American Embassy Ghana Jobs

The United States has enjoyed good relations with Ghana at a nonofficial, personal level since Ghana’s independence. Thousands of Ghanaians have been educated in the United States. Close relations are maintained between educational and scientific institutions, and cultural links, particularly between Ghanaians and African-Americans, are strong.

Through the U.S. International Visitor Program, Ghanaian parliamentarians and other government officials have become acquainted with U.S. congressional and state legislative practices and have participated in programs designed to address other issues of interest. The U.S. and Ghanaian militaries have cooperated in numerous joint training exercises, culminating with Ghanaian participation in the African Crisis Response Initiative, an international activity in which the U.S. facilitates the development of an interoperable peacekeeping capacity among African nations. U.S.-Ghanaian military cooperation continues under the new African Contingency Operations Training and Assistance program; Ghana was one of the first militaries to receive ACOTA training in early 2003. In addition, there is an active bilateral International Military Education and Training program. Additionally, Ghana is the site of a U.S.-European Command-funded Exercise Reception Facility that was established to facilitate troop deployments for exercises or crisis response within the region. The facility is a direct result of Ghana’s partnership with the United States on a Fuel Hub Initiative. Ghana is one of few African nations selected for the State Partnership Program, which will promote greater economic ties with U.S. institutions, including the National Guard.

Job Description

Job Title: Visa Assistant

The U.S. Mission in Accra, Ghana is seeking eligible and qualified applicants for the position of Visa Assistant in the Consular Section of the Embassy.

BASIC FUNCTION OF POSITION

•   Perform clerical work pertaining to visa processing and perform other consular duties, such as crisis response, as required.
•   Be equally operationally effective with all types of visa processing, including Non-Immigrant Visas (NIV), Immigrant Visas (IV), and Diversity Visas (DV).

Qualification Required & Experience

Applicants must address each required qualification listed below with specific and comprehensive information supporting each item. Failure to do so may result in a determination that the applicant is not qualified.

•   EDUCATION: At least two years of post-secondary study is required.
•   EXPERIENCE: Three years of progressively responsible experience in a position of trust (i.e.,handling money or sensitive materials) involving application of regulations to individual cases is required. Prior work experience involving direct contact with customers is required.
•   LANGUAGE: Level IV (fluency) in written, spoken and reading English is required. Must be a native speaker of a Ghanaian language, and a competent speaker of at least one other Ghanaian language. Language proficiency will be tested.
•   SKILLS AND ABILITIES: Able to type 25 wpm. Typing Skills will be tested.

SELECTION PROCESS:

When qualified, applicants who are U.S. Citizen Eligible Family Members (USEFMs) and/or preference-eligible U.S. Veterans are given a preference in hiring. Therefore, it is essential that these applicants make themselves known as having a hiring preference and specifically address the required qualifications above in their application.

HIRING PREFERENCE ORDER:

(1) USEFM who is ALSO a preference-eligible U.S. Veteran
(2) USEFM OR a preference-eligible U.S. Veteran
(3) FS on LWOP

ADDITIONAL SELECTION CRITERIA:

1. Management may consider the following when determining successful candidacy: nepotism, conflicts of interest, budget, and residency status.
2. Current OR employees serving a probationary period are not eligible to apply. Current OR employees with an Overall Summary Rating of Needs Improvement or Unsatisfactory on their most recent Employee Performance Report (EPR) are not eligible to apply.
3. Current NOR employees hired on a Family Member Appointment (FMA) or a Personal Service Agreement (PSA) are not eligible to apply within the first 90 calendar days of their employment, unless they have a When Actually Employed (WAE) work schedule.
4. The candidate must be able to obtain and hold a security clearance.
5. Candidates who are EFMs, USEFMs, AEFMs, or MOHs must have at least one year remaining on their sponsor’s tour of duty to be considered eligible to apply for this position.

Salary: GH¢31,701 p.a. (Starting salary)

Location: Accra

How To Apply For The Job

Applicants must submit the following documents to be considered:

1. Universal Application for Employment (UAE) (Form DS-174), which is available on our website or by contacting Human Resources. (See “For Further Information” above); and
2. Any additional documentation that supports or addresses the requirements listed above (e.g. transcripts, certificates, degrees, etc.)

WHERE TO APPLY:

Human Resources Office U.S. Embassy Mailing Address:

Human Resources Office
Through the Mailroom Chancery
American Embassy, Accra
P. O. Box 194, Accra

FAX Number: 0302-741389
Telephone: 0302-741000
E-mail Address: [email protected]

Closing Date: 17 November, 2016

NOTE: ALL U.S. AND NON-GHANAIAN CITIZENS, WHO ARE NOT FAMILY MEMBERS OF USG EMPLOYEES OFFICIALLY ASSIGNED TO POST AND UNDER CHIEF OF MISSION AUTHORITY, MUST ATTACH COPIES OF THE REQUIRED WORK AND/OR RESIDENCY PERMITS TO THEIR APPLICATIONS TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR CONSIDERATION. NO RELOCATION EXPENSES ARE PROVIDED TO THE JOB LOCATION: ACCRA, GHANA. IF TRANSPORTATION TO ACCRA IS REQUIRED, IT WILL BE THE EMPLOYEE’S RESPONSIBILITY.

IMPORTANT: Applicants claiming a U.S. Veteran’s preference must submit written documentation confirming eligibility (e.g., Member Copy 4 of Form DD-214, Letter from the Veteran’s Administration, or certification documenting eligibility under the VOW Act with an expected discharge no later than 120 days after the certification is submitted) by the closing date of the vacancy announcement. If the written documentation confirming eligibility is not received in the HR office by the closing date of the vacancy announcement, the U.S. Veteran’s preference will not be considered in the application process. Specific criteria for receiving a U.S. Veteran’s preference may be found in HR/OE’s Family Member Employment Policy (FMEP).

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY:

The U.S. Mission provides equal opportunity and fair and equitable treatment in employment to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status, or sexual orientation. The Department of State also strives to achieve equal employment opportunity in all personnel operations through continuing diversity enhancement programs. The EEO complaint procedure is not available to individuals who believe they have been denied equal opportunity based upon marital status or political affiliation.

Individuals with such complaints should avail themselves of the appropriate grievance procedures, remedies for prohibited personnel practices, and/or courts for relief.