Overview of the Company
Social Solutions International, Inc. (Social Solutions) is a Hispanic and woman-owned business emphasizing quality research and evaluation, training and technical assistance, and institutional support services. We are a mission-driven organization that believes that superior science can improve the world. Social Solutions is dedicated to the creation of social and health solutions to improve the welfare of underserved populations worldwide.
Overview of the Position
The Bureau for Development, Democracy, and Innovation (DDI) integrates technical expertise with values-driven, cross-cutting priorities and modern approaches to the way USAID performs its work. It provides client-centered technical services to USAID’s Missions worldwide, supports programming to innovate, learn and address emerging issues, and provides technical leadership within the Agency and externally to enhance development impact.
The position is within the Innovation, Technology, and Research Hub in the Technology Division (ITR/T). It brings a diverse set of partners to discover, test, and scale breakthrough solutions. The incumbent will report to the Deputy Director of the Technology Division and take technical and project direction from the Director, Technology Division. The Special Assistant serves as part of the Division’s leadership team and has oversight responsibilities for the core functions that keep ITR/T running well. In doing so, they manage a complex, ever-changing portfolio that addresses primarily administrative and operational needs. The individual must develop a working knowledge of USAID policies and guidelines. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.
The Special Assistant provides direct assistance to Technology Division leadership on a range of responsibilities such as: coordinating taskers and clearances, scheduling, travel coordination, drafting official memos and other documents, research, maintaining program files, and other duties as assigned. The Specialist Assistant also provides support to ITR/T technical and leadership staff, where appropriate, performing a variety of both complex and routine administrative and analytical duties in support of ITR/T programming, and may take on special initiatives or operational projects as assigned. The Special Assistant monitors the flow of documents and acts as liaison between ITR/T and internal and external operating units and stakeholders.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- ITR/T Front Office Operations: Manage the schedule, travel, and other administrative issues for the Director and Deputy Director; scheduling regular check-ins with ITR leadership to discuss personnel, space issues, moves, etc.
- Administrative Management Services (AMS) and Personnel Coordination: Lead counterpart to the DDI Bureau’s AMS Office; responsible for onboarding and offboarding staff, desk moves, performance review tracking and timelining; timesheet validation, documents sharing, travel coordination, etc.
- Briefer/Tasker Coordination: Responsible for managing briefer/tracker responses and drafting, including initial triage to determine appropriate ITR/T involvement, sharing with relevant team leads/team, assigning deadlines, checking final briefers for language and format, and follow-up.
- Division Operations: Responsible for core Division functions, including preparation for and facilitation of biweekly meetings; manages phone lines and conference rooms; manages and coordinates overall space maintenance and management.
- Organizational Health: Support the overall organizational health of the Division; attend ITR Hub change management meetings; organize bi-annual Division retreats; identify creative ways to track and support overall satisfaction and needs of staff.
- Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA): Comply with Agency DEIA policy frameworks, embed DEIA into Division policy, procedures and cultural norms.
- Effectively engage within ITR/T, and across ITR Divisions, DDI Centers and Agency bureaus/offices to obtain briefs, background documents and other related materials. Manages relationships with a diversity of stakeholders.
- Prepares read-ahead for each meeting to ensure the principal is fully briefed prior to attendance. Assists in preparation for conferences/meetings by assembling background information.
- Recommends and implements key process improvements.
- Researches and reviews key documentation for the Division, ensuring comprehensiveness of input.
- Attends meetings with the principal, and coordinates special projects or cross-cutting team efforts as assigned.
- Develop agendas for meetings chaired by the principal, and take notes for the record as needed.
- Drafts correspondence and contributes to the preparations of speeches, reports, presentations, etc., including communications to and for the Division.
- Reviews all correspondence drafted for the principal’s signature to ensure clarity and that the principal’s position is clearly reflected.
- Independently manages travel processes for Division, including targeted support, to include preparing itinerary, making reservations and protocol coordination, for the principal and certain members of the Division. Prepares and submits travel vouchers for reimbursement.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s Degree required in a relevant field, such as business administration, public administration, international development, or public policy. Masters degree preferred.
- At least 3-5 year’s relevant professional experience, in administration, executive assistance, business, coordination/operations, or management.
- Demonstrated ability to multitask and prioritize. Strong organizational skills.
- Excellent communication skills, in particular writing skills. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.
- Excellent attention to detail and a strong customer service orientation.
- Ability to develop a working knowledge of USAID policies and guidelines, as well as corporate practices and procedures.
- Self-starter who can navigate complex bureaucratic processes and procedures with little guidance.
- Demonstrated ability to work independently on increasingly complex tasks, and recommend and implement key process improvements.
- Demonstrated ability to effectively engage a diversity of stakeholders in a multi-cultural setting, and build relationships across teams/units to facilitate work.
- Proficiency in the use of Google Suites, Internet and e-mail applications
Equal Employer
Social Solutions offers competitive salaries and comprehensive benefits. Please submit your resume online at www.socialsolutions.biz.
Social Solutions is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other characteristic protected by law.