Special Consular Services (SCS) Assistant

The U.S. Mission in Switzerland, Bern, is seeking eligible and qualified applicants for the position of Special Consular Services (SCS) Assistant in the Consular section.

The incumbent is one of two Special Consular Services (SCS) Assistants at one of the State Department's highest volume American Citizens Services (ACS) posts in Europe. The ACS Section provides consular services to thousands of U.S. citizen residents in Switzerland and more than 2 million annual visitors.

The job holder performs a broad range of complex and often sensitive tasks involving U.S. citizens. They are responsible for assisting U.S. citizens in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, who become mentally or physically ill, become homeless and/or destitute, go missing, or become victims of crime. In these situations, the incumbent provides a wide range of assistance such as liaising with local law enforcement, visiting hospitals or prisons, communicating complex and sensitive information to U.S. citizens and their families, providing guidance to individuals in highly distressed states, coordinating with local authorities, and connecting with social service resources. They assist U.S. citizens in family and child custody matters, handle death and estate cases, and provide voting and judicial assistance.

They maintain and continuously expand an extensive network of contacts that the Embassy can rely on for all matters relating to the safety and protection of U.S. citizens. To achieve this goal, the incumbent organizes various networking events such as luncheons, roundtables, receptions, outreach trips, and town halls. Other duties as required may entail preparing notarial services and assisting with passport and citizenship services.

The incumbent is part of the Crisis Management team and assists in crisis preparedness and response. They must be able to efficiently self-manage the multiple duties and responsibilities of this complex position. The employee reports to the ACS Locally Employed Staff Supervisor.