to apply, a combination of specific knowledge, skills and abilities appropriate to a Foreign Service Regional English Language Officer position. Candidate must demonstrate that their job-related experience has been at progressively increasing levels of performance and responsibility through such indicators as promotions, raises, increases in duties and responsibilities, and organizational and employee impact.

Candidate must possess at least 10 years of Specialized Experience.

To qualify as Specialized Experience, candidate must have at least one academic year of experience in at least four of the five areas listed below:

1. Experience in managing academic programs in teaching English as a second or foreign language, including needs analysis, student and faculty assessment and evaluation, policy development, curriculum development, materials development, personnel supervision, and budgeting responsibilities.

2. Experience in designing, monitoring, managing, evaluating, or implementing pre-service and/or in-service teacher training programs overseas.

3. Experience in supervising staff and coordinating programs for teaching English language skills.

4. Experience teaching English as a second or foreign language in a multicultural setting.

5. Experience in financial management of an education or a language program to include, developing and managing budgets and negotiating contracts and agreements. Experience in managing academic programs in teaching English as a second or foreign language.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

The Department has conducted extensive job analysis research to determine Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) and other attributes conducive to successful performance in this position. A candidate’s education level, work experience, and other qualifications will be considered as part of the hiring decision-making process based on these KSA criteria. Not all these attributes need to be met by a candidate; the attributes will be used as a set to evaluate candidates.

Knowledge of:

• Current U.S. theory and practice in the teaching and learning of English, including applied linguistics and writing formats with special emphasis on the training of teachers of English to non-native English speakers.
• Professional organizations in the U.S. and abroad that focus on professional development of educators.
• Experience with applications of technology to language teaching and learning.
• U.S. culture and customs, government, and economy.

Skill in:

• Superior oral and written communication skills: Candidate must demonstrate a strong command of the English language to include grammar, spelling and punctuation. Foreign Service personnel must consistently meet a high standard for English, both written (overall structure as well as grammar, spelling and punctuation) and spoken (overall structure as well as delivery, clarity, and succinctness).
• Developing strategic plans and then designing and evaluating those training programs and language programs for educators and learners to include experiential learning activities and engaging interactions.
• Building relationships with government officials, embassy personnel, university administrators and faculty, educators, and learners.
• Creative and critical thinking, including problem solving, strategic planning, and leading individually and with a team.

Ability to:

• Assess needs of English teachers and learners at both a national and local level and design appropriate programming to meet those needs.
• Lead and manage people and programs, preferably in a multi-cultural setting.
• Prioritize among competing demands simultaneously, manage multiple projects, deal with short timelines, and adapt to changing priorities.
• Work with virtual programming, technologies, and social media.
• Work with others of diverse backgrounds and to manage laterally and upward in varying work environments.
• Work effectively with embassy and professional colleagues from host country institutions to design, implement, evaluate, and promote English language programs in a cross-cultural environment.
• Supervise and effectively manage the activities of subordinates involved in English language programming and related public diplomacy activities.

Conduct extensive travel, including long international flights, as well as regular travel in overseas areas of varying climates and conditions while continuing with the daily responsibilities of a Regional English Language Officer.

Education

At the time of application, candidate must possess a master’s degree or a doctorate degree from an accredited U.S. graduate program in one of the following fields or a master’s degree or doctorate degree in a closely related field with a TESOL or CELTA certification:

• Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
• Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL)
• Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL)
• Applied Linguistics
• Second Language Acquisition
• Teaching English as an International Language
• Bilingual Education
• Multilingual Education

Education from a program or institution within the United States must be accredited at the time of program completion by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation.

Foreign Education

Foreign education acquired outside of any state of the U.S., the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, or any territory or possession of the U.S. must be evaluated by a member organization of one of the two national associations of credential evaluation services (NACES or AICE) in order to be given credit towards qualification.

• The accredited interpretation must include the summary and the foreign education transcripts.
• Foreign education transcripts that have not been evaluated by a credential evaluation service will not be accepted and the candidacy will be terminated.

For further information on the evaluation of foreign education, please refer to the Office of Personnel Management, Foreign Education section, and the U.S. Department of Education. The U.S. Department of State neither endorses nor recommends any individual evaluation service.

OPM: www.opm.gov

U.S. Department of Education: http://www.ed.gov

Please refer to the Required Documents Section on how to submit the required educational documentation for this position.

Additional information

• EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION PROGRAM (E-Verify) – Verification of employment eligibility in the United States is required.

U.S. law requires organizations to employ only individuals who may legally work in the United States – either U.S. citizens, or foreign citizens who have the necessary authorization. This agency utilizes E-Verify to compare information from the Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration (SSA) records to confirm employment eligibility. If the employee’s information does not match DHS and/or SSA records, the employee is given an opportunity to resolve the problem. If eligibility cannot be verified, employment will be terminated.

• The Department of State Suitability Review Panel and standards are defined in Chapter 3 of the Foreign Affairs Manual. For more information please visit: https://fam.state.gov/.
• For more information about Veteran’s Preference and how it is applied in the selection process, please visit: https://careers.state.gov/faq-items/are-veterans-given-hiring-preference/.

