US Embassy and Consulates Vacation Programme

Please review our employment policy and conditions, given below, before making an online application.

General Information

The Human Resources (HR) Office in Pretoria manages the Employment Program for all agencies represented in the Mission, including jobs located Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, and Pretoria except for the Open Source Center (OSC)

The HR Office uses PNET, a commercial Internet recruitment site, to advertise all of its positions. However, advertisements for OSC will not appear on the PNET site, but on the right hand column of this page, “Other Positions”. The submission procedure for these is provided in the advertisements.
PLEASE READ THE INFORMATION THAT FOLLOWS TO ENSURE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND OUR EMPLOYMENT POLICIES AND APPLICATION PROCEDURES BEFORE NAVIGATING TO THE PNET SITE USING THE FINAL ARROW.

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy (EEO)

The U.S. Mission in South Africa 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. To the extent that any information related to the foregoing is collected or incidentally revealed, whether by PNET or otherwise, such information shall not be used in connection with any hiring, promotion or other decisions related to employment made by the U.S. Mission to South Africa
Citizenship and Residency: Applications for specific positions listed on this website may be limited to U.S. Citizens if there is a need for a security clearance; however, the majority of positions in the Mission are open to all applicants, regardless of citizenship. The hiring mechanism and salary scale applied to the successful candidate is determined by his or her residency status, not citizenship.

Who Can Apply: All applicants must be permanent residents of South Africa or legally eligible to work in accordance with Section 19 of the Republic of South Africa’s Immigration Act, No.13 of 2002. Applicants must provide proof of residency in the form of an unrestricted, current work permit or residency permit at the time of application.

Eligible Family Members (EFMs) or Members of Household (MOHs) on official orders who derive their eligibility to work in the Mission from their US direct-hire sponsor who is assigned to South Africa, may apply for positions prior to their arrival in South Africa.

Applicants for employment must be at least 18 years of age. Based on local prevailing practice, the Mission has also established a mandatory retirement age of 60 for any employee covered by the Local Compensation and Benefits Plan. Such employees over age 60 cannot be covered by the Mission’s pension and risk benefits programs.

Employees currently on probationary status are not eligible to apply. Currently employed USEFMs who hold a Family Member Appointment (FMA) and Not-Ordinarily Residents (NORs) hired under a Personal Services Agreement (PSA) are ineligible to apply for advertised positions within the first 90 calendar days of their employment unless currently hired into a temporary part-time or intermittent position.

HIRING PREFERENCE SELECTION PROCESS:
When qualified, applicants in the following hiring preference categories are extended a hiring preference in the order listed below. Therefore, it is essential that these applicants accurately describe their status on the application. Failure to do so may result in a determination that the applicant is not eligible for a hiring preference. 
HIRING PREFERENCE ORDER:
(1) AEFM / USEFM who is a preference-eligible U.S. Veteran*
(2) AEFM / USEFM
(3) FS on LWOP**
* IMPORTANT: Applicants who claim status as a preference-eligible U.S. Veteran must submit a copy of the most recent Member Copy Four (4) of the DD-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, and, if applicable, a letter from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. If claiming conditional eligibility for U.S. Veterans’ preference, applicants must submit proof of conditional eligibility. If the written documentation confirming eligibility is not received in the HR office by the closing date of the vacancy announcement, the U.S. Veterans’ preference will not be considered in the application process. Mission HR’s decision on eligibility for U.S. Veterans’ preference after reviewing all required documentation is final.
** This level of preference applies to all Foreign Service employees on LWOP.

How to Apply

The HR Office uses PNET, a commercial internet recruitment site, to advertise all of its positions. If you are interested in applying for vacant positions, you are required to link to the PNET online advertising and application facility. At this site, you will find a list of vacant positions where you will be able to register and apply.  HR Pretoria has exclusive rights to the information submitted by applicants to its PNET address.

Application Basics

• You are required to complete a U.S. Mission Employment Registration Form on the PNET website.
• Once you have successfully completed the U.S. Mission Employment Registration Form, you will receive an e-mail that contains your username and password. Your username and password are required to log in and apply for a vacant position. (Please note that you only need to register one time to apply for our vacant positions. So, keep your username and password safe for future use.)
• Once you have registered, you must return to PNET to log-in and apply for a vacant position.
• You are required to complete a job-specific questionnaire for each position for which you apply. The questionnaire is keyed to the job requirements for the vacant position.
• We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. Do not include your race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, political affiliation, marital status, or sexual orientation in your CV or resume.
• Be sure to attach your resume/CV at PNET. If you fail to do so, your name will not appear as an applicant for the advertised position. Your resume/CV must explain how you meet all of the requirements of the vacant position. Only those candidates providing specific and comprehensive information supporting each job requirement will receive consideration. Be prepared to produce copies of all certificates or degrees earned upon request.
• Include all relevant work experience, paid and voluntary in detail in your resume/CV. Start with your present or most recent work experience. When describing work, list specific duties/responsibilities and accomplishments. Include supervisory responsibilities and the number of employees supervised if applicable. Go into as much detail as possible for work experience that directly relates to the advertised position.
• Include in your resume/CV, the names, addresses and contact details for three (3) personal references and (3) professional references. The personal references are ideally individuals who know you professionally and can comment on your suitability for employment at the mission. Personal references must exclude relatives and former supervisors. The professional references should be supervisors who can also comment on your suitability for employment with the Mission. We will obtain your permission before contacting any reference.
• Candidates who claim U.S. Veteran’s preference must specify that they have a DD-214 in their resume/CV or cover letter to be considered as a U.S. Veteran and a copy of the DD-214 will be required before an interview is scheduled. If you claim conditional preference status as a U.S. veteran and are selected for an interview, you must provide proof of eligibility before an interview is scheduled; a copy of your current military orders or a letter on official military letterhead signed by the commanding officer that states the type of service and that you are in active duty status.

The Selection Process

1. Short listing and interviews are normally completed within six weeks of the closing date. Please assume that your application has been unsuccessful if you have not heard from us within six weeks of the closing date.
2. We will indicate on our vacancy announcement any job requirement which may require testing before final short-listing is completed and interviews are scheduled. You will be required to come to one of our HR Offices (depending on the location of the job) in person for testing.
3. If the interview panel determines that you are the best person for the job, your previous employers will be contacted and asked to provide employment references for you prior to a conditional offer of employment being made.
   4. If you are not successful in the interview process, please be advised that we are unable to provide feedback to you about your interview.

Employment Offers

1. If you are selected for a position with the Mission, you will receive a conditional offer of employment which includes a breakdown of the salary and benefits offered as well as general information about terms and conditions of employment. After you accept our conditional offer, no changes can be made at a later time to the salary and benefits package. After acceptance of the conditional offer, you will be provided with medical and security forms which must be completed within five work days and returned to the HR Office
2. Candidates should never resign from their current employment until they receive a final offer from HR.The final offer letter means that you have successfully completed the medical and security clearance requirements.

I have read and understand the above conditions.  Take me to the Mission’s job adverts »