Special Assistant to the President

  • Mid-level, Full-time staff position
  • Posted on 9 March 2015

Job Description

THE ORGANIZATION

The United States Institute of Peace is an independent quasi-federal institution established and funded by the U.S. Congress to:

Prevent and resolve violent international conflict;
Promote post-conflict stability and development;
Increase peacebuilding capacity, tools, and intellectual capital.

The Institute accomplishes its mission through direct engagement in peacebuilding efforts around the world, and by empowering others with knowledge, skills, and resources.

SUMMARY

The Special Assistant to the President focuses on ensuring comprehensive Executive Office oversight of Institute activities, as well as being responsible for coordinating a wide range of mission critical administrative and executive tasks.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Ensures timely information flow to and from the Executive Office (EO), via all types of venues (internal meetings, forums, correspondence, speeches, talking points, conferences, retreats, etc.).
  • Monitors and coordinates internal requests of the EO to help ensure efficient workflow and use of President’s time.
  • Coordinates daily EO briefing notes and administrative coverage of the office.
  • Supports special projects as determined by the President (i.e., research products, books, special events, working groups).
  • Reviews correspondence and drafts responses for the President as appropriate, and routes to the appropriate person for response and follow-up.
  • Tracks, monitors, and follows the progress of action items that emanate from Board meetings and internal leadership meetings:
    a. Develops memos and communiques;
    b. Drafts agendas for EO review;
    c. Collects, prepares, and distributes appropriate briefing materials;
    d. Ensures follow-up and professional workflows.
  • Supports the President and the EO by monitoring Institute activities and programs, helping with plans for synchronizing completeness and implementation.
  • Compiles records and reports as appropriate, such as the Weekly Report, and other communiques that require assembling data and information from around the Institute and its staff.
  • Acts as EO rapporteur, and when designated, participates in meetings, taskforces, and groups as determined by President.
  • Researches and prepare briefings and communication materials for meetings and presentations.
  • Manages details to ensure appropriate follow up.
  • Performs other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

  • Applicants must be U.S. citizens or nationals of countries listed in a U.S. Collective Defense Arrangement per the Department of State. To see a list of those countries, go to http://www.state.gov/s/l/treaty/collectivedefense/index.htm.
  • Bachelor’s degree is required.
  • Master’s degree in a related field highly desirable.
  • Minimum of six years of combined experience in an allied organization required – U.S. government, NGO, inter-governmental or public policy related-work.
  • Minimum of four years substantive experience in international relations or public policy.
  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills, and previous experience working to support senior executives.
  • Knowledge of the Microsoft Office suite (Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook), and databases and/or data management tools.
  • Must have excellent research and writing ability, strong organizational skills, and ability to work independently yet collegially.
  • Ability to perform responsibilities in a mature, responsible manner, make decisions that are in the best interest of the Institute and exhibit grace under pressure.
  • Attentive to detail.
  • Capacity to prioritize, manage multiple projects simultaneously, and follow-through required.

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. Cover letter
2. Resume

If a link does not appear on your screen to “Complete your Application”, please go to www.usip.org/work-us to submit your cover letter and resume.

If you are having problems submitting your online application, please try another browser (Internet Explorer and Firefox work best). If the “Email your Resume” button does not respond, right click on the button and select ‘copy shortcut’ or ‘copy email address’ and send your resume to the copied email address using your personal email account.

For questions about this position, please email Cheryl Saferstein at csaferstein@usip.org. Please do not send resumes or attachments to this email address. Due to the high volume of applicants, only those candidates that are selected for further discussions will be contacted.

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.

Apply Here

PI88686886

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