No candidate will be considered who has previously been separated from the Foreign Service under sections §607, §608, §610 or §611 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980, as amended, or who resigned or retired in lieu of separation under these provisions. In addition, no candidate will be considered who has previously been separated for failure to receive a career appointment under section §306 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980, as amended, or who resigned or retired in lieu thereof.

A Foreign Service Specialist separated for failure to receive a career appointment under section 306 may not re-apply to be a Foreign Service Specialist in the same skill code but may apply for another skill code or to be a Foreign Service Generalist.

Executive Branch agencies are barred by 5 US Code 3303 as amended from accepting or considering prohibited political recommendations and are required to return any prohibited political recommendations to sender. In addition, as mandated by 5 US Code 3110, relatives of federal employees cannot be granted preference in competing for these employment opportunities.

It is the policy of the Federal Government to treat all employees with dignity and respect and to provide a workplace that is free from discrimination whether discrimination is based on race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity or pregnancy), national origin, disability, political affiliation, marital status, membership in an employee organization, age, sexual orientation, or other non-merit factors.

The U.S. Department of State provides reasonable accommodation to candidates with disabilities. Procedures vary by test type, and all candidates must request reasonable accommodations in advance. For more information visit Requesting Reasonable Accommodations – Careers (state.gov). Decisions for granting reasonable accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis.

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• Benefits
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• Benefits include health and medical coverage, federal retirement benefits, and paid leave. Overseas benefits include tax-free housing and tax-free education allowance for dependent children between K-12 overseas, and an unrivaled opportunity to see the world and experience different cultures.
• The salary range listed is extracted from the Foreign Service Overseas and Washington pay scales. The starting step is determined in part by the highest education level achieved and specialized experience beyond minimum qualifications. Individuals already working in government positions may be appointed based on their highest previous rate as a federal employee. For information on salary, please visit https://careers.state.gov/benefits/benefits/.
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How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Candidates will be evaluated on their total background including experience, education, awards, training, and self-development as it relates to the position. Selection for this position will be made only from among candidates possessing the best qualifications. Part-time work experience will be prorated.

The Department of State prohibits candidates from plagiarizing any portion of their employment application materials to include responses to questions in which candidates must provide a narrative response. Candidates must create their own responses originally and not copy or adapt them from other sources. The Department analyzes candidate submissions for plagiarism and will discontinue any individual’s candidacy if found to have violated this plagiarism policy.

While the Department of State encourages candidates to create their narratives with great care, including correct use of grammar and style, candidates are prohibited from using any artificial intelligence (AI) tool, to include but not limited to ChatGPT, to aid in their written responses. The Department will discontinue any individual’s candidacy if found to have violated this prohibition on use of AI tools in the application process.

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How to Apply

Submit your application early, not waiting for the deadline, as application packages must be complete, submitted, and received by the closing date to be considered. There are no exceptions.

The application submission deadline is 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date of this announcement.

It is the candidate’s responsibility complete and submit the application and all required documents before the closing deadline. There are no exceptions.

1. From this Vacancy Announcement, click on “Apply.” Go to the USAJobs Login screen and log in to your USAJobs account or follow the link and instructions to create an account.

2. Follow the USAJobs Application Process and provide your required USAJobs federal online resume. 

3. USAJobs will transfer you to the U.S. State Department agency online application site, Monster Government Service (MGS). Follow the instructions to answer the online questions. The Accomplishments Questionnaire and Statement of Interest responses must be completed in the online application. You may save your work and can return to the application from USAJobs at any time prior to the deadline.

4. Submit required documentation using one of the three methods the application system allows:

a. Transfer documents from a USAJOBS portfolio;

b. Upload documents from your computer; or,

c. Resubmit documents from a previous application. 

5. After attaching all required supporting documentation, answering all required application questions, and completing the application steps, review the entire application packet, including the submitted documents.

6. Confirm and submit your application package, which will be used to evaluate your qualifications for this position.

Candidates experiencing technical difficulties with the application must contact the Monster Help Desk by calling 1-866-656-6830 or by emailing mgshelp@monster.com. The Monster Help Desk is available Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

For more information on the Foreign Service Specialist hiring processes, please visit our FAQs at http://careers.state.gov/faqs. 

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Agency contact information

GTM/TAC/BEX GTM/TAC/BEX

Phone

202-203-5173

Fax

000-000-0000

Email

RELOVacancyInfo@state.gov

Address

U.S. Department of State

2401 E. Street NW

Washington, District of Columbia 20522

United States

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Next steps

After the close of the announcement, the application status in USAJobs will say “Reviewing Applications.” This status on USAJobs will not be updated further. You can click on “Track this application” for more information.

Candidates should use a personal email address to which they will have regular, long-term access throughout the hiring process. Candidates who are current U.S. government employees may not use their U.S. government email addresses for the Foreign Service application, testing, and assessment process.

Candidates will be notified by e-mail from the U.S. Department of State about the outcome of the initial application review and if they will be further considered for this Foreign Service position. Candidates should add the U.S. Department of State domain (@state.gov) as an approved sender.

Due to the high volume of applications, we ask all candidate to remain patient and await communication. It is not uncommon for several months to pass before candidates are informed of the application results.

The Department of State will invite candidates who pass the qualifications review process to participate in the Virtual Foreign Service Specialist Assessment (VFSSA). For more information, please visit our FAQs at http://careers.state.gov/faqs.

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