USAID Administrative Assistant at the U.S. Embassy

The U.S. Mission to Nigeria comprises of the Embassy in Abuja, FCT, and the Consulate General in Lagos. U.S. Consulate General Lagos is the Mission’s representative to the Nigerian people in the southern region.

Overview

• Hiring Path: Open to the public
• Who May Apply/Clarification From the Agency:
  • For definitions use URL www.usaid.gov/ads/policy/glossary
  • Current Mission Nigeria Employees only
• Security Clearance Required: Public Trust – Background Investigation
• Appointment Type: Permanent
• Appointment Type Details: Five (5) years renewable, estimated to start on or after August 2021

Marketing Statement:

• USAID is an independent Federal Government agency that receives overall foreign policy guidance from the Secretary of State. With headquarters in Washington, D.C., USAID fosters transformational development around the world. Our work supports economic growth and trade; agriculture and the environment; education and training; democracy and governance; global health; global partnerships and humanitarian assistance. We operate in the following regions of the world: Afghanistan and Pakistan, Africa (all of Africa), Asia, Europe and Eurasia, Latin America and the Caribbean and the Middle East.

For more information about USAID, visit http://www.usaid.gov

Summary

• The Administrative Assistant serves as the principal administrative support person for the Office Chief.
• The Administrative Assistant is the primary contact person responsible for Office customer service to internal and external partners and other stakeholders.
• In this capacity, the Administrative Assistant is responsible for coordinating information about the Office and making sure that information gets to customers on a timely basis and in a professional manner.

Duties

• The Administrative Assistant receives and places phone calls, sends and receives e-mail and faxes, and sets up meetings and makes appointments at the request of the supervisor and other Office staff with Mission, Host Government, Implementing Partners (IPs), Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO), donor organizations, private-sector, and other contacts; arranges transportation, as needed; and, takes minutes when requested.
• The Administrative Assistant schedules appointments based on a good knowledge of the Office Director’s commitments and maintains the Office calendar, reminding the supervisor and others of meetings and appointments.
• The Administrative Assistant takes messages in the absence of the Office Director and other staff, directing callers to other staff members, or answering questions personally; prepares visitor access requests, receives and assists visitors, answers questions, or directs them to a staff member who can assist them; schedules meetings for the Office Director, and ensures that attendees are briefed or provided proper background material for meetings; and, participates in arranging for conference / meeting room space as required by the size of the group and maintaining conference / meeting room schedules, in coordination with other Mission administrative staff.
• The Administrative Assistant meets with other Mission support staff on a regular and recurring basis to update and improve standard operating processes. 25%
• The Administrative Assistant maintains control of correspondence for the Office, including program / project / activity files provided by Contracting / Agreement Officer’s Representatives (CORs/AORs) and other Specialists, establishing and maintaining computerized tracking systems to track Office actions, providing weekly reports to the Office Director, receiving and screening Office mail not addressed to a particular individual, drafting responses to routine correspondence and letters, distributing incoming official mail to Office personnel and attaching pertinent background material, and searching files and records to assemble background information for correspondence and other pending actions.
• The Administrative Assistant reviews outgoing mail for proper address, routing, attachments, etc., prior to dispatch, reviewing outgoing correspondence for accuracy and conformance with Mission formatting procedures and special instructions.
• The Administrative Assistant distributes internal policies and procedures and, as necessary, maintains a tracking system of when staff received new policies and/or procedures. 25%
• The Administrative Assistant establishes and maintains files according to standards set by the Mission Correspondence and Records (C&R) Technician / Supervisor in the Executive Office (EXO) and by USAID / Washington, marks correspondence and other documents for filing, and files accordingly.
• Reviews all correspondence prepared in the Office or elsewhere for the supervisor’s signature, corrects errors by drafters and edits correspondence, and ensures that responding correspondence meets requirements posed by incoming correspondence to which it pertains.
• The Administrative Assistant maintains and updates handbooks, operating procedures, and other documents, such as visitors’ lists, telephone listings, personnel rosters, and leave, travel, and training schedules. 25%
• The Administrative Assistant uses computer and web-based word processing, spreadsheets, and software applications in the performance of a variety of assignments.
• Drafts electronic country clearances (eCCs); reports time and attendance; assists incoming personnel with check-in procedures and departing personnel with check out procedures; prepares travel requests for the Office staff for official travel. Types a variety of correspondence, creates electronic trackers, develops charts, and prepares other documents in draft and final form, proof-reading for format and consistency with standard formatting requirements prior to submitting for signature.
• As required, the Administrative Assistant locates documents routed for clearance, and obtains and tracks clearances and signatures. As required by workload, the Administrative Assistant may be assigned to the Front Office, or assigned to support other office Administrative Assistants, during the absence of the job holder. 25%

