United States of America: Program Assistant

The Program Assistant will provide additional program and grants support to USAID/ Office of Program, Policy, and Management (PPM). The Program Assistant will assist with managing program correspondence for the entire DCHA Bureau. This work entails working with the Senior Program Advisor to the Assistant Administrator (AA) for DCHA and with USAID’s Office of the Executive Secretariat on incoming correspondence dealing with humanitarian issues and tasking it to the appropriate office. Additionally, the Program Assistant will monitor correspondence throughout the Bureau, ensuring that a timely response is signed by the appropriate Deputy Assistant Administrator (DAA) and AA. These functions involve working with tracking software, Agency Correspondence Tracking System (ACTS), and maintaining a central file of correspondence.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Duties include but not limited to:

• Maintain daily calendars and schedule appointments for Front Office Principals based on the knowledge of their activities, regularly scheduled meetings, and ad hoc meetings.
• Serve as immediate backstop to other Front Office support personnel in the event of their absence, providing direct support to their Principals.
• Receive and direct telephone calls and inquiries to appropriate staff members.
• Assist with special projects (some requiring research or training).
• Route communications, including clearance of official correspondence and cables with other offices and divisions and respond to routine requests for information.
• Maintain tracker of all incoming correspondence for approval or clearance from Front Office officials.
• Schedule regular and ad hoc meetings, including reserving conference rooms or other appropriate facilities, preparing agendas, notifying participants, setting up equipment and assembling background and informational materials.
• Receive and control incoming actions, ensuring compliance with deadlines. Sort and distribute correspondence and other mail.
• Maintain subject and project files of correspondence, program documents, and reports. Prepare files for storage or destruction, as appropriate.
• Prepare in final form all correspondence and cables and other types of documents or forms relative to office/project management or operation, including light executive and/or congressional correspondence.
• Provide phone and other backstopping support to other administrative and front office assistants on an as-needed basis.
• Assist periodically by making photocopies, sending faxes and emails, updating leave and travel schedules, and receiving visitors.
• Escort and accompany temporarily badged visitors.
• Assist in familiarizing new staff members with the office standards and procedures and or participating in their on-the-job training.
• Maintain leave, travel, and training schedules.
• Maintain address, telephone, file and visitor’s list.
• Maintain files and photocopy documents.
• Perform other similar administrative support duties as assigned

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

Education/Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree required with 1-4 years’ of professional/office experience, including internships.

Required Skills:

• Must have excellent writing, editing, and communication skills. Must be able to meet deadlines and multitask, have strong attention to detail, and work well with others in a fast-paced and demanding environment. Must have working knowledge of MS Office Suite.

U.S. Citizenship is required; selected candidate must be able to qualify for a government sponsored clearance.

Physical Requirements

The employee must be capable of arduous travel. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk, hear, and use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls.The employee will be required to reach with hands and arms.Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision.The employee must occasionally lift or move up to 25 pounds.

This position description reflects Macfadden’s assignment of essential functions; nothing in this job description restricts the Company’s latitude to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

Program Assistant