What can I do with a B.A. in Japanese Studies?

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Company: Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) USA Office
Location: Washington, DC
Education: BA, MA
Deadline: Aug. 11, 2014

Program Officer for JICA USA Office

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) USA Office based in DC is seeking an individual who is self-motivated, flexible and a team player for the position of program officer.

JICA is the Japanese government’s bilateral aid agency, whose mission is to promote international cooperation and inclusive development. The JICA USA Office functions as a liaison, information gathering and outreach arm for our agency to engage with the international development community.

Primary Responsibility and Main Duties

The program officer at JICA USA will be expected to support the office in all of its functions with regards to development partners such as the US Government (USAID, MCC, the State Department, etc), international and bilateral donor organizations, NGOs, and think tanks, etc. S/he will also cover development issues such as Global Health, Education, and Gender, etc. The program officer will report to and work at the discretion of the Chief Representative, along with other supervisors on a day-to-day basis.

The duties will include, but are not limited to:

• Gathering information from a variety of sources (web, seminars, interviews, congressional hearings) on development and foreign policy topics of interest to JICA;
• Tracking policy developments, initiatives or organizational developments of partner institutions;
• Support public relations of JICA, draft Newsletters, tweet and explore new partnerships for JICA’s public outreach;
• Support outreach activities of JICA by writing, editing, proofreading speeches, presentations, reports, etc.;
• Compile and report information in a timely manner to brief JICA colleagues. (Reporting takes the form of a newswire, e-newsletter, quarterly reports and briefs.); and
• Provide liaison between JICA USA and partner institutions to facilitate cooperation and collaboration.

Competencies/Abilities

• Fluency in spoken and written English;
• The ability to write high quality documents to meet tight deadlines (both for reporting and outreach purposes);
  Strong interpersonal skills demonstrating cultural sensitivity and ability to develop and establish relationships with colleagues, supervisors and counterparts;
  The ability to travel domestically and internationally;
• Proficiency with MS software applications; and
• Interest in outreach activities, as well as development and international affairs related issues.

Qualifications and Requirements

To meet either of the two requirements below:
(a) Bachelor’s degree (in any field) with working experience in international development. Experience in public relations and/or speech writing would be an asset.

(b) Master’s degree with an emphasis on international development. Working experience in (i) international development, or (ii) public relations and/or speech writing would be an asset.

Entitlement to work in the US required (work permit, etc)

Interested candidates should submit the following documents “Application for PO” via email to us_oso_rep@jica.go.jp by August 11, 2014, 12:00 pm EST (noon). No phone calls.