Protocol Officer – P01

OAS; Washington, Northern (District of Columbia, KY); Hybrid; USD 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

Paid Annual Leave (21–30 days)

Pension and Savings Plans

Repatriation grant

Job summary

OAS seeks a Protocol and Events Specialist to provide professional-level support on diplomatic protocol, ceremonial procedures, and official participation. You will plan and execute ceremonies, liaise with permanent missions, and coordinate critical event logistics for high-level meetings at the Main Building and General Assembly.

The role requires a first university degree and relevant experience, strong MS Office skills, and fluency in two official languages. Comprehensive benefits apply.

Qualifications

• Essential: Bachelor’s degree and 1 year of relevant experience, including internship(s).
• Desirable: Knowledge of OAS mandates and priorities related to the area of work.

Responsibilities

• Provide professional-level support on diplomatic protocol and ceremonial procedures for official events.
• Assist in planning and execution of official ceremonies, credentials, sessions, and high-level visits.
• Coordinate with Missions on protocol matters, including precedence and representational elements.
• Assist in coordinating events at the Main Building and General Assembly, preparing invitations, seating charts, programs and timelines.
• Draft correspondence and review English/Spanish documents for accuracy and protocol correctness.

Skills

Diplomatic protocol

Event coordination

Administrative support

Office software proficiency

Education

Bachelor’s degree in political science or related field

Tools

Microsoft Office

Oracle

Visio

Access

SharePoint

Job description

In accordance with paragraph f. of Article 44 of the General Standards, the official languages of the Organization are English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish. No candidate for a position in the General Secretariat subject to the competition requirement shall be contracted until he/she has been administered language proficiency exams by the DHR in at least two of the official languages. Nevertheless: (i)Any candidate, including a staff member, whose native language is one of those four languages shall only be required to demonstrate proficiency on an exam in one of the others; and (ii)Persons applying for G-1 and G-2 positions at Headquarters and G-3 driver/clerk positions in those Offices of the General Secretariat in the Member States where the language requirement unduly restricts the recruitment of otherwise qualified staff shall be exempt from this language proficiency requirement for as long as they occupy those positions. Subsequently, in order to be eligible to compete for a higher-level position, any staff member who has benefited from this exemption must demonstrate proficiency in a second official language of the Organization; and (iii) A person selected as the best candidate may receive a fixed-term contract, which will be considered to have lapsed in case the person does not pass the required language examination in a second official language within the 36 months following the appointment. (iv) During all steps of the recruitment and selection process, a candidate for a position in the General Secretariat shall demonstrate proficiency in at least one official language of the Organization. (v) During all steps of the recruitment and selection process, the application of language requirements shall be guided by the principles of merit, equitable geographic representation, proportionality, and non-discrimination. The lack of proficiency in a second language should not be grounds for elimination during the recruitment and selection process. (vi) Persons applying for positions in the Offices of the General Secretariat in the Member States shall demonstrate proficiency in the official language(s) of the Member State. (vii) When the native language of the candidate is not one of the four official languages of the Organization, the candidate shall be required to sit a proficiency examination administered by the DHR in at least two of the official languages.

The salary for this position corresponds to Grade P01, Step 1, in accordance with Staff Rule 103.3 Initial Salary:

• (a) A staff member on initial appointment shall be placed in the first step of the grade of post, without exemption.
• (b) This rule does not apply to a staff member who is already employed by the General Secretariat and is selected, promoted, demoted, reassigned, or otherwise transferred to a different post. In such cases, salary shall be determined in accordance with the applicable provisions of these Staff Rules.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Diplomatic Protocol and Ceremonial Functions

• Provide OAS leadership professional-level support and advise on diplomatic protocol, ceremonial procedures, and official participation in accordance with established guidelines.
• Assist in the planning and execution of official ceremonies and high-level events, including but not limited to, presentations of credentials, signing of agreements, special sessions of the Permanent Council, the General Assembly, and visits by Heads of State, Ministers, and senior officials.
• Liaise with Permanent and Observer Missions on protocol-related matters, including precedence, seating arrangements, representational elements, and official courtesies, under guidance.