Qualifications and Evaluations

Education Requirements:

• Two or more years of post-secondary schooling in Secretarial Science or Business Administration, or other related field equivalent to a US junior college or community college diploma, is required.

Prior Work Experience:

• A minimum of three years of administrative or secretarial work experience, of which two years should be in related work with a U.S. Government Agency, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), other donor organizations, host-government organizations, or private-sector institutions is required.
• Physical Demands: The work requested does not involve undue physical demands.

Evaluations:

• Applicants who clearly meet the minimum Education, Experience and basic eligibility requirements will be further evaluated based on scoring of the Evaluation Factors listed below. The highest-ranking applicants may be selected for an interview.
  • Knowledge: 10 points
  • Skills and abilities: 10 points
  • Communication and Language skills: 10 points
  • Interview Performance: 70 points

Applications that do not meet the required minimum qualifications will not be scored. Candidates meeting the required qualifications for the position will be evaluated based on information presented in the application. USAID reserves the right to conduct interviews with the top ranked short-listed candidates. If the interview is conducted, the interview will be one of the determining factors in the final selection.

Reference checks will be made only for the successful candidate. If a candidate does not wish USAID to contact a current employer for a reference check, this should be stated in the application letter.

USAID is an Equal Opportunity Employer:

• All qualified candidates will be considered regardless of age, race, color, sex, creed, national origin, lawful political affiliation, non-disqualifying handicap, marital status, sexual orientation, affiliation with an employee organization, or other non-merit factor. Management may consider the following when determining successful candidacy: nepotism, conflicts of interest, budget, and residency status.

Job Knowledge:

• The Administrative Assistant should be familiar, or able to quickly become familiar with the responsibilities and activities of the Office of assignment, as well as possess a general knowledge of standard office procedures and practices.
• The Administrative Assistant should have the ability to develop an excellent understanding of USG file management, mail handling, and correspondence formatting.
• Skills and Abilities:
• The Administrative Assistant must be proficient in keyboarding and in operating computers with standard software, including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and other software programs as designated.
• The Administrative Assistant must be proficient in using the Internet and E-mail.

Language Proficiency:

• Level 4 (advanced professional proficiency) English both oral and written, is required.

Benefits and Other Info

Benefits
Agency Benefits:

• As a matter of policy, and as appropriate, a PSC is normally authorized the following benefits and allowances:

Benefits:

• Health Insurance
• Annual Salary Increase (if applicable)
• Annual and Sick leave
• Annual Bonus

Allowances (as applicable):

• Transportation Allowance
• Meal Allowance
• Miscellaneous Allowance
• Housing Allowance

Other Information:

• USAID Acquisition Regulation (AIDAR), Appendix J, “Direct USAID Contracts With a Cooperating Country National and with a Third Country National for Personal Services Abroad,” including contract clause “General Provisions,” available at: https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/aidar_0.pdf
• Contract Cover Page form AID 309-1 available at: https://www.usaid.gov/forms
• Acquisition & Assistance Policy Directives/Contract Information Bulletins (AAPDs/CIBs) for Personal Services Contracts with Individuals available at: http://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/aapds-cibs
• Ethical Conduct.  By the acceptance of a USAID personal services contract as an individual, the contractor will be acknowledging receipt of the “Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch,” available from the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, in accordance with General Provision 2 and 5 CFR 2635.  See: https://www.oge.gov/web/oge.nsf/OGE%20Regulations

Taxes

• The Mission emphasize to its employees of the fact that they are obliged to observe Nigerian Laws, including those concerning income and related tax obligations.  Payment of such taxes is a matter between the individual employee and the Nigerian Government. In the absence of a specific international agreement, the U.S. Government will not withhold local taxes from an employee’s salary.

Salary
NGN 6,455,212 / Annum

Application Closing Date
6th April, 2021.