Staff Assistant

Cherokee Federal•Washington, DC

8h•Onsite

About The Position

The Staff Assistant provides administrative planning, implementation services, and program support to AUKUS Senior Advisor and staff. The position requires strong organizational, analytical, and communication skills, with the ability to manage sensitive information and high-level engagements.

Requirements

Requires an active Secret clearance to be considered.
Must be able to obtain Top Secret/SCI after hire.
Must be a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident.
Bachelor’s degree, or a high school diploma or GED with five (5) years experience in international politics/foreign policy, military/defense or security cooperation.
Ability to work independently to assess priorities and manage daily coordination of details without repeated requests for guidance from supervisors.
Ability to solve problems and encourage consistent, solid performance.
Ability to manage multiple tasks, coordinate activities in multiple locations, act decisively in daily work, and work well in a multi-cultural team environment.
Strong organizational, communication, interpersonal, and computer skills.
English language (written and spoken) communications skills.

Nice To Haves

Prior experience working with the Department of State or another federal department or agency preferred.
Prior experience in foreign affairs, administration, travel planning, complex logistics, political-military affairs, foreign affairs, and defense security cooperation, or academic research support preferred.
Experience in drafting policy-related or administrative products based on diverse sources, including government documents, academic research, and/or academic and think tank products preferred.
Experience working with Microsoft Office applications for product creation (Word, Excel, Publisher, and/or PowerPoint) and for knowledge management (Teams and/or SharePoint) preferred.
Experience with travel management, preferably experience with E2 solutions, preferred.

Responsibilities

At the direction of the AUKUS Senior Advisor and Principal Deputy Advisor, ensures that proposals and orders are directed to the proper offices for implementation and prompt action.
Working with the Senior Advisor, Principal Deputy Advisor, and other Department personnel, designs and implements a knowledge management system to track assignments, share information, and maintain core documentation.
Accompanies the AUKUS Senior Advisor, Principal Deputy Advisor, or other T/AUKUS personnel to international and domestic meetings and conferences, developing material and information on issues which arise.
Prepares vouchers upon completion of the travel.
Ensures that all official communications to the T/AUKUS team are properly and promptly handled, in accordance with records requirements and Department standards.
Maintains schedule for the Senior Advisor and other AUKUS personnel as required - arranging, referring to other officials, rescheduling appointments if necessary.
Prepares and requests briefing memoranda for meetings, including through the Department paper tasking system; arranges for oral briefings and determines invitees to meetings.
Makes and acknowledges social arrangements and obligations for the AUKUS Senior Advisor Principal Deputy Advisor, and other T/AUKUS personnel as required.
Makes travel arrangements, hotel reservations, submit passports applications, visas, and travel advances, as necessary.
Takes and transcribes notes during international, interagency, or public meetings as required.
Drafts, clears, and submits congressional reports and other products in line with T/AUKUS and Department guidance.
Carries out special assignments using a high degree of tact and diplomacy.
Assists in the preparation of a large volume of correspondence, telegrams, memoranda, briefing papers, and reports, frequently working with senior level contacts at the White House National Security Council, Department of Defense, Department of Commerce, Energy, Justice, and across the Department of State.
Serves as a liaison for administrative HR matters, e.g., performance appraisal reminders, leave restoration procedures, proxy access in performance management systems, and award nomination procedures.
Serve as T/AUKUS timekeeper, ensuring that personnel comply with all relevant Department time and attendance requirements.
Acts as a liaison for GSO work orders and IT maintenance and computer issues.
Manages conference room schedule requests.
Assists new staff members, processes new hire paperwork and coordinates equipment and security accesses.
Assists T/AUKUS personnel in scheduling meetings at the TS and TS/SCI level, such as National Security Council or Intelligence Community briefings.
Reads and tracks TS and TS/SCI materials related to special assignments and aforementioned functions.
Ensures classified materials are managed appropriately, including procedures for handling and storing SCI documents.