Special Assistant - USAID

This role is a full-time position working on-site within the USAID offices in Washington, DC.

XL Associates, Inc. (XLA) has provided institutional support services to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for nearly 25 years. XLA is currently seeking a Special Assistant to provide highly responsible direct support to the Deputy Assistant Administrators (DAAs) within the USAID Bureau for Legislative and Public Affairs (USAID/LPA). The Special Assistant manages the overall workflow and coordination of the Front Office and designated senior staff, and is expected to exercise a wide latitude of discretion regarding workflow, priorities, and methods, in addition to an in-depth knowledge of the executive’s style, methods of operation, relationships, and authorities. The position requires the use of considerable judgment and independent action and may include the delegation of work to others. Work requires a high level of discretion.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Serves as a senior advisor to the DAAs to perform work of broad scope and complexity under the direction of the DAAs.
• Systematically coordinates, tracks, and completes office workflow to maintain an efficient operating environment.
• Serves as a focal point for the DAA’s Front Office operations and oversees and manages the flow and exchange of information, streamlines interactions with internal and external customers, and facilitates initiatives on behalf of the DAAs.
• Schedules and manages the DAA’s calendar and controls access to the DAAs, determining the importance of the issues for each meeting and following protocol procedures for contacting parties.
• Monitors email for action items and to glean items from staff meetings and weekly reports that require action; creates a system to generate reminders of completion deadlines.
• Drafts and prepares correspondence on behalf of the DAAs and Office Directors.
• Researches and prepares background information and/or talking points papers, as needed, on meeting attendees and/or topics of interest for meetings.
• Develops and maintains accurate records and file management systems.
• Makes appointments, travel arrangements, and itineraries; assembles or ensures that packets of information or briefing materials and accurate expense statements are prepared
• Exercises a wide degree of creativity and latitude in developing and coordinating projects on behalf of the DAAs.
• Relies on extensive experience and judgment to plan and accomplish project goals utilizing strong organizational skills.
• Participates in high level meetings and travel, as needed.
• Performs other work-related duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree required; Master’s Degree preferred.
• Minimum 4 years of experience relevant to the position; prior experience supporting USAID senior leaders is a plus.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills sufficient to compose and deliver responses to complex questions in a clear and concise manner and to deal with a wide range of people and personalities.
• Ability to manage several tasks simultaneously, and work within tight schedule constraints.
• Must possess the skills necessary to resolve conflicts and respond promptly to the ever- changing demands of the principal.
• Strong planning, management, and execution skills.
• Ability to adapt to changing work requirements and priorities.
• Excellent writing, communication, and presentation skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Internet, and e-mail applications.
• Ability to obtain a Facility Access Clearance is required.