2. Coordination of Official Events, the General Assembly, and High-Level Meetings

• Support coordination efforts for official OAS events, major meetings held at the Main Building (MNB), the General Secretariat building (GSB) and the General Assembly in accordance with established protocol standards, always mindful of consistent application of protocol standards across Member States.
• Assist in preparing event materials, including draft invitations, seating charts, programs, scenarios, and timelines for review, ensuring compliance with institutional representation and protocol requirements.
• Partake in walkthroughs and technical coordination meetings, liaise, and request services, under guidance, from internal departments such as Security, General Services, Conferences, and Press and Communications.
• Support protocol arrangements for ministerial- and senior-level participation in official meetings and events.
• Communicate with Permanent and Observer Missions on protocol-related matters, with accuracy, timeliness, and in an appropriate diplomatic tone.
• Review request letters and supporting documentation submitted by Permanent Missions for events to be held at the MNB, verifying completeness and accuracy prior to supervisor’s review and approval.

3. Administration of Main Building Protocol Functions

• Assist in curating and maintaining the MNB events calendar and monitoring scheduling to help prevent conflicts.
• Support the review of requests for use of the Main Building by sponsored entities, ensuring required documentation (including insurance coverage) is complete prior to submission for approval by the Chief of Protocol.
• Assist in compiling and verifying summary reports related to events and or building-use revenues, coordinating with the Departments of Financial Services, General Services, and Procurement.
• Endeavor to ensure event organizers adhere to institutional guidelines and that operational coordination is duly disseminated.

4. Diplomatic Correspondence and Documentation

• Draft correspondence for high-level delegations and government officials for supervisor’s review and approval, and review routine verbal notes, official letters, briefing notes, announcements, and ceremonial documents, under supervision.
• Review/translate English- and Spanish-language documents for accuracy, clarity, and protocol correctness.
• Assist in coordinating internal clearances to ensure quality and approval of correspondence before dissemination to relevant internal and external stakeholders.

5. Office Coordination and Stakeholder Service

• Furnish guidance and day-to-day coordination to interns or temporary personnel assigned to protocol-related tasks, as appropriate.
• Address protocol-related inquiries from internal and external stakeholders to ensure timely response and/or resolution.
• Maintain and update protocol representational materials, including diplomatic directories, forms of address, titles, ceremonial guidelines, and official event records.
• Process Escort Officer requests for the Secretary General with the United States Department of State for official travel.
• Process requests for United Nations VIP passes for the General Assembly and other meetings, including completing accreditation forms and conducting follow-up by email or telephone.
• Partake in official OAS functions by assisting with protocol arrangements, including escorting and seating ambassadors and other dignitaries, as required.
• Execute other related duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

Essential: First University Degree (Bachelor’s) in political science, foreign affairs or international relations, the social sciences, law, public administration, business management or a related field and one year of relevant experience including internship(s) in similar positions at national and/or international level.

Desirable: Experience or knowledge of the OAS mandates and priorities as related to the area of work and/or the dynamics of the Inter-American agenda and system.

COMPUTER SKILLS:

Ability to effectively work using Microsoft Office (e.g. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and other applications such as Oracle, Visio, Access, Share Point) and software applicable to the area of work.

LANGUAGES:

Essential: Proficient in at least two of the following languages: English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish (read, write and communicate). The selected candidate must satisfy the applicable language-proficiency examination requirements under Article 44(f) of the General Standards, including passing the required DHR-administered examination in a second official language within the applicable timeframe. The lack of proficiency in a second language should not be grounds for elimination during the recruitment and selection process.

Desirable: Working knowledge of other two OAS official languages.

Personal Competencies:

Client Orientation, Knowledge Sharing, Teamwork, Interpersonal Skills. Ability to clearly communicate in the languages required for the post.

The GS/OAS embraces equality, diversity and inclusion. Accordingly, in accordance with its rules and regulations, the GS/OAS is committed to providing equal employment opportunities and achieving a diverse staff. In selecting candidates, it will take into account equitable geographic representation, as well as gender equity and equality.

Please note that the mandatory retirement age for staff members at the General Secretariat of the OAS is 65 years.

Benefits:

• Compensation:
  Professional Category: Remuneration = Basic Salary + Post Adjustment
  Net of taxes for non-US citizens
• US citizens tax reimbursement: US Citizens are reimbursed for most taxes paid on OAS remuneration.
• Paid Annual Leave: 21 days from 1st year. Increase to 30 days within 5 years.
• Sick Leave and Parental Leave.
• Health Insurance: OAS pays 2/3 of premium.
• Pension and Savings Plans: In addition to salary, OAS contributes 14% of pensionable remuneration to a Retirement and Pension Plan. Staff contribute 7%.
• Additional benefits (dependent on contract type): Mobilization allowance, repatriation grant, home leave travel, dependency allowance, life insurance