Administrative Assistant, IS-0341-07/09

Smithsonian Institution•Washington, DC

30d•$57,736 - $70,623•Onsite

About The Position

The National Museum of Asian Art seeks an Administrative Assistant to provide administrative and operational support to the museum, with a strong focus on human resources-related processes. This position supports the day-to-day administrative needs of the office by assisting with personnel action tracking, personnel files, time and attendance, recruitment and onboarding logistics, correspondence, scheduling, records management, procurement support, travel coordination, funds tracking, and other administrative processes. The incumbent works closely with supervisors, managers, employees, and Smithsonian administrative and human resources offices to help ensure that actions are accurate, timely, well documented, and handled with appropriate discretion. The position requires excellent attention to detail, sound judgment, strong organizational skills, customer service, and the ability to manage multiple priorities while supporting confidential and time-sensitive administrative work. This is a career ladder opportunity with promotion potential to grade 9. Promotion to the next higher grade, up to IS-9, may occur at management’s discretion upon the supervisor’s recommendation, subject to the availability of funds, classification requirements, satisfactory performance, and the employee's qualifications.

Requirements

To qualify for the IS-07 level, applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the IS/GS-05 level in the Federal service or comparable pay band system. Specialized experience is defined as experience providing administrative support for an office or program, including maintaining records or files; preparing or reviewing correspondence, reports, spreadsheets, or other documents; tracking deadlines, actions, or approvals; assisting with timekeeping, personnel, recruitment, onboarding, procurement, travel, or budget-related processes.
Applicants may also qualify for the IS-07 level based on one full year of graduate-level education, superior academic achievement, or a qualifying combination of education and experience, consistent with the applicable qualification standard.
To qualify for the IS-09 level, applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the IS/GS-07 level in the Federal service or comparable pay band system. Specialized experience is defined as experience providing administrative support for multiple office or program functions, including tracking and monitoring personnel actions or HR-related transactions; maintaining confidential records or files; preparing and reviewing correspondence, reports, spreadsheets, or briefing materials; supporting time and attendance, recruitment, onboarding, procurement, travel, or budget processes; identifying and resolving discrepancies in records or transactions; and applying established procedures to respond to staff, supervisor, manager, applicant, or customer inquiries.
Applicants may also qualify for the IS-09 level based on a master’s or equivalent graduate degree, two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or a qualifying combination of education and experience, consistent with the applicable qualification standard.
Education completed outside the United States must be deemed equivalent to higher education programs of U.S. Institutions by an organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. This documentation is the responsibility of the applicant and should be included as part of your application package.
Any false statement in your application may result in rejection of your application and may also result in termination after employment begins.
Resumes should include a description of your paid and non-paid work experience that is related to this job; starting and ending dates of job (month and year); and average number of hours worked per week.

Responsibilities

Assist with maintaining personnel files, entering personnel action requests, and tracking and monitoring actions in the Human Resources Management System.
Assist with recruitment, onboarding, interview scheduling, candidate communications, new employee meeting logistics, and preparation of related materials and records.
Support Human Capital priorities by helping track workforce actions, staffing processes, onboarding steps, training requirements, manager follow-ups, and other employee lifecycle activities.
Support time and attendance processes for assigned staff, reviewing documentation, and helping ensure that timesheets are accurate and consistent with employee tours of duty, leave categories, and established procedures.
Provide administrative support to supervisors and managers by gathering information, tracking deadlines, preparing materials, and assisting with established HR and administrative procedures.
Maintain administrative, functional, and HR-related files in hard copy and automated systems, ensuring that records are complete, organized, accurate, and handled with appropriate confidentiality.
Maintain calendar appointments, schedule meetings and meeting rooms, coordinate Outlook invitations, and support meeting preparation and follow-up.
Assist with procurement-related administrative support, including preparing purchase requests, tracking approvals, coordinating with vendors or contractors, maintaining documentation, and supporting purchase card or invoice reconciliation as assigned.
Assist with funds management and budget tracking by entering or verifying information in tracking systems, maintaining records, monitoring expenditures and reconciling spending.
Assist with travel arrangements and travel documentation, including preparing or reviewing travel authorizations and vouchers, and supporting timely completion of travel-related actions.
Exercise tact, diplomacy, and discretion when handling confidential employee, candidate, PII, procurement, travel, and organizational information.
Perform other related duties as assigned.