Deputy Course Chair/Coordinator (ECON)

Background:

Kent, Campa and Kate Incorporated (KCK) is a federal contracting company that provides professional services to Government Agencies. We are currently seeking candidates for a Deputy Course Chair/Course Coordinator (ECON) position in Arlington, VA supporting the National Foreign Affairs Training Center (NFATC), formerly known as Foreign Service Institute (FSI). 

Position Summary:

The candidate will be located in the Economic and Commercial Studies (ECON) Division at the National Foreign Affairs Training Center (NFATC). As the primary training provider for the Department of State and the U.S. Government (USG) foreign affairs community, NFATC prepares USG foreign affairs professionals, including locally employed staff (LE Staff) to conduct U.S. diplomacy. NFATC’s ECON Division builds the human capital that drives State's economic, energy, and environmental functions by preparing the Department’s staff to support U.S. foreign, economic, and commercial policies abroad and domestically.

The ECON Course Coordinator position will be the primary point of contact for the courses under the coordinator’s purview or other projects tasked. The ECON Course Coordinator position is interdisciplinary and requires the application of expert-level professional knowledge in one or more fields in economic dimensions of foreign policy, such as expertise in energy, critical minerals, or commercial and trade advocacy. Under the guidance of SPAS/ECON leadership, the incumbent serves as a coordinator and instructor of economic and commercial training courses and programs. The incumbent ensures that the training and guidance for assigned courses meet the needs of Department of State foreign affairs professionals and the larger foreign affairs community.

Primary responsibilities in these programs include curricular innovation; designing curriculum based on needs assessment results, coordinating delivery of several courses; collaborating with subject matter experts on the curriculum of assigned courses; counseling course participants; advising other staff at NFATC on course and training development; and evaluating training results. The incumbent carries a heavy coordinating and administrative load and must keep informed of developments in the relevant fields so that the latest policies are made available to participants and to officials in the Department of State on a consultative basis.

Under the guidance of the Division Director and Deputy Director, the incumbent, as a course coordinator, will potentially develop more comprehensive training on the energy sector and critical minerals, including in-person courses, distance learning courses, and other training options to ensure that training material addresses the need to prepare the Department’s workforce on this and other economic policy priorities. They will work with Economic, Energy, and Environment bureaus and offices to incorporate up-to-date policy priorities into the courses. They will also collaborate with other offices at NFATC to ensure the courses address both practical and policy aspects.  The incumbent's duties will include all aspects of course design, development, execution, and evaluation.  The incumbent is responsible for course administrative duties, including budget planning, classroom logistics, evaluations, working with contractors, and soliciting outside experts as guest speakers.  Other duties may be assigned as needed to support the division’s mission.  This position requires strong interpersonal, communication, and managerial skills combined with a desire to teach and to mentor.

The primary duties of the ECON Course Coordinator fall within three categories:

• Facilitate or provide instruction and briefings to participants and other stakeholders inside the Department and the Interagency community.
• Conduct needs assessment(s) for potential additional training options related to economic issues.
• Coordinate any resources that aid in the facilitation of courses in the portfolio. These may include internal and external stakeholders, other subject matter experts (SMEs), and/or contractors who aid with the production and delivery of the division’s courses.

Required Qualifications:

• This position requires advanced professional and expert-level knowledge of U.S. government foreign policy priorities in the economic and commercial realm; diplomatic tradecraft; and equal employment opportunity (EEO) policies.
• A master’s degree and 5 years of professional experience in a related field. May substitute relevant work experience for education requirement.
• Ability to obtain Secret clearance
• Strong understanding of policy development and implementation. Ability to follow policy developments in key focus areas.
• Knowledge of and the ability to carry out management and administrative functions as required in connection with the courses for which the position is responsible, including budget planning, logistics, use of evaluation data, working with contractors.
• Familiarity with and the ability to use computer and related education technologies.
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written, in order to carry out and/or facilitate the accomplishment of numerous functional responsibilities of the position.

• Demonstrated ability to facilitate classroom activities that support the training program.  Skills in adult education, ideally involving the subject matter for which the position is responsible.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and managerial skills combined with a desire to teach and to mentor.

Duties and Responsibilities (including, but not limited to): 

• Update, develop and expand course offerings on economic and commercial priorities.
• Conduct needs assessments and utilize evaluation data to design offerings in new policy areas.
• Coordinate curriculum for assigned courses with the appropriate subject matter experts.
• In conjunction with the relevant subject matter experts in the Department, identify speakers and pedagogical materials and resources for the program.
• Maintain expertise and visibility necessary to instruct the program participants and serve as ECON Division’s subject matter expert.
• Teach courses within areas of expertise.
• Continuously research to keep materials and course content updated and cutting edge.
• Continuously develop and maintain professional contacts who will be resources for the courses.
• Maintain and develop professional contacts with other government agencies and provide training and consultation to those agencies in accordance with NFATC policies.
• Develop and maintain course evaluation instruments according to NFATC policy.
• Utilize evaluation data.

Application Notes:

• Please provide a resume to include the duties and responsibilities performed for each previously held position.
• Please provide three (3) professional references on your resume.
• Applicant must currently be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis and be a U.S. citizen. 

Kent, Campa and Kate Incorporated (KCK) is an equal opportunity employer. KCK does not discriminate against employees and applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, gender identity, results of genetic testing, veteran status, or any other status protected by federal, state, and local law.