Demo

Senior/Principal Protocol Officer - Operations Assistant, Onsite

Sandia Inc
Washington, DC Full Time
POSTED ON 3/3/2025
AVAILABLE BEFORE 5/28/2025

About Sandia

Sandia National Laboratories is the nation's premier science and engineering lab for national security and technology innovation, with teams of specialists focused on cutting-edge work in a broad array of areas. Some of the main reasons we love our jobs :

  • Challenging work with amazing impact that contributes to security, peace, and freedom worldwide
  • Extraordinary co-workers
  • Some of the best tools, equipment, and research facilities in the world
  • Career advancement and enrichment opportunities
  • Flexible work arrangements for many positions include 9 / 80 (work 80 hours every two weeks, with every other Friday off) and 4 / 10 (work 4 ten-hour days each week) compressed workweeks, part-time work, and telecommuting (a mix of onsite work and working from home)
  • Generous vacation, strong medical and other benefits, competitive 401k, learning opportunities, relocation assistance and amenities aimed at creating a solid work / life balance

World-changing technologies. Life-changing careers. Learn more about Sandia at :

  • These benefits vary by job classification.
  • What Your Job Will Be Like

    Passionate about your work and want to join a dynamic team that solves real issues impacting national security? You will leave work every day knowing that you made a difference in our nation's security!

    We are seeking a Protocol Officer to provide office operations and project management leadership in planning, organizing, and executing of all aspects of all meetings (roughly 150 meetings for 1,200 participants annually) held in Sandia's Washington, D.C. Office (WDCO). This role may include arranging hotel and restaurant reservations, booking catering, coordinating transportation, as well as ensuring the proper transfer of clearances and other sensitive information. Meeting participants include high-level staff from U.S. government agencies, Congress, industry, and the military, and with distinguished professionals serving on boards and panels.

    On any given day, you may be called on to :

  • Serve as DC office operations lead.
  • Oversee office operations, including scheduling, inventory, and resource allocation.
  • Greet visitors, provide on-site administrative support for visiting VIPs and guests to the site.
  • Coordinate conference room calendars, set up video conferencing, and maintain relevant request forms and procedures.
  • Prepare budget, project schedules, workflow procedures, and statistical reports for organizations requesting meetings in the DC office.
  • Serve as a corporate resource for Sandia conference and event managers.
  • Work closely with the Executive Assistants and staff across the Labs.
  • Provide analysis on allowable and unallowable costs and manage expensing for customers through proper procedures.
  • Recommend, interpret, and implement SNL and US Government hospitality & administrative policies and procedures.
  • Develop strong working relationships with other Protocol Officers across DoE / NNSA and agency partners.
  • Provide protocol expertise to support successful executive visitor interactions.
  • Provide backup to our facility security officer.
  • This position requires travel less than 5% of the time.

    Due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant must be able to work onsite.

    Salary Range

    75,000 - $144,600

  • Salary range is estimated, and actual salary will be determined after consideration of the selected candidate's experience and qualifications, and application of any approved geographic salary differential.
  • Qualifications We Require

  • Bachelor's degree in relevant discipline, or equivalent combination of relevant education and / or plus at least (5) years of directly related experience.
  • Experience planning and coordinating events and / or engagements.
  • Experience working with government / military, and foreign formalities, customs, and courtesies.
  • Knowledge of protocol decorum and rules of engaging VIPs.
  • The ability to obtain and maintain a DOE Q-level security clearance.
  • Qualifications We Desire

  • Ability to independently resolve complex situations quickly and diplomatically, often in politically sensitive environments.
  • Self-starter with ability to operate with minimal direction in an ambiguous environment.
  • Ability to negotiate hotel and / or catering contracts.
  • Ability to work with sensitive information and classified matter.
  • Ability to interact effectively with all levels of internal and external personnel, including the ability to build effective virtual working relationships.
  • Strong background in project and / or meeting management.
  • Ability to organize, prioritize, and follow through to completion on multiple tasks, within tight timeframes and with changing priorities.
  • Effective and demonstrated negotiation skills.
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills and customer service skills.
  • Strong team player with the ability to work with diverse personalities.
  • Protocol experience with DOE, DoD, and / or other government agencies.
  • Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) Certification or equivalent training in protocol services.
  • Active DOE Q clearance or equivalent clearance.
  • About Our Team

    Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), headquartered in Albuquerque NM, is a Federally Funded Research and Development Center for the Department of Energy's (DoE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).

    Our Washington, DC, Office (WDCO) includes classified and unclassified conference and videoconference spaces as well as classified and unclassified computing. The WDCO hosts frequent meetings for SNL executives, SNL Board members, senior NNSA, DoE, and DOD officials, and executives from other national laboratories. The four-person staff of this site provide administrative, logistic, security, liaison and limited technical services to visiting Sandians as well as occasional support to National Capitol Area customers.

    Posting Duration

    This posting will be open for application submissions for a minimum of seven (7) calendar days, including the 'posting date'. Sandia reserves the right to extend the posting date at any time.

    Security Clearance

    Sandia is required by DOE to conduct a pre-employment drug test and background review that includes checks of personal references, credit, law enforcement records, and employment / education verifications. Applicants for employment need to be able to obtain and maintain a DOE Q-level security clearance, which requires U.S. citizenship. If you hold more than one citizenship (i.e., of the U.S. and another country), your ability to obtain a security clearance may be impacted.

    Applicants offered employment with Sandia are subject to a federal background investigation to meet the requirements for access to classified information or matter if the duties of the position require a DOE security clearance. Substance abuse or illegal drug use, falsification of information, criminal activity, serious misconduct or other indicators of untrustworthiness can cause a clearance to be denied or terminated by DOE, resulting in the inability to perform the duties assigned and subsequent termination of employment.

    All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status and any other protected class under state or federal law.

    NNSA Requirements for MedPEDs

    If you have a Medical Portable Electronic Device (MedPED), such as a pacemaker, defibrillator, drug-releasing pump, hearing aids, or diagnostic equipment and other equipment for measuring, monitoring, and recording body functions such as heartbeat and brain waves, if employed by Sandia National Laboratories you may be required to comply with NNSA security requirements for MedPEDs.

    If you have a MedPED and you are selected for an on-site interview at Sandia National Laboratories, there may be additional steps necessary to ensure compliance with NNSA security requirements prior to the interview date.

    Salary : $75,000 - $144,600

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