United States of America: Vetting Assistant

Macfadden/PAE is seeking a Vetting Assistant (VA) to assist the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID’s) Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance (DCHA). The Vetting Assistant (VA) will provide support to the Agency’s partner vetting program for awards being implemented across its portfolio. This position is for a one-year period.

Duties and Responsibilities

The VA assists in the management of the vetting process from the receipt of vetting requests through the communication of final vetting determinations. The VA will manage information on awardees/sub-awardees in PVS, including initial review or entry of vetting data, verification of awardee’s/sub-awardee’s vetting status, submission of vetting requests, entry/update of award and/or subaward data, coordination of additional information requests, and communication of vetting results. The VA will communicate with, and provide training to, awardees/ sub-awardees, in addition to completing data entry requirements, reviewing vetting submissions, tracking vetting metrics, and providing metrics to DCHA, as needed.

Main tasks under this area of responsibility include the following:

Processing Vetting Requests

• Full and complete understanding of the PVS application/portal and applicable Bureau Order on vetting.
• Vetting database queries, updates, and data entry.
• Review of vetting requests and associated awardee/sub-awardee data for completeness and accuracy.
• Production of vetting requests for awardees/sub-awardees for which vetting is required or requested.
• Submission of vetting requests to USAID’s Office of Security for vetting and communication of additional information requests.

External Communications

• Supports the VO in liaising between USAID and awardees/sub-awardees on any questions concerning vetting policy and procedures, conducting outreach to partners in the field, as needed.
• Supports the VO in coordinating any intra-agency partner vetting meetings and/or managing the logistics of external meetings with awardees/sub-awardees.

Quality Assurance / Quality Control

• Exercise quality control checks through open sources over all outgoing vetting requests.
• Displays award and awardee data to include query and drill capabilities to view and generate reports of vetting results, award details, and awardee details.
• Generates reports for management to analyze different aspects of awardee data, vetting results award details, and other statistical information. As required, gathers data and prepares status reports including analysis of problems and recommendations for corrective actions and improvements.
• Responsible for ensuring that vetting requests in the PVS application are accurate and up-to-date. For requests that are outstanding and/or awards that have been canceled, the incumbent is responsible for ensuring that those requests are either removed from the system or properly reflect the status of the award.

Records Management

• Responsible for maintaining filing system for all files related to vetting, including all correspondence, vetting forms, reports, photos, and other related documentation
• Ensures integrity of the files and maintains original working files, working with DCHA Bureau management as appropriate on the disposition of files and records to storage on a periodic basis as prescribed by the Vetting Order(s) or other applicable policies.

Information Technology Testing and Evaluation

• During updates of the PVS application/portal, the incumbent will pilot test, identify and report on the system’s functions and processes to validate their performance and compliance with the Bureau Order.
• Identifies and reports on the accuracy and functionality of the system’s performance and recommends corrective actions and system acceptance.

Reporting

• Responsible for populating and maintaining data collection tools for vetting program monitoring and evaluation, as appropriate.

Research

• Assist in gather information and drafting of internal for programs teams.
• Assist in information gathering for programmatic risks.

Training

• Manage the logistics for partner vetting training to awardees/sub-awardees.
• In coordination with the VO, ability to train awardees/sub-awardees on how to use the PVS portal and how to comply with vetting policy and procedures. In coordination with the VO, provides on-the-job training to relevant USAID staff on vetting.

Education:

At a minimum, the individual must have a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as security studies, information and technology, international relations or international development.

Qualifications:

Must have a least 4 years of experience. Strong oral and written communication skills are required. Experience with conducting research/investigations as well as writing information products is required. Specific experience in performing data entry functions or managing databases and manipulating software is preferred. This position calls for an experienced administration and operations management support professional with the knowledge and the skills necessary to perform the assigned duties.

• Experience implementing, managing communications, documents, scheduling, and administrative support duties in a large organization
• Previous administrative management operations experience.

Skills:
Demonstrated experience using Microsoft Office applications including Excel, Word, Power Point, Access and other database software applications; Google knowledge a plus

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

THIS POSITION IS FOR A ONE-YEAR PERIOD.

Vetting Assistant