Program Assistant
Welcome to Universal Strategy Group Inc (USGI)! USGI is a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business. USGI was founded in 2007 with the single focus of preserving and promoting American security. Our mission is to provide the best-in-class personnel who provide tailored analytical, operational, and technical solutions to our Nation's most complex national security challenges while exceeding customer expectations.
USGI is committed to recruiting, nurturing, and retaining top talent that set us apart from our competition. USGI is an experienced, team-oriented, dynamic, and expanding company that values exceptional performance! USGI understands that well-cared for and motivated personnel are the key to the successful accomplishment of any mission, and toward that end, USGI takes exceptional care of our team.
USGI is seeking a Program Assistant to provide programmatic, contractual, logistical, monitoring and evaluation, and administrative support. In particular, the Program Assistant will coordinate, prepare, assemble, and track program management documentation for contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, inter-agency agreements, and agreements with international organizations. The Program Assistant will also help with documentation for Letters of Agreement and Diplomatic Notes to obligate funding. These documents serve as the backbone of implementation of over $500 million/year of foreign assistance programs in the hemisphere. At the request of the Team Leader, the Program Assistant will assist in managing assigned programmatic portfolios, in addition to assisting in the monitoring and evaluation efforts to measure impact all programs. The Program Assistant will organize and attend meetings and provide other general administrative and programmatic support to assist the Team.
BACKGROUND
The U.S. Department of State is the lead institution for the conduct of American diplomacy and the Secretary of State is the President’s principal foreign policy advisor. The Department of State’s mission is to advance U.S. national security interests, fight terrorism, protect U.S. interests abroad, and implement foreign policy initiatives that build a freer, prosperous and secure world.
The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) keeps Americans safe at home by countering international crime, illegal drugs, and instability abroad. INL helps countries deliver justice and fairness by strengthening their police, courts, and corrections systems. These efforts reduce the amount of crime and illegal drugs reaching U.S. shores.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Provides administrative and programmatic support, including but not limited to assembling briefing books; drafting reports, memos, talking points, and updates, as assigned; and scheduling and managing meetings
- Assists with logistical and administrative tasks, including VIP travel to the United States and countries in the Western Hemisphere and preparation for high-level meetings
- Coordinates, prepares, assembles, and tracks program management documentation for contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, inter-agency agreements, and agreements with international organizations as well as documentation for Letters of Agreement and Diplomatic Notes to obligate funding
- Supports the program officers, contracting officer representatives, grants officers’ representatives, and agreement officer representatives to compete Statements of Work (SOWs), Requests for Proposals (RFPs), or Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs), program work plans, and monitoring and evaluation frameworks, in the development phase of programs
- Supports program officers and Team Lead in budget planning and tracking
- As assigned by the Team Lead, assists in the management of assigned programmatic portfolios for the Team, and assists Program Officers, Posts, implementing partners, and other stakeholders to design, implement, oversee, and report on assigned programs
- Assists program officers, and at the direction of the Team Lead engages stakeholders in the field and in the U.S. interagency in Washington, in the facilitation process for assigned team’s implementation of programs through award, official clearance, and program execution, which includes shepherding project documents through INL’s internal clearance processes
- Manages assigned team Monitoring and Evaluation implementation, including reviewing, collecting, and organizing data. This includes tracking, filing, and analyzing quarterly reports from implementers and INL Post Activity reports
- Assist INL/WHP in tracking program execution within contracts, grants, IAAs, and other sources, to include clear deliverables and reporting requirements to be provided by implementers
- Provide recommendations on where evaluation improvements can be made
- Supports team members in coordinating human resources/staffing requirements, including by scheduling interviews, shepherding hiring paperwork, scheduling pre-deployment training and consultations, and assisting in the preparation of new contract staff and Foreign Service Officers for field deployment
- Assists in the preparation of background materials and reports used by INL, and assists in the preparation of reports, speeches, briefings, and testimony on INL/WHP issues
- Conducts research on topics relating to issues of concern in the region
- Maintains and updates INL/WHP programmatic data, statistics, and factsheets
- Assists INL/WHP in developing and implementing a process to aggregate and report visually on collected program data. This includes creating infographics, charts, and other visual aids to convey INL programming, budgets, and results
- Coordinates and implements special projects as directed by the Team Lead to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of programming
- Manages Team SharePoint site
- Tracks INL-WHP-related news, and monitors and disseminates relevant diplomatic cables
- Ensures all GOR, COR, and AOR files are up to date
- Attends all INL/WHP meetings and conference calls
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- U.S. Citizenship
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
- Two to four years’ experience in relevant field
- Demonstrated ability to work on projects and issues within overall policy guidelines
- Demonstrated skilled in oral and written communication, sufficient to draft action and info memos, congressional testimony, press guidance and congressional and general correspondence
- Knowledge of international narcotics and law enforcement issues
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Spanish language proficiency
- Demonstrated experience working in MS Office suite, especially Project, Publisher, Excel, and SharePoint
- Demonstrated experience working with data analysis, data visualization, business intelligence, and other software programs dedicated to analyzing and presenting data, such as Tableau
- Demonstrated professional or academic experience in the Western Hemisphere and international affairs
- Demonstrated superior interpersonal skills and proven ability to work well with others
- Demonstrated superior attention to detail and experience meeting tight deadlines in a fast-paced, office environment
LEVEL OF EFFORT
Hours for this full-time position will be the core hours of the Department of State: Monday through Friday, 40 hours per week, 8 hours per day.
POSITION LOCATION
The physical work location is the INL/WHP office at State Annex 1, Columbia Plaza, 2401 E St., NW, Washington, DC.
TRAVEL
Limited travel is anticipated for this position and cannot be used without prior authorization of the INL Contracting Officer.
SECURITY CLEARANCE
The position requires a Secret security clearance. However, the Contractor can begin work with an interim Secret clearance.
TELEWORK
This is a hybrid position that allows for a combination of in-office presence and regular telework. The actual in-office and telework schedule will be determined by the COR and CO, based on INL policy, and is subject to change.
USGI offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits including health, dental and vision benefits, life insurance, AD&D, short and long-term disability insurance, 401(k) plan with company match, plus generous PTO offerings to include vacation/sick days, bereavement leave, and 11 paid Federal holidays. USGI is an equal opportunity employer, all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin.