The under secretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs is currently a top-ten ranking position^[1] in the U.S. Department of State tasked to help ensure public diplomacy is practiced in combination with public affairs and traditional diplomacy to advance U.S. national interests. The under secretary oversees two bureaus at the State Department: Educational and Cultural Affairs and Global Public Affairs. Also reporting to the under secretary are the Global Engagement Center, the Office of Policy, Planning and Resources for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, and the Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy.

The position was created on October 1, 1999, during the Clinton administration after Title XIII, Section 1313 of the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998 (112 Stat. 2681-776). Section 2305 of the Act (112 Stat. 2681-825) increased the number of under secretaries of state from five to six. Subdivision A of the Act, also known as the Foreign Affairs Agencies Consolidation Act of 1998, abolished the United States Information Agency and the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency.

On April 4, 2022, Elizabeth M. Allen was named acting under secretary by designation^[2] and on June 13, 2023 she was confirmed by a vote of 66–33 in the United States Senate.^[3] She assumed office on June 15, 2023.^[4]

Full appointments to the position require confirmation by the Senate.

From October 1, 1999, through August 29, 2019, the under secretary has been without a confirmed appointment 35.8% of the days. The average time between confirmed appointments is 289 days (or over 9.5 months). Looking at the last three administrations, the office was without a confirmed under secretary for 37.2% of the Bush administration, 21.8% of the Obama administration, and 89.4% of the Trump administration (as of August 29, 2019).^[5]