Executive Assistant at PotomacWave Consulting

PotomacWave is looking for an Executive Assistant to join our team supporting a Federal client in Washington, DC. The contractor supporting this position shall serve as secretary and personal/confidential assistant to Executive leadership and assist with office management by performing secretarial and administrative duties. The contractor shall provide a wide range of office management functions, including maintaining office file systems; updating excel spreadsheet data; answering and referring calls; preparing, editing, copying, and filing correspondence; providing security escort duties in secure facilities; and entering information into office databases. Based on extensive working knowledge of the organization and its substantive programs, the contractor shall resolve problems associated with the office administrative processes.

Responsibilities:

• Serve as office manager for the Executive and ensures consistent practices and procedures amongst other secretarial or administrative support staffs in subordinate organizations
• Recommend changes in administrative policies. Devises and installs office procedures and practices to be used by secretarial and administrative support staff in subordinate offices, including information regarding correspondence, telephone procedures, publications, scheduling, and public relations responsibilities. Responds to inquiries and administrative problems brought to the Executive and Senior Staff by members of the staff
• Notify the appropriate staff officials of the need for information or recommendations, and either prepares the response or follows up to ensure timely response by others
• Perform research and technical assessments of managerial and organizational problems and offers resolutions for such problems
• Receive telephone calls and visitors to the front office. Takes action to satisfy the caller while protecting the Executive from unnecessary interruptions or unwarranted demands on time. Takes and relays messages, independently makes appointments and other commitments for the Executive or diverts the caller to the appropriate staff member. This requires intimate knowledge of the office procedures, primary interests and activities of the Executive, and responsibilities of individual staff members
• Maintain calendars for the Executive and Senior Staff, schedules appointments and conferences without prior approval, and sees that the Executive is fully briefed on the matters to be considered before the scheduled meeting. Advises an attendee or attendees when appointments must be rescheduled and arranges mutually convenient times for new appointments, meetings, and other commitments. Arranges interoffice and or interagency meetings
• Receive all correspondence for the Executive; replies to mail not requiring the Executive’s attention and forwards other items to staff as appropriate. Screens all correspondence prepared for the Executive’s signature for clarity, completeness of reply, and grammatical and procedural correctness. Return inadequate submissions of draft correspondences for revisions. Screens all publications, directives, and periodicals, and brings those of significance to the Executive and/or staff as appropriate. Reads and reviews outgoing correspondence prepared for the signature of the Executive, senior staff, and other managers and staff for procedural and grammatical accuracy, conformance with general policy, factual correctness, and adequacy of treatment.
• Arrange conferences and all-hands meetings for the Executive. This includes preparing an agenda, notifying participants, and arranging logistical matters. Develops background information and composes drafts of introductions and briefings to be presented at various meetings/conferences by the Executive.
• Respond to the requests of tier-one level offices. Serve as the main point of contact for the administrative personnel of the Executive’s for those respective offices.
• Produce from rough draft, notes, or oral instructions a variety of written documents (e.g., correspondence, program plans and reports, etc.) Utilize personal computer with varied and advanced functions and several types of automation software, as well as applicable printing equipment. Ensure proper spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammar, format and arrangement, and copying and distribution of material have been followed. This requires the use of computer hardware and software manuals, clerical procedures, and regulations. As necessary, develop applications to utilize databases or spreadsheet software to store, manipulate, sort, and report statistical and other information from office files or related sources.
• Make necessary travel arrangements for the Executive and staff. Develop itineraries, make hotel reservations, and notify participants. Keep in touch with the Director or other travelers. Prepare, as necessary, and submit supervisor and other staff members’ travel vouchers and other supporting documentation upon completion of travel.

Qualifications:

• Knowledge in the basic foundation of administrative concepts and practices sufficient to enable the incumbent to foresee administrative problems and requirements needed for internal procedures, administrative controls, and reporting systems; recommend and implement new or changes in administrative policies, procedures and office practices; provide guidance to subordinates; and, advise on general office practices and problem solving.
• Knowledge in secretarial practices and correspondence procedures necessary for applying spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammar, required formats and style requirements to correct errors in prepared materials.
• Knowledge in record keeping systems to provide full clerical support.
• Experience using standard office product software (i.e., Access, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Experience developing and typing standard correspondence and performing document editing.
• The ability to develop material for use in public speaking engagements and to schedule commitments and prepare materials for conferences and Congressional testimony.
• Experience answering phone calls and referring phone calls to the appropriate contractor(s).
• Experience working in a secure, government environment.
• The ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing with management and staff at the highest levels of the Department, external government officials, and private industry.
• The ability to perform multiple tasks simultaneously.
• The ability to produce a wide range of reports, graphs, charts, and documents.
• The ability to use software functions to enhance office productivity.
• The ability to make travel arrangements for senior executives.
• An Associates Degree is required but a Bachelor's Degree is preferred
• The selection of an individual for this position may be conditioned upon his or her successful completion of a counterintelligence-scope polygraph examination.
• Must have an active TS clearance.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Race/Sex/Religion/Disability/Veteran Status/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/National Origin/Age.