Program Assistant – Macfadden

Macfadden, part of PAE, employs Program Assistants (PAs) to support USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA). BHA leads and coordinates the U.S. Government’s humanitarian assistance efforts overseas in response to natural disasters and protracted crises. The bureau also supports early recovery efforts that restore and protect basic systems and services and invests in risk reduction programs that prevent or reduce risks associated with chronic and recurrent hazards. As part of BHA offices based in Washington, D.C., PAs provide administrative, programmatic, and operational support to BHA staff. Day-to-day work assignments and oversight are provided by BHA division chiefs, team leads, or deputy team leads, with formal supervisory and evaluation functions performed by a Macfadden contract supervisor.

Under BHA, which merged the former USAID’s Office of Food for Peace (FFP) and Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), PAs may be responsible for expanded portfolios that require coordination among multiple teams, competence in the preferred processes of each team, and familiarity with different programming or technical contexts. In addition, PAs will need to learn new BHA processes and systems while simultaneously becoming familiar with the different processes and systems that OFDA and FFP used and that will remain as reference points in the new bureau.

Specific PA duties vary based on division or team assignments. PA duties include and are not limited to:
● Maintaining activity calendars and team schedules;
● Organizing team meetings, calls, or other events, including sending out invitations and reminders, developing agendas, and managing room or facility reservations, phone bridge lines, and other logistics;
● Attending meetings and events on behalf of a team in a note-taking or administrative-support capacity;
● Creating and managing folders and filing systems on behalf of a team;
● Supporting the onboarding of new staff of various hiring mechanisms;
● Drafting, updating, editing, and/or coordinating the collaboration on programmatic, technical, or administrative memos and other documents;
● Facilitating the clearance of programmatic, technical, or administrative memos and other documents;
● Researching, collecting, and analyzing data in response to internal or external data requests; and
● Updating programmatic, technical, or administrative trackers and consistently monitoring data quality.

For PAs assigned to support award-making and award management, additional duties include:
● Conducting the initial review and processing of incoming applications, including reviewing submissions for completeness, performing initial data entry, and compiling feedback from programmatic and technical staff;
● Preparing award packages;
● Organizing and maintaining grant documentation, including grantee reports and correspondence;
● Tracking grantee evaluation, monitoring, and reporting compliance;
● Reviewing and preparing post-award management documentation in support of Agreement Officer Representatives; and
● Monitoring, tracking, and processing programmatic close-out actions.

Education, Experience, and Skills Requirements
Bachelor’s or graduate degree preferred, with minimum two years of professional/office experience preferred. Professional/office experience may include internships. Qualified PA candidates should:
● Possess excellent judgment and reliability,
● Have strong organizational skills and exceptional attention to detail,
● Possess excellent oral and written communication skills,
● Have strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office and Google Suite,
● Be able to multi-task and work under deadlines in a fast-paced and collaborative environment,
● Be capable of prioritizing tasks and follow up on actions without prompting,
● Be flexible and adaptable to changing circumstances, and
● Be willing to go the extra mile and participate as an active team member who assists other team members as necessary.

Ability to obtain and maintain a US Government issued Secret clearance for the duration of your employment. Only applicants who currently hold an active Secret or higher-level security clearance or who are eligible to receive a Secret security clearance will be considered for this position.