Program Associate, National Center on Head Start Early Learning, Health and Family Engagement
About The Position
ICF is seeking a highly organized and detail‑oriented Program Associate to support the National Center on Head Start Early Learning, Health, and Family Engagement (ELHFE). This position provides administrative, coordination, and reporting support to ensure timely execution of contract activities, deliverables, and events. The Program Associate will primarily support the Project Director, helping to maintain efficient internal operations and high-quality client-facing coordination. The ideal candidate will bring strong administrative and project coordination skills, experience supporting federal or large-scale initiatives, and the ability to manage multiple priorities with accuracy and discretion. This role will contribute to effective planning and documentation of training and technical assistance (TTA) activities, including event logistics, data aggregation, and reporting support. This position is home-based with minimal travel anticipated, but participation in occasional center events, partner meetings, conferences, and related activities may be required as directed. This position will be an hourly role.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in business administration, public administration, communications, education, or a related field (or an equivalent combination of education and experience).
- 3+ years of experience providing administrative or program support in a professional services, nonprofit, or government-funded environment.
- Demonstrated ability to efficiently manage multiple tasks and deadlines with a high degree of accuracy and consistent follow-through, maintaining independence and responsiveness within dynamic, fast-paced settings.
- Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and virtual collaboration tools (e.g., Teams, Zoom).
- 3+ years of experience with data entry, documentation management, and maintaining accurate tracking records.
- Exceptional interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills, including professional formatting and editing.
Nice To Haves
- 1+ years of experience supporting federal contracts and/or training and technical assistance initiatives.
- Familiarity with early childhood systems, Head Start, or national/regional support structures.
- 1+ years of experience coordinating logistics for meetings, trainings, and events (virtual and in-person).
- 1+ years of experience with project tracking tools such as Smartsheet (or similar platforms).
- 1+ years of experience compiling or supporting recurring reporting cycles (monthly/quarterly deliverables).
Responsibilities
- Provide general administrative support for cooperative agreement activities and deliverables as directed by the Project Director and in coordination with the overall management team.
- Perform clerical and administrative duties including data entry, data aggregation, file management, recordkeeping, and correspondence support.
- Maintain organized records of project documentation, approvals, and deliverables to ensure accessibility and accuracy across project systems.
- Support event planning and logistical coordination for national, regional or other professional development events, including virtual events, trainings, and convenings.
- Support meeting preparation activities such as agendas, calendar invites, participant lists, meeting materials, notes/minutes, and follow‑up tracking.
- Aggregate and prepare data from OHS-owned and project tracking systems to inform and report on National Center activities.
- Maintain accuracy of recordkeeping and data entry across multiple systems and tracking tools, supporting clean and consistent reporting.
- Support the Project Director in preparing and submitting accurate and timely monthly and quarterly reports, including compiling inputs, formatting, proofreading, and coordinating review/approval workflows.
- Support emerging OHS initiatives and priorities by assisting with coordination, documentation, tracking, and administrative follow‑through.
- Incorporate other tasks specific to supporting the Project Director’s work as requested.
- Participate in center events, partner meetings, conferences, and other related meetings as directed by the Project Director.
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What This Job Offers
Career Level
Entry Level
