Executive Assistant

Overview

Nakupuna Solutions seeks an Executive Assistant to support the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy (GHSD). GHSD leads and coordinates the Department’s work to strengthen global health security and prevent, detect, and respond to infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS. The Bureau leads U.S. diplomatic engagement, leverages and helps coordinate U.S. foreign assistance, and promotes international cooperation at the national, regional, and multilateral levels to better protect the United States and the world from health threats. GHSD elevates and integrates global health security as a core component of U.S. national security and foreign policy.

The Executive Assistant will support GHSD offices and teams as they advance U.S. global health priorities, including implementation of the America First Global Health Strategy (AFGHS). The position may be assigned to support Health Programs, Health Diplomacy, Outbreak Detection and Response, Program Transition and Supply Chain, Program Planning and Evaluation, the Foreign Assistance Hub, the CGFS Budget Team, or another designated GHSD-supported office or team.

The Executive Assistant will provide comprehensive administrative and operational support to office leadership and staff, helping ensure schedules, meetings, travel, correspondence, briefing materials, visitor access, and other office requirements are managed efficiently and professionally. The position requires exceptional organization, discretion, responsiveness, and attention to detail, as well as the ability to manage multiple competing priorities and work effectively with senior Department officials, interagency partners, international stakeholders, and other external partners.

Responsibilities

The following reflects management’s definition of essential functions for this job but does not restrict the tasks that may be assigned.  Management may assign additional duties and responsibilities to this job at any time due to reasonable accommodation or other reasons.

• Scheduling and Calendar Management: Manage and maintain office leadership calendars, including meetings, appointments, events, and other commitments.
• Coordinate with internal and external stakeholders to schedule engagements, resolve scheduling conflicts, and ensure leadership has appropriate time and information to meet priority requirements.
• Adjust schedules and appointments as requirements change and maintain awareness of competing priorities, deadlines, and office commitments.
• Meeting and Event Coordination: Coordinate meetings, briefings, conferences, and events, including scheduling participants, reserving meeting space, arranging virtual participation, and supporting associated logistics.
• Prepare, print, organize, and distribute briefing materials, agendas, read-ahead packages, and other meeting materials.
• Take and prepare meeting notes, summaries, or action items for international, interagency, internal, or public meetings as required.
• Travel Arrangements and Support: Coordinate domestic and international travel for office leadership and staff, including transportation, lodging, itineraries, and other required arrangements.
• Support passport and visa processing and other international travel documentation requirements.
• Prepare and process travel authorizations, itineraries, vouchers, and related documentation in accordance with Department of State policies and procedures, including use of the E2 travel system or other designated Department travel-management systems.
• Building Access and Visitor Support: Coordinate building access and escort staff, visitors, and external stakeholders into secure Department of State facilities as required.
• Ensure visitor access and escort activities are conducted in accordance with applicable Department security requirements and procedures.
• Phone and Guest Reception: Receive and appropriately route telephone calls, inquiries, visitors, and requests for information.
• Greet visitors and stakeholders professionally and ensure they are connected with the appropriate office personnel.
• Correspondence and Briefing Support: Assist with the preparation, proofreading, formatting, routing, and distribution of correspondence, memoranda, briefing papers, reports, and other office products.
• Coordinate large volumes of administrative and executive-level correspondence and help ensure materials are accurate, complete, appropriately formatted, and submitted within established deadlines.
• Records and Communications Management: Ensure official communications and administrative records are appropriately received, routed, maintained, and handled in accordance with Department of State records-management requirements and office procedures.
• Maintain organized electronic and paper files, contact lists, distribution lists, administrative trackers, and other office records.
• Administrative and HR Support: Serve as an administrative liaison for routine personnel and HR-related matters, including performance-management reminders, leave-related procedures, awards processes, onboarding requirements, and other administrative actions.
• Coordinate equipment, system, workspace, and security-access requirements for new and existing personnel as appropriate.
• Facilities and Information Technology Coordination: Coordinate with appropriate support personnel on facilities requirements, GSO work orders, IT maintenance, computer issues, telecommunications, and other office-support needs.
• Office Operations: Monitor office supplies and administrative resources and coordinate procurement or replenishment as needed to maintain efficient office operations.
• Track administrative actions, deadlines, and outstanding requirements and follow up with responsible personnel to facilitate timely completion.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Skills/Qualifications: The ideal candidate will be a highly organized, self-motivated, and service-oriented administrative professional with demonstrated experience supporting senior leaders and managing complex administrative requirements in a fast-paced professional environment.

• Demonstrated experience providing executive, administrative, or office support to senior leaders or senior-level professionals.
• Strong experience managing complex calendars, scheduling competing priorities, coordinating meetings, and supporting high-level engagements.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating domestic and international travel, including complex travel logistics, itineraries, lodging, transportation, passport and visa requirements, and travel vouchers.
• Experience using the Department of State E2 travel system desired.
• Excellent organizational, time-management, and multitasking skills, with the ability to manage competing requirements and rapidly changing priorities.
• Exceptional attention to detail and demonstrated ability to produce accurate, timely, and professional work products.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing, proofreading, editing, formatting, and routing correspondence, memoranda, briefing materials, and reports.
• Strong customer-service and interpersonal skills, including emotional intelligence, discretion, diplomacy, and the ability to interact professionally with senior officials, colleagues, visitors, and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with senior-level contacts across the Department of State, U.S. Government interagency, international organizations, or comparable complex organizations.
• Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, anticipate administrative requirements, identify potential problems, and follow through on assigned actions with limited supervision.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment and contribute to a professional, responsive, and positive workplace.
• Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive or confidential information appropriately and exercise discretion when supporting senior officials.
• Experience maintaining office files, records, administrative trackers, and other information-management systems.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office 365, including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams, as well as familiarity with electronic records, scheduling, collaboration, and document-management tools.
• Strong technological literacy and demonstrated ability to learn and effectively use Department or organizational administrative systems and procedures.
• Experience supporting U.S. Government, foreign affairs, international development, global health, or similarly complex organizations preferred.

Education and Experience:

• High School Diploma or equivalent required; bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Minimum 6 years of progressively responsible experience in executive support, administration, office management, travel coordination, complex logistics, or a related professional support function.
• Six to nine years of relevant professional experience preferred.
• Demonstrated experience supporting senior officials or organizational leadership, including calendar management, meeting coordination, correspondence and briefing-material preparation, and travel arrangements.
• Experience working with senior-level U.S. Government, interagency, international, or external stakeholders preferred.

Work Schedule: Position is full-time, 40 hours per week (Monday-Friday) in Washington, DC.

Travel: Potential for domestic and international travel in support of Bureau requirements.

Clearance Requirements: Active Secret security clearance required. Must be a US citizen.

Physical Requirements: The ideal candidate must at a minimum be able to meet the following physical requirements of the job with or without a reasonable accommodation:

• Ability to perform repetitive motions with the hands, wrists, and fingers.
• Ability to engage in and follow audible communications in emergency situations.
• Ability to sit for prolonged periods at a desk and work on a computer.

The Nakupuna Companies use a market-based compensation strategy to ensure that our employees are compensated within applicable market ranges commensurate with multiple factors, including but not limited to the individual’s particular combination of education, knowledge, skills, competencies, and experience, as well as contract-specific affordability, organizational requirements, and position location. The projected compensation for this position is $81,000.00 to $95,000.00 (annualized USD). The salary range displayed represents the typical range for this position and is just one component of Nakupuna Companies’ total compensation package for employees.