Housing and Logistic Assistant – Pre Service Training (PST)

Vacancy Announcement

Housing and Logistic Assistant – Pre Service Training (PST)
(Short-term Contract)

The United States Peace Corps is a non-political, non-religious organization that will bring Americans to Viet Nam to serve as Peace Corps Volunteers. Volunteers will co-teach English language classes with Vietnamese teachers in secondary schools. The Peace Corps is serving in Viet Nam at the invitation of the Government of Viet Nam and working closely with Ministry of Education and Training with a goal to improve the English language skills of teachers and students. Peace Corps Volunteers commit to two years of service, and will support and co-lead additional school related activities in accordance with the school leadership. A new cohort of Volunteers will arrive each year. The Peace Corps was founded by U.S. President John F. Kennedy in 1961 to promote world peace and friendship.

General information about the Peace Corps can be found on www.peacecorps.gov.

Position Title: Housing and Logistic Assistant (One (1) Opening/Position)

This is a short term contract and not a permanent position.

Opening Date: March 3, 2023

Submission Date for first review: March 24, 2022 (Open until filled)

Area of Consideration/Who may apply: All applicants must be a naturalized citizen or permanent resident of Vietnam who are legally able to work within the country.

Point of Contact: Peace Corps Human Resources - [email protected]

Duration of contract: September 24 - December 30, 2023

Market Value/Salary: 50 USD/day for an estimated 81 Days = 5,303 USD Total Estimate (including basic salary, overtime and Misc & UCWA allowances)

Period of Performance/ Length of Contract/ Work Schedule: Short-term contract (Monday through Saturday)

Place of Performance: Pre-Service Training Site

Security Level Required: IndependentName Check and Police Check

Background information of the position

The Housing and Logistics Assistant (HLA) is responsible for supporting all activities including housing and training events in Pre-Service Training (PST) sites. HLA will be required to follow a six-day work week, with additional preparation time and activities in the evening, and/or on weekends.During the PST, HLA will stay with Trainees for Vietnamese language and culture immersion opportunities and supporting their cross-cultural learning at training houses and adaption to Vietnamese community.

In collaboration with a responsible Homestay Coordinator, they will support the implementation of searching, visiting, selecting and improving independent houses, hotels, commercial homestays and other lodging options for PST. In collaboration with the responsible Training Manager (PST sites), they will provide ongoing support and feedback to both Trainers, Hosts and Trainees. The Housing and Logistics Assistant is supervised by Homestay Coordinator, and works closely with Training Manager (TM), Language and Cross-cultural Coordinator (LCC), and Language and Cultural Facilitators (LCFs), and other members of the PTE unit (Program, Training and Evaluation).

This is a short-term contracted position and requires working fulltime. The Housing and Logistics Assistant is required to live with PCTs (Peace Corps Trainees) in Hanoi or allocated PST sites for the duration of PST (up to 10 weeks), and will be required to travel as needed to support training events or other PC needs in other location. The Housing and Logistics Assistant may also be required to work outside of, or in addition to, normally scheduled hours to support training events and other Post needs. Training events are often six-day work weeks.

The Housing and Logistics Assistant must consistently use a range of support and communication skills including active listening, intercultural competence, interactive coaching, and timely and consistent follow through on requests for support and/or assistance and/or program adaptations. The Housing and Logistics Assistant should foster personal and professional growth in PCTs (Peace Corps Trainees), celebrate their accomplishments, promote best practices and consistently champion the efforts of PCTs and staff colleagues.

Qualifications

Required:

• High school diploma requirement
• Intermediate level in English, especially verbal skills
• At least one year of relevant work experience, such as hosting foreigners, arranging accommodation for foreingers, facilitating communication between foreigners and Vietnamese.
• Experience with intercultural exchange and/or experiential/field-based education

Prefered:

• Experience in the hospitality or tourism industries
• Experience in supporting event logistics
• Experience in living or working in rural areas in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh, Viet Nam
• Professional experience in multi-cultural environment with diverse groups of people.
• Experience in assisting and coordinating a team of staff and/or volunteers.

Duties and Responsibilities / Tasks and Deliverables

Preparation for HOUSING options for PST

• Work with Homestay Coordinator and other staff to propose appropriate lodging options, including travel costs, food, accommodation, and other expenses for PSTs.
• In coordination with Homestay Coordinator, Training Manager considering Peace Corps standard practice and local context, follow specific guidelines for the implementation of the housingprogram during PST.
• Work with local leaders and police to ensure the compliance with local procedures regarding foreigners as well as safety and security conditions for PCTs.
• Conduct visits to PST sites and organize meetings and trainings with staff or local people to introduce PCVN (Peace Corps Vietnam), PCTs and program policies and requirements.
• Support to maintain accurate and complete files on homestay/lodging options (contact information, survey, images) in order for Homestay Coordinator to update data in the internal system and additional spreadsheets, as necessary.
• In collaboration with the Training Manager, Homestay Coordinator, PCMO (Peace Corps Medical Officer), and SSM (Safety and Security Manager) support and fulfill the necessary health, safety and security requirements for PST sites.

Continual On-site Training Support during PST

• Act as a resource, informant, and liaison for all housing, transportation activities, matters, and issues during the PST.
• Facilitate effective communication between PCTs and other members at the training houses.
• Maintain regular contact with landlords/local leaders/police to handle relevant issues.
• Track trends or outstanding issues related to training houses and update Homestay Coordinator, Training Manager (TM) and Director of Program and Training (DPT) accordingly.
• Assist the TM and LCF (Language and Cross-Cultural Facilitators) in facilitating language learning groupings and in developing relevant intercultural competency learning activities.
• Assist TM with preparations for Pre-Service Training (PST) events.
• Help with research on and arrangements for venues, transportation, guest speakers, and other logistical coordination.
• Ensure technical and computer needs are set up at the training event.
• Assist in photocopying and preparation of training materials.
• Act as translator and interpreter for PST staff as needed.
• Perform other tasks when required.

