Special Assistant

Kaiva Tech•Washington, DC

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Kaiva Tech, LLC is seeking a Special Assistant in Washington, DC to perform secretarial duties in support of the Assistant Secretary and other senior Department of State (DoS) Consular Affairs (CA) bureau officials. This role involves managing schedules, handling correspondence, making travel arrangements, and serving as a liaison between various offices and external partners. The Special Assistant will support the smooth flow of information and tasks within the CA Front Office and across the Bureau, ensuring efficiency and effectiveness in administrative operations. This position requires a high degree of tact, diplomacy, and comprehensive knowledge of government operations and the views of senior officials.

Requirements

Must be a US citizen with a valid US passport
Possess a minimum a SECRET clearance; Top Secret Preferred
Excellent knowledge of Department of State operations and overall special assistant experience
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including drafting and editing executive-level correspondence, memoranda, briefing materials, and reports
Demonstrated experience supporting senior executive/front office leadership in a high-tempo government environment
Working knowledge of personal computers and general administrative practices
Bachelor's degree required
8+ years of experience in supporting executive leadership
Experience performing duties comparable in complexity and responsibility to the GS-14/15 level
Demonstrated expertise in coordinating executive level travel and managing executive calendars
Ability to work under pressure and tight or short deadlines
Demonstrates extensive experience and demonstrated ability in working with classified and unclassified computer applications

Nice To Haves

Master's degree preferred
Top Secret Clearance Preferred

Responsibilities

Perform secretarial duties in support of the Assistant Secretary and other senior Department of State (DoS) Consular Affairs (CA) bureau officials.
Receive, schedule, direct, and respond to telephone calls, referring them appropriately.
Maintain the schedule for the Assistant Secretary, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, and other senior CA officials, arranging and rescheduling appointments as necessary.
Handle all requests for meetings, speaking engagements, and appointments, deciding the distribution of time for senior officials.
Prepare or request preparation of briefing memorandums and arrange for oral briefings.
Ensure proposals and orders are directed at the proper offices for implementation action.
Work with the Chief of Staff and Staff Assistants to track assignments, programs, and schedules.
Perform a variety of administrative and office management tasks to support the smooth flow of information and tasks.
Devise and install procedures and practices to coordinate and control the flow of information.
Distribute taskers that flow into the office.
Resolve administrative bottlenecks and correct deficiencies to streamline the flow of information.
Serve as a liaison between the CA Front Office and counterparts in other government offices.
Correspond with external partners on logistical topics.
Bring urgent items to the attention of CA or the detailed office leadership.
Ensure Front Office staff are advised of pertinent and time-critical information.
Serve as a liaison between Front Office leadership and all bureau colleagues, as well as other officials in the Department.
Make and acknowledge various social engagements.
Make travel arrangements, including scheduling appointments, hotel reservations, passports, visas, and travel advances.
Prepare vouchers from receipts, notes, and knowledge of arrangements upon return of traveler.
Assure that colleagues are fully informed on the plans and commitments of senior CA officials.
Ensure that senior CA leadership is kept continually informed of activities for which subordinates are responsible.
Transmit and interpret instructions from the Assistant Secretary or Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary.
Make careful and exhaustive searches for information, compile data, and make preliminary analyses.
Make and transcribe notes taken during meetings.
Carry out special assignments for senior CA officials requiring tact, diplomacy, and comprehensive knowledge.
Prepare correspondence, telegrams, and memoranda for the Assistant Secretary and other senior CA officials.
Ensure briefing papers and reports conform to style and format guidelines.
Draft/prepare travel authorizations on behalf of supervisor or staff member.
Prepare trip itineraries and obtain travel expense estimates.
Assist traveler in preparing electronic travel vouchers upon completion of trip.
Follow up with travelers to ensure all expense documents have been submitted on time.
Review all incoming correspondence and forward it with necessary information or instructions.
Compose replies for own signature when appropriate.
Exercise judgment in presenting material of special interest or confidential consideration.
Compose correspondence for signature by the Assistant Secretary and other senior CA officials.
Process/review all incoming and outgoing letters, memos, and related correspondence.
Prepare reports, memoranda, and other forms of written communication.
Compose and edit letters, reports, and general office memoranda for publication/distribution.
Maintain a file of correspondence and events in the absence of a relevant senior CA official.
Operate and possess knowledge of Microsoft applications, including Word, Excel, and related computer-based programs.
Maintain office files.
Manage other tasks authorized by the Government Task Manager.
Perform duties as assigned by the Assistant Secretary related to the general function, logistics, and flow of paper through the Front Office.