Program Assistant - Systems and Program Sustainability Division
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has contracted Social Solutions International, Inc. (Social Solutions) to recruit and hire qualified individuals for the following position:
Title: Program Assistant - Grade 8 / OHA Systems and Program Sustainability (SPS) Division, Health Finance and Economics (HFE) Branch
Location: Washington, DC
Application Deadline: Open until filled
Salary Range: 52,068 - 67,687
The Bureau for Global Health at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) supports field health programs, advances research and innovation in selected areas relevant to overall agency health objectives and transfers new technologies to the field through its own staff’s work, coordination with other donors, and a portfolio of grants. The Bureau is USAID’s center of excellence and focal point in providing worldwide leadership and technical expertise in the areas of child and maternal health and nutrition, HIV/AIDS, infectious disease, population, family planning and related reproductive health, and health systems. As such, the Bureau aligns resources with identified public health and development needs, and influences the global health priorities of the U.S. private sector, U.S.-based foundations, other donor organizations, host country governments, and host country civil society organizations. It also serves as the primary source of technical expertise and intellectual capital to the Agency and other U.S. foreign affairs agencies. The Bureau is the Agency repository for state-of-the-art thinking in biomedical, social science, and operations research and works to produce technical advances and innovations that can be disseminated and replicated at USAID Missions throughout the world.
USAID is at the forefront of the U.S. Government (USG) response in the fight against HIV/AIDS. USAID is a key partner in the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), and works closely with other USG agencies on this multi-billion dollar initiative in developing countries around the world. The Bureau for Global Health Office of HIV/AIDS (OHA) is the center of HIV/AIDS technical leadership for the Agency with primary responsibility for the Agency’s HIV/AIDS program. OHA provides strategic guidance, technical leadership, and support to field programs in HIV and AIDS including direction on allocation of financial and human resources and technical assistance in design, implementation and monitoring of HIV programs.
The Health Finance and Economics Branch (GH/OHA/SPS/HFE) directs programs to increase sustainable financing for HIV/AIDS. The Branch informs health finance and economics program design and implementation to increase partner country domestic resource mobilization, resource allocation and strategic investments for HIV/AIDS. It provides technical expertise and guidance in health finance and economics in support of HIV/AIDS programming to strengthen impact, accountability, and shared responsibility for coverage of HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and treatment services. The Branch supports policy advocacy on financing issues; finance and economic analyses; resource mobilization and allocation; technical efficiency and effectiveness; and private sector and innovative financing.
Responsibilities
The Program Assistant (PA) will be an essential member of one the Divisions and/or component Branches within the applicable GH Office and will report on a day-to-day basis to a Division Chief or Branch Chief within that respective organizational unit. The PA provides support to the team, performing a variety of both complex and routine administrative and technical duties, with a higher or lower relative level of expertise and greater or lesser extent of required oversight and onsite management, depending on grade level (as described below).
The PA provides support to technical or managerial staff, performing routine administrative and analytical duties. These duties range from tasks such as scheduling briefings and meetings and maintaining program files to more complex analytical tasks such as collecting, compiling and analyzing data for various program documents and designing and maintaining spreadsheets in support of financial tracking systems. The PA works closely with the assigned team and provides input on related technical issues. The PA also works with other members of the team (and potentially across other parts of the Office or the Bureau) to assist in areas within the purview of the assigned Division and/or Branch; assignments may include country backstopping, overall administrative support and other duties as assigned. The PA ranks tasks in order of importance and impending deadlines, and handles several tasks simultaneously. The individual is expected to become familiar with technical issues and policies pertaining to the public health focus area(s) of their assigned Office, Division, and/or Branch and must develop a working knowledge of applicable USAID policies and guidelines, as well as corporate practices and procedures. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
At the GS-8 equivalent level, PA time will be split between administrative tasks (approximately 60%) and programmatic or technical tasks (approximately 40%), and may require considerable onsite management oversight and guidance.
Specific duties may include:
- Research, identify, analyze, and update program and technical information;
- Coordinate and assist in financial management and tracking Mission field support levels for each GH project;
- Assist technical staff in supporting field as necessary; travel to USAID missions as necessary; track, oversee, coordinate, and report on field support;
- Maintain filing system, including records retirement for GH offices, both paper and electronically;
- Assist in development and preparation of program documents, to include authorization documents, action memos, Congressional Notifications, and PowerPoint presentations;
- Schedule and organize program, portfolio, and strategic objective reviews;
- Maintain databases and spreadsheets for program tracking and financial management;
- Review, update, and retire bureau and office files, both paper and electronically;
- Within assigned office/division, schedule and track technical meetings and special events; and
- Plan and coordinate logistical support for conferences and events.
Illustrative examples of possible tasks include:
Program Management and Financial Monitoring
- Coordinate oversight, management, and maintenance of the program and project files;
- Assist AOR/COR and Technical Advisors in compiling appropriate financial documentation to ensure timely award and sub-award approvals, budget obligations, and agreement/contract modifications;
- Support Technical Advisors and Agreement/Contracting Officer’s Representatives (AORs/CORs) to coordinate and manage project(s);
- Assist technical staff in the preparation of various program documents and correspondence such as project authorization documents, action memos, and waivers, ensuring that all documentation is complete and in compliance with USAID rules, regulations, and standards; and
- Coordinate communications and meetings among technical staff and with partners, including note taking.
Quantitative Data & Analytics
- Perform routine and ad hoc data collection exercises and analysis of data as needed, with tight turnaround times; and
- Assist with the development of team presentations including synthesized analysis products using Excel, Google sheets, Panorama and/or other statistical software.
Communications/ Knowledge Management
- Support Division- and/or Branch-related communications to the field, including development and distribution of monthly newsletter and other relevant guidance;
- Schedule and manage relevant webinars with the Field to disseminate updates;
- Manage division and/or branch documents within Google drive, internal website, and listservs; and
- Respond to Mission requests and help coordinate field requests for TA and provide support, as appropriate. Follow up to ensure completion of requests.
Administrative
- Schedule team meetings and events; Support team with general logistics/support; maintain team calendar, call lines, meeting setup and logistics;
- Provide administrative support for hiring actions, onboarding of new staff, meetings logistics, Front Office taskers, and memos, as needed; and
- Document minutes/notes of regular division and/or branch meetings, or other partner meetings, as required.
Performs other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
Qualification at the GS-8 equivalent Program Assistant level requires an associate’s degree in a related field and a minimum of 4 years of relevant experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience. Alternately, an individual may qualify at the GS-8 equivalent Program Assistant level with a bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 2 year of relevant experience.
Other qualifications include:
- A demonstrated general interest in international development and global health, and in particular demonstrated interest to the health focus area(s) of the host Office, Division, and/or Branch, is desirable
- Strong organizational skills
- Experience in project administration and management procedures preferred
- Some knowledge of USAID rules, regulations and capacity building concepts is a plus
- Strong oral, written communication and comprehension skills
- Ability to handle multi-tasking well
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from team members, managers, and others
- Strong quantitative and analysis skills
- Proficiency in Microsoft suite of programs (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
- Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form
- US Citizen with the ability to obtain facility access clearance is required
International travel, ranging from 5-15%, depending on assigned Office and operational unit.