Program Assistant, Personal Services Contractor - United States Institute of Peace

Who We Are

Peace is our commitment. The United States Institute of Peace represents the American people’s shared values and commitment to peace worldwide. We know that Peace is Security – it advances both U.S. and international security by preventing, managing, and mitigating violent conflict.

We are an independent, non-partisan institution and are actively engaged with peacebuilding efforts worldwide. Together we tackle the most challenging problems and hold fast to the possibility of a more peaceful world. To learn more about USIP programs and job openings, go to https://www.usip.org/about/careers.

If you have a passion for making the world a better place and want to have a front-row seat on the world stage, USIP is the place for you.

Job Summary:

The Program Assistant (PA) will provide overall support for the day-to-day operations of the Latin America Program (LAP), by providing programmatic, administrative, analytical, and logistical support, including program coordination and scheduling, basic research and writing, and other tasks as assigned. This position provides assistance  to budget and contract management, implementation activities, events and travel logistics using USIP’s standard policies, procedures, and guidelines. 

The PA position is full-time term, Personal Services Contractor position based in Washington DC, and the contract can be renewed pending good performance, funding, and business needs.     

This position will report to the Vice President of LAP.

Job Brief:

Administrative and Program Support:

• Provides administrative and programmatic support in the following areas:
• Supports the Latin America Program in developing concept notes and proposals.
• Supports drafting internal and public documents to include team updates, quarterly reports, and tracks of milestones and impact indicators.
• Supports project tracking and reviews project deliverables.
• Assists in  preparing project overviews for USIP’s executive office and other departments as needed.
• Develops and maintains program-related files, documents and database records and supports the institute’s data management system.
• Schedules and attends internal and external meetings with partners.  This includes:
• Takes notes and distributes them to the Team.
• Manages meeting set up, to include setting up the systems to allow for remote participation.
• Builds relationships and liaises with other departments at USIP as needed to ensure connectivity between other sections and LAP.

Budget and Contract Management Support:

• Supports Administrative Staff and/or Contracting Officer Technical Representatives (COTRs), as needed, to administer contracts, track progress toward milestones, receive deliverables and monitor contract end dates, including but not limited to:
• Supporting the drafting of contracts, preparing contracting information, submitting requisitions, processing invoices, monitoring payment, and ensuring contract close-out.
• Assists  the LAP’s Resource Management and USIP Finance and Procurement Teams to track budgets, resolve issues, and generate budget and financial reports to help monitor program budgets. 
• Helps reconcile the budget of program by inputting transactions correctly, obligating funds, processing travel vouchers and reimbursements, and tracking the budget using financial software.
• Manages vendor contracts and payment receipts (e.g., writing a wide variety of contracts with external organizations to support special events or program activities).
• Serves as the back-up point of contact for external contractors or vendors on any contractual or logistical-related items.

Research Support & Writing Support:          

• Assists  the Latin America Program in drafting and compiling reports. 
• Conducts research and analysis on issues related to peace and security and violence in the hemisphere, with particular emphasis on the eight target countries of the Latin America Program.
• Meetings, Events and Logistics Planning:
• Makes domestic and international travel arrangements for staff and contractors including creating Travel Authorizations and processing Travel Vouchers.
• Provides administrative support for small and large invite-only meetings and public events, including study groups, consultations, workshops, and other programmatic activities:
• Regularly updates and expands email lists and consulting internally as needed on invitees.
• Drafts invitation text and takes RSVPs for events.
• Uses USIP’s event systems to reserve rooms.
• Operates the virtual portion of the event, including reserving Zoom, Microsoft Teams in advance and operates platforms to allow for remote participation.
• Liaises with reception and security to grant building access to guests and greeting and escorting guests.
• Arranges food and refreshments as needed.

Performs Other Duties as Assigned. 

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in international affairs, peace and conflict studies, political science or related field.  A major or concentration in Latin American studies helpful. 
• One (1) or more years of relevant professional work experience is required, preferably related to program/project support, budget, and/or administrative tasks.
• Experience in drafting program reports and supporting proposal writing processes preferred
• Strong skills in Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint and Teams) are required. Previous experience with databases and/or data management tools is preferred. 
• Experience organizing conferences and meetings and making domestic and international travel arrangements preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and develop effective working relationships and strong interpersonal skills, including cross-cultural communication.
• Strong time management skills with the ability to prioritize work and meet deadlines.
• Knowledge of Latin America is essential; conflict prevention, management, and resolution is a plus. 
• Proficiency in Spanish required, or some level of French language skills preferred.
• Excellent interpersonal skills. 

All USIP contract and employee positions are contingent upon the favorable completion of a suitability background investigation.  

HOW TO APPLY
To be considered for this position, please submit a complete application package consisting of:
1.  Completed employment application
2.  Cover letter
3.  Resume 

Note: Only those applicants that are selected for further discussions will be contacted.  

USIP is an equal opportunity employer. USIP does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, political affiliation, marital status, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit-based factors.