Trainee Support and Assessment

The Housing and Logistics Assistant is a key support and contact person for PCTs in matters related to their lodging accommodations, transportation, cultural adjustment, language development, and community integration during Pre-service training. Support and assessment duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Respond to queries and issues raised by PCTs regarding their housingpromptly and sensitively. Escalate engagement as needed, including calls, texts, in-person personal meetings with affected parties, while maintaining appropriate levels of privacy.
• Assist PCTs in improving their social and cultural adaptation and self-sufficiency through the language tips/role plays, cultural insights, and direction to relevant and available resources.
• Help individual PCTs identify their individual learning and adjustment challenges related to community integration; provide support and guidance to help them meet those needs, as well as coaching regarding performance (in coordination with the TM).

Standard Roles and Responsibilities

The Housing and Logistic Assistant shall:

• Given that as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic there will be a lengthy period where there are likely to be limited or no Peace Corps Trainees and/or Volunteers (jointly referred to as “Volunteers”) at Peace Corps/[Vietnam], the PSC may be temporarily assigned during the COVID-19 pandemic, as determined by the Peace Corps Director, to carry out additional duties and responsibilities in furtherance of the goals of the Peace Corps in order to enhance the ability of Peace Corps Volunteers to perform functions under the Peace Corps Act, including facilitating a safe environment in order for the successful return of Volunteers.
• This temporary assignment may require the PSC to provide services and/or support beyond what is listed in their current Statement of Work (SOW). The services and/or support may take many forms, examples of which may include but are not limited to, training, providing administrative, technical, medical, and/or operational assistance, building on host country programs, etc. This temporary assignment also may require the PSC to provide these services and/or support to individuals/organizations other than those listed in their current SOW such as host country government, partner organization(s), community member(s), staff, and/or contractors
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Safety & Security:

All members of the Peace Corps team must be familiar with the Emergency Action Plan, their responsibilities in the event of an emergency, and with the procedures for reporting and responding to safety and security incidents.

The duties and responsibilities, particularly as they concern Volunteers and Trainees, include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Evaluates Training houses and housing options to ensure conformity to established standards for safety and security of Trainees.
• Ensures the Training house host, landlords and local officials are willing and able to provide appropriate support to Trainees.
• Immediately communicates Volunteer safety and security concerns and issues to the Safety and Security Manager (SSM) and Training Manager.
• Knowledgeable and supportive of Peace Corps safety and security policies and procedures, including the timely reporting of suspicious incidents, persons or articles.
• Acts as Duty Officer as assigned: A Duty Officer is “on call” 24/7 for a one-week period, is restricted from travel during that period, and must be available through the Duty Officer cell phone at all times. The Duty Officer works closely with the Safety and Security Manager

Evaluation and Selection Criteria:

Applications will be initially screened for eligibility in accordance with the required qualifications mentioned above. Those applicants who meet the required qualifications will be scored based on the preferred qualifications. Highest scoring candidates will be called in for an interviews, and skills test. Performance from all interviews and skills test will be considered as a whole package to ensure the best candidate is selected that meets the needs of the Peace Corps mission. Professional reference checks will be conducted for selected candidates.

How to apply:

Please submit the following in English by email (with your name and the position you are applying for in the subject of the email) as one PDF file to [email protected]:

1. Application Cover Letter
2. Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Closing date: Applications should be received by 6:00 pm Friday, March 24, 2023 for consideration in the first review. Position remains open until filled. Applications for one position maybe considered  for any current open position. No phone calls or personal visits related to this vacancy will be accepted. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

All applicants must pass a background/security investigation. Any contract offer with the US Peace Corps is contingent upon a candidate’s ability to secure the necessary certifications.

All applicants must be a naturalized citizen of the host country or must have the required work permit or documentation that permits the applicant to work legally in the country in order to be eligible for consideration.

The application must contain all the information necessary to demonstrate that the candidate possesses the education, experience, skills and language abilities required for this position.

Benefits and Allowances:

BENEFITS:

• Contribution to mandatory insurances pursuant to GVN’s law/ regulations including social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance (LSSS)
• Annual and Sick Leave according to local labor law

ALLOWANCES:

• Unique Condition Work allowance (UCWA): 7% of Annual basic salary (pro-rated based on actual time worked)
• Miscellaneous Benefits Allowance (Misc): US$1,000 per annum (pro-rated based on actual time worked)
• Lodging and Per Diem will be covered by Peace Corps at the Training Site (paid separately –not included in the Total Estimate).

The Peace Corps is both a federal agency and a vehicle through which American citizens offer needed assistance to people around the world and, in doing so, promote greater cross-cultural understanding between Americans and the people of the host countries. The fulfillment of the Peace Corps’ mission to foster greater understanding among the world’s citizens requires that we adhere to the highest standards with respect to equal employment opportunity for all Volunteers, employees, and applicants. The U.S. Peace Corps Vietnam will provide equal opportunity and fair and equitable treatment in employment to all people without regard to race, color religion, ethnicity, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status, pregnancy and maternity or sexual orientation. The Peace Corps will also strive to achieve equal employment opportunity in all personnel operations through continuing diversity enhancement programs. Discrimination based on factors that have no bearing on a person’s ability to serve and perform his or her duties is not permitted and will not be tolerated.