Who We Are

Peace is our commitment. The United States Institute of Peace represents the American people’s shared values and commitment to peace around the world. 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 around the world. Together we tackle the toughest 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 to the world stage, USIP is the place for you.

JOB BRIEF

The Program Assistant is a member of the three-person Central Team within USIP’s Center for Applied Conflict Transformation (ACT). The Central Team provides programmatic and administrative support to ACT’s eight thematic or regional teams in the following areas: strategic planning; budgeting; human resources; communications; administration; and events planning. The Program Assistant provides programmatic and administrative support to ACT’s Vice President (including his co-leadership of the Institute-wide “Toolbox Project,” which aims to strengthen USIP’s core peacebuilding tools such as negotiation, mediation and dialogue); and also provides auxiliary support for the Central Team’s mission in the areas listed above.

TARGET SALARY RANGE

Grade 07 - $48,000 - $50,000

The Institute uses the General Schedule salary tables for administering compensation. Offers of employment are determined based upon candidate qualifications, related experience, internal equity and amount budgeted for the position.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Programmatic and Administrative Support to the ACT Vice President:

  • Coordinates with ACT’s thematic teams and other USIP Centers to provide programmatic updates;
  • Conducts research in support of the Vice President’s speeches or writings for external audiences;
  • Functions as ACT/Central’s FMS requisitioner for central contracts;
  • Manages the daily “paper flow” to and from the Vice President;
  • As needed, manages scheduling activities for the Vice President;
  • As needed, assists Vice President in setting up and maintaining filing systems, mailing lists, etc.; and
  • Arranges the Vice President’s domestic and international travel—including the processing of authorizations, advances, vouchers and reimbursements.

Programmatic and Administrative Support for the Toolbox Project:

  • Serves as the overall secretariat for the Institute-wide Toolbox Project, which currently includes eight separate “tools” and 12 separate “supporting mechanisms” that underlie the tools;
  • Coordinates with the lead staff members for both the tools and supporting mechanisms;
  • Supports the senior-level Steering Committee that oversees the Toolbox Project;
  • Supports the Vice President in implementing, monitoring and reporting progress on the Toolbox Project through the drafting of action plans, designing and maintaining performance-monitoring frameworks, and drafting and distributing regular updates to the Project’s main stakeholders;
  • Provides support for specific supporting mechanisms within the Toolbox Project, such as the clearinghouse for field-office requests for technical assistance, the knowledge-management group, or the training-support group; and
  • Maintains a Toolbox Project web page on USIP’s intranet—MyUSIP—so that the entire Institute has access to the latest information.

Programmatic and Administrative Support to the Central Team:

  • As needed, provides programmatic and administrative support for the following:

    • The ACT Center’s annual planning and budgeting process;
    • Recruitment-requisition process with Human Resources (job descriptions and posting of positions);
    • Research and drafting of internal-communications products;
    • Production of ACT publications;
    • Arrangement of office space and provision of office supplies;
    • Planning of public events;
    • Oversight of the signatory process for the ACT Vice-President’s review of external funding (including coordination with program staff, the Finance Office, the Center for Policy, Learning and Strategy, and the Executive Office); and
    • Maintenance of distribution lists and organizational charts.

Performs other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

  • Bachelor’s degree in international relations required (concentration in peacebuilding preferred);
  • One (1) or more years related project and administrative experience, budgeting principles, program implementation, and coordination of major office activities required.
  • Excellent research, analytical and writing skills;
  • Excellent organizational and team-building skills, with experience in coordinating teams across organizations;
  • Excellent time-management skills, with the ability to set priorities and meet deadlines;
  • Demonstrated experience with organizing public events; and
  • Excellent skills in the Microsoft Office Suite—particularly MS Word, MS Outlook, and MS Excel; and experience in managing electronic databases.

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

Compensation is commensurate with qualifications and experience.

HOW TO APPLY
To be considered for this position, please submit a complete application package consisting of:

  1. Completed employment application including titles, dates of hire and salary requirements.
  2. Cover letter
  3. Resume

For questions about this position please email recruitment@usip.org. Do not send resumes or attachments to this email address.

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

No Phone Calls. Interviews will be scheduled by appointment only.

USIP is an equal opportunity employer. It is the policy and practice of USIP to offer equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, age, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information, HIV/AIDS status, political affiliations or belief, pregnancy, or any other characteristic protected by law.

This vacancy is archived.

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