Program Assistant

Program Assistants will provide additional program and administrative support to USAID/ Food For Peace (FFP). The Program Assistants will be working with geographical, technical, and/or management teams to improve work streams and efficiency of FFP processes, and to fulfill administrative functions. Day to day work assignments and oversight will be provided by the Team Leader or Deputy Team Leader with formal supervisory and evaluation functions by the Project Manager.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Duties may include but are not limited to a team:

For Geographical Team:

• Providing initial review and processing of proposals in the grant review process, reviewing submissions for completeness and accuracy.
• Drafting action memos, requests, and other documentation.
• Creating and circulating award packages and documentation for clearance.
• Creating and managing folders and filing system for concept papers, partner submissions, award files, program documentation, meeting and call notes, memos and waivers, issues communication, etc.
• Coordinating between various internal offices on awards and program information including approvals and program changes. 
• Providing data management support to the Geo Division through data entry, data calls, tracking, audit requests, and taskers.
• Tracking the submission of,  filing, reviewing, and extracting information from program and financial reports.

      For Technical Team:

• Providing research, analysis and data management support to the Technical, Learning and Planning Division.
• Supporting the planning, coordination, and logistics of collaborative, consultative and/or informational technical events.
• Maintaining, editing, and coordinating the collaboration on various technical guidance documents.
• Assisting with country design process for new development projects.
• Tracking technical sector involvement and quality, monitoring data, and reporting compliance in both emergency and development awards.
• Providing award management support for external support mechanisms.

      For Administrative Team:

• Assisting with onboarding of new staff of various hiring mechanisms.
• Liaising with USAID to process memos and other requests to AMS Officers.
• Assisting FFP staff with general office support including but not limited to soft token requests, transit benefits, and badge forms.
• Backstopping the Administrative Assistant in support of the Food for Peace Director and Deputy Director.

      Overall duties when not in specific Team:

• Coordinating the routing of various documents/memos through the approval chain, following up on pending details, and ensuring deadlines are met.
• Assisting in maintaining trackers and consistently monitoring data quality control. 
• Attending and providing coverage at various USAID meetings and public events, as assigned.
• Managing calendar invitations, phone bridge lines, video conference calls (if available), agendas, room reservations, logistics, and note taking for various meetings.
• Researching and obtaining information for routine reports and data requests.
• Serving as a timekeeper for FFP personnel in WebTA, USAID’s time and attendance system.
• Assisting FFP personnel with various staffing memos including premium pay memos, travel compensation (comp) time memos, comp time calculators, overtime memos.
• Assisting with listerv creation and management.

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

Education/Experience:                 

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

Required Skills:    

Candidates must have excellent writing, editing, and communication skills. Applicants 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. Working knowledge of MS Office Suite is required.

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.