The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has contracted through CAMRIS International partnered with IAP World Services Inc. (IAPWS), to recruit and hire qualified individuals for the following position:
Title:
Program Assistant
United States Agency for International Development/Bureau for Global Health/Office of Health, Infectious Diseases, and Nutrition/Division of Malaria (GH/HIDN/MAL)
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The program/project assistant provides support to the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) team located in the Malaria Division of the Health, Infectious Disease and Nutrition Office of the Global Health Bureau (see pmi.gov for more information). This position will be responsible for performing a variety of both complex and routine administrative and analytical duties to support the division chief and team as a whole. These duties range from administrative-type tasks such as scheduling briefings and meetings and maintaining program files, to more complex analytical-type tasks such as collecting, compiling, and analyzing data for various program documents and designing and maintaining spreadsheets in support of financial tracking systems. The program assistant will also work with members of the PMI team to assist in areas such as country backstopping, overall administrative support, and other duties and support liaising and communication across the interagency.
The program assistant ranks tasks in order of importance and impending deadlines, and handles several tasks simultaneously. The individual must develop a working knowledge of USAID policies and guidelines, as well as corporate practices and procedures. The individual is expected to become familiar with PMI technical issues and policies.
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION
- Provides overall routine and ad hoc support to the Malaria Division Chief and other Malaria Division staff to enable successful implementation of routine programmatic and core functions for the Division.
- Assists technical staff in the preparation of program documents and correspondence such as memos and waivers, amendments, project authorization documents, Congressional Notifications, and Technical Notifications, ensuring that all documentation is complete and in compliance with USAID rules, regulations, and standards.
- Provides operational support to the PMI team on multiple contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements. This includes working with technical staff and external partners to ensure that work plans, financial reports, and progress reports and other deliverables are prepared, submitted, and reviewed.
- Works with USAID staff on general management-related activities, such as orientation for new staff and annual malaria division portfolio reviews.
- Maintains/or provides assistance with administrative and financial tracking systems, and assists in the design and maintenance of spreadsheets and databases to support these systems.
- Assists PMI colleagues in coordinating and preparing for meetings, events, and presentations. Responsibilities include scheduling meetings, booking rooms, receiving visitors, taking notes, preparing slides, and summarizing meeting results.
- Drafts program communications such as cables, memoranda, and letters that seek approval or request information relative to program matters.
- Collects, organizes, and analyzes data for use in regular and ad hoc reporting on the status of programs from various sources such as cooperating agency reports, USAID reports and documents, and technical staff.
- Collects and makes arrangements for distribution of material to the USAID missions, USAID/W offices, host country institutions, and cooperating agencies.
- Participates in administrative and communications team meetings, and other technical team meetings as needed.
- Provides administrative and technical support to country team activities as needed, including travel to USAID Missions in Africa to assist with Malaria Operational Planning and routine monitoring visits as necessary.
The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.
The position requires a college degree and 1-2 years of professional experience, or a combination of comparable education and experience. Requires proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office with an emphasis on Excel spreadsheet skills, PowerPoint, Internet and e-mail applications including Google mail suite. Candidate must have strong attention to detail and organizational skills. Applicants selected will be U.S. citizens and will be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for a secret security clearance. Experience and knowledge of public health/malaria preferred.
LANGUAGE SKILLS
Must have excellent writing skills in English. Oral and written communications skills and the ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public. Fluency in French or Portuguese is a plus.
MATHEMATICAL SKILLS
Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference, ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to reports and financial tracking systems. Must be proficient with basic financial management and budgeting concepts. Must have excellent Excel skills.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, stand and walk. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, and ability to adjust focus. Employee must be able to travel to USAID Missions in Africa with malaria funding for short term temporary duty up to three weeks at a time. Travel may be required for up to 20% of the time.
REASONING ABILITY
Must have excellent analytic skills and reasoning ability. The incumbent should be able to work under moderate supervision and bring a problem solving approach to carrying out duties. The successful candidate will demonstrate initiative and an eagerness to learn technical and program management.
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