Educational Technician (Program Assistant) IS-1702-07

Smithsonian Institution•Washington, DC

12d•$57,736 - $61,586•Onsite

About The Position

The Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC) is seeking a Program Assistant to report to the Education Program Manager, Inclusion. This role will provide general administrative support to the Professional Services Division, including preparing travel documents, assisting with on-site and virtual events, and developing educational materials. The SSEC aims to inspire generations through knowledge and discovery.

Requirements

Knowledge of education content development concepts and practices.
Basic knowledge of teaching, training, research, and related instructional methods.
Knowledge of event program logistics coordination for in-person and virtual functions.
Ability to perform a wide range of administrative duties, including office filing; logistics and coordination; travel research and receipt management; time and attendance procedures; budget tracking; procurement and contracts preparation; routine documentation, and filing.
Ability to plan and organize work and work with a team, often under the challenges of multiple projects and short deadlines.
Ability to interact and negotiate diplomatically, effectively, collaboratively, and on a sustained basis with Smithsonian Institution staff members, donors, sponsors, registrants and SSEC Advisory Board members.
Ability to communicate both orally and in writing in a wide range of formats and consistent with formal English grammar principles, sufficient to compose correspondence, draft education materials, and relay information on educational topics to subject matter experts and laypersons.
A great sense of humor and passion for educational innovation.
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.
Must pass a pre-employment background check and subsequent background investigation.
Must maintain a bank account for direct deposit/electronic transfer.
Must be eligible to work in the United States.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in a natural science or science education.

Responsibilities

Gathers educational research and resources for educational programming and develops/prepares summaries on updated resources related to educational leadership and professional development programming.
Supports pre-event and post-event logistics for in-person and virtual programming, including on-site setup/breakdown of audiovisual equipment, securing venues, catering, managing web conferencing platforms, and providing logistical information to participants.
Assists in the development of participant materials, event agendas, and slide decks for professional development workshops.
Maintains a record of program evaluations and participant data, updating event data and records using spreadsheet software and automated systems.
Provides administrative support services including maintaining and updating budget expenses, reconciling and filing travel expenses, administering records management, and supporting vendor enrollment.
Prepares contract paperwork by compiling relevant documents and Statements of Work.
Arranges and tracks participant travel and organizational data using travel software, enterprise resources software, and/or word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software.
Supports the development of proposals and reports for grants and gifts by providing relevant evaluation summary data and demographics.
Develops and maintains positive working relationships with SSEC staff, contractors, Smithsonian personnel, and customers.
Prepares routine correspondence and emails, responds to general phone and email inquiries, and schedules meetings.
Communicates directly with internal and external parties regarding travel arrangements, itineraries, and program agendas.
Drafts language for SSEC newsletters, reports, social media, and other digital communications and outreach projects.
Performs other related duties as assigned.
Travels to venues nationwide and provides on-site assistance at SSEC events.