DOS Communications Specialist

DOS- Communications Specialist 

 

Location: Washington, DC 

Work Arrangement: Onsite 

Type: Full-Time  

Clearance: Active Top-Secret/SCI 

Travel: None 

Status: Contingent Upon Award 

 

 

Company Overview:   

Since 2017, Kymber Consulting Group has been blazing a trail through the consulting landscape, providing solutions across healthcare, defense, and civilian sectors. We're trusted advisors for high-visibility, high-impact engagements, rapidly becoming a valued partner within both government agencies and large established firms in the space. Kymber employs a collaborative team approach to deliver high value, tailored, and innovative solutions. Our engagement teams are built to meet each client’s unique needs. Our employees currently support a variety of Defense and Civilian agencies.  

 

Job Summary:   

We are seeking a highly motivated and effective communicator to serve as the Communications Specialist in support of our Department of State (DOS) Professional and Administrative Support Services engagement. The Communications Specialist will provide support services as a member of the Congressional Correspondence Unit (H/CCU), and act as an action officer in the development & implementation of the Office’s core functions.  The Congressional Correspondence unit (CCU) ensures that all written and telephonic communications between Congressional offices and DOS are responsive and are handled in an expeditious and professional manner. 

 

Responsibilities and Duties: 

• Assist with correspondence control duties for the organization under the general guidance/supervision of the Chief Correspondence Officer to include collecting, reviewing, and correlating correspondence, reports, and related materials before transmittal to the Assistant Secretary for signature.   

• Provide instruction and ensure proper assembly, inclusion of enclosures, backup material and appropriate clearances.   

• Assist with maintaining daily control register of all Congressional correspondence addressed to Department and facilitates routing and assignment of action offices to ensure responses are prepared in a timely manner under guidance/supervision of the Chief Correspondence Officer.  

• Determine dissemination and distribution pattern for Congressional communications. Administer a wide range of related functions and responsibilities related to the review and dispatch of Congressional correspondence while working with Correspondence Officers and Legislative Management Officers.   

• Act as a focal point in the Bureau under direct supervision of the Chief Correspondence Officer for responding to Congressional telephone and written inquiries. Provide substantive support, information, and guidance to Members and their staff with prior clearance/ongoing review undertaken by the Chief Correspondence Officer, on the Department’s position on a variety of significant foreign policy issues.   

• Assist with representing the Department in responding to a large volume of Congressional inquiries with clearances/reviews provided first by the Chief Correspondence Officer prior to dissemination.    

• Assist with providing support on a wide range of written and telephonic communications and informational services with clearances/reviews provided by Chief Correspondence Officer prior to dissemination. Compile congressional correspondence documents and task/assign them to appropriate bureaus.   

•  Assist with reviewing the Department’s position on issues and research relevant matters for the Chief Correspondence Officer’s review, on the DOS Website, employing knowledge of current foreign affairs events and projects and discussing the issues raised with representatives in other Bureaus    

• Assists and support the Chief Correspondence Officer by participating, coordinating actively, and maintaining liaison with Congressional offices, Department officers and officials of other government agencies in providing appropriate information to Congress as requested in telephone or written inquiries.   

• Assists with preparing information for Briefs and advises Supervisory Correspondence Officer and Legislative Management Officers of urgent inquiries that may have a direct impact on foreign policy legislative matters under consideration in the Congress.   

• Assists and supports the Department in responding to large volumes of telephone and written inquiries from Congress concerning such issues as visa and passport concerns, other constituent services, travel advisories, tours of the Department, attendance at United Nations’ seminars, issues of U.S. citizens abroad and related matters that are under the purview of DOS.   

• Assist with the following for the Chief Correspondence Officer’s final review and authorization: revising reporting procedures for handling Congressional inquiries; Prepare analysis of Congressional and public interests on foreign policy issues as discerned from telephone inquiries.   

• Perform related duties for the Unit as follows: scheduling special briefings by Department Principals for Members of Congress, drafting Assistant Secretary’s Foreign Affairs Memoranda for use by Members in replying to constituents on foreign policy issues and maintaining biographies on Members of Congress all under direct oversight by the Chief Correspondence Officer. 

Administration  

• Coordinate in the development of the Congressional Hearings Library as a primary stakeholder to include working with the L-H/EX Information Technology Specialists and the application developers, to devise operating procedures for the administration, maintenance and use of the new system.  

• Assists in determining the most appropriate methodology for and develops and maintains document flow system to prioritize; analyze and monitor the workflow of tasked bureaus to ensure timely responses to congressional inquiries from members and staff, either through manual or automatic means.  

• Under direct oversight by the Chief Correspondence Officer, receive, document, and process Questions for the Record (QFRs).  

• Communicate between Members of Congress and the Department regarding hearings and Questions for the Record on matters related to Congressional hearings for which the Department testifies.  

• Process questions resulting from DOS witness testimony, including tasking QFRs to bureaus and the subsequent internal clearance process within H.   

Qualifications and Skills: 

• Minimum education: High School diploma or equivalent 

• Three (3) years government experience as a correspondence clerk, administrative support specialist, or commiserate experience is required.    

• One (1) year of State Department experience is preferred. 

Benefits and Perks: 

• Medical, Vision, and Dental Plans 

• Paid Holiday and Personal Time Off  

• 401K plan 

• Short-term disability, Accidental Death, and Life Insurance 

• Education and Training Assistance Program 

• Incentive Plans and Referral Bonuses 

• Employee Assistance Programs 

Kymber Consulting Group, LLC is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law