View Vacancy - Public Affairs Officer

The British Consulate General is seeking an energetic, efficient and innovative Public Affairs Officer to join its West Coast Politics, Press & Public Affairs (PPPA) team. Based in San Francisco, the Public Affairs Officer will work alongside the Head of PPPA to communicate with the media and the public in order to explain and champion British policies to the US audience through media relations, digital outreach, and strategic communications campaigns. The jobholder will also cover some government relations duties, building relationships with decision-makers and opinion-formers around the region on behalf of the UK in order to support political and economic reporting to the British Embassy.

The British Consulate General in San Francisco represents the UK government in Northern California, Oregon, Washington State, Alaska, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead on developing and implementing projects for the promotion of key public diplomacy messages around the UK Government’s prosperity agenda, including that the UK has a strong economy and innovation market.
• Carry out the digital media strategy for the Consulate, working in concert with the Head of PPPA San Francisco and Embassy colleagues.
• Build and maintain relationships with key economic and political stakeholders within certain states in our coverage area; prepare concise background summaries in political and economic developments from those areas.
• Draft, coordinate and plan events and briefing materials for the Consul General, and official VIP visits throughout San Francisco’s consular region that support UK policy objectives.
• Proactively build relationships with key media—print, radio/TV, digital—and manage press interviews and briefings with the Consul General and Embassy colleagues.
• Ensure the Consul General, San Francisco-based staff and Embassy colleagues have a good sense of news and major events without our states by providing verbal and written updates throughout the day.
• Draft speeches for the Consul General, as needed.
• Manage the annual Marshall Scholarship selection process and outreach to Marshall alumni.
• Demonstrate strategic skills, confidence, and ability to interact face-to-face and remotely with senior staff and officials, consistently demonstrating understanding of what the UK Government trying to achieve and promote.
• Anticipate and make recommendations on matters relating to your projects and initiatives.
• Display good judgment and sound decision-making.
• Effectively coordinate, and work in tandem, with other UK Government teams and departments, as needed.

• 3-5 years experience in communications, preferably with a governmental or international organisation or working in journalism.
• Interest and knowledge of politics and foreign affairs, in particular US-UK relations.
• Excellent team-working and interpersonal skills, including experience of working with senior level executives.
• Media handling skills including building relationships with journalists, and experience in arranging interviews and press briefings.
• A demonstrated ability to handle multiple projects and to deliver results.
• Self-motivated and able to work independently.
• An enthusiastic and creative mindset.
• Must be proactive and flexible, and a team player able to work in a fluid environment with changing priorities.
• Excellent writing and oral communication skills.
• Experience of using digital media tools in professional outreach.

Under US State Department requirements, the Embassy Network may only employ, as non-diplomatic staff, persons who are US citizens, US Green Card holders or A or NATO visa holders with EAD cards*. If you hold a visa other than an A or NATO visa you are not currently eligible to work at the Embassy.  Please refer to our website for information on exceptions to this policy at www.gov.uk/government/world/usa.  All candidates will be subject to background checks and security clearance. 

*A visas or NATO visas with EAD cards are acceptable at the Embassy, Consulates, and British Defence Staff (BDS) outposts.  The UK Mission to the UN (UKMIS) accepts G visas.