Management Assistant (Office Management Assistant) job at U.S Embassy

Background information about the job or company (e.g., role context, company overview)

The position is primarily responsible for supporting the Political and Economic Unit Chiefs for Political and Economic Affairs but also assists the other officers in the section as requested and time permits. S/he performs a full range of office management, administrative, records, logistics and protocol duties. The incumbent backs up the Human Rights Officer on overseeing all Leahy vetting functions in his/her absence. The position’s direct supervisor is the Economic Unit Chief.

Responsibilities or duties

OFFICE MANAGEMENT 70% OF TIME Carries out a variety of administrative functions in support of the Section’s role and functions, as follows: Meetings: Manage all arrangements for scheduled meetings for Counselor and Deputy Counselors, including reserving rooms inside the Embassy, processing clearances, escorting participants, and providing refreshments, where appropriate. Representational events: Oversee representational events for Counselor and Deputy Counselors, including procurement of caterers and service staff, establishing guest lists, designing and sending invitations, and overseeing attendance. Incumbent will also oversee the representational budget, make payments where necessary, and deal with outside vendors. Personnel: Manage all personnel matters for the section – USDH, EFM, and LES – including time and attendance, performance reviews, and the submission and tracking of all section awards. Travel: Manage all section travel needs for domestic and international travel, including use of E2 travel system to support staff travel, help to resolve issues, and liaise with ICASS travel staff. Orientation: Oversee the introduction and orientation of new officers, EFM, and LE Staff into the section, including orientation meetings, administrative requirements, information technology needs, security and other clearances, and other tasks as needed. Serves as point of contact for new staff members to ensure their housing needs are addressed promptly. Information Technology and Communications: Oversee section’s IT and communications systems to ensure that all cell phones, scanners, landlines, printers, and computers systems are working properly. This involves developing good relations with the Embassy’s IT and communications staff so that our requests are prioritized appropriately. Property Management: Provide management support for Pol/Econ Section’s IT and Office Equipment through the entire life cycle. Ensure that annual budget for non-expendables property is used in accordance with established ordering plans, and that goods are procured as budgeted and on schedule. Procurement: Assist with the preparation of procurement requests, track the delivery, and ensure that it is properly received and inventoried. General: Organize and attend weekly Pol/Econ Section staff meetings and ensure that actions assigned during such meetings are carried out in a timely manner. Responsible for the preparation and maintenance of databases such as the Section’s contact and phone tree list. Correspondence: Draft diplomatic notes to request meetings, respond to Uganda government enquiries and other types of correspondence as required. Visitors: Manage the visits of officials. The incumbent takes the lead in coordinating airport pickups, hotel reservations and communications, and processing country clearance requests. The incumbent also actively manages key logistical aspects of visitor’s itineraries when in country. Back-up for Front Office OMS: Serve as back-up for the OMSs performing duties up to his/her clearance level. Incumbent must therefore also be familiar with the practices, procedures, and requirements of Front Office management, which are the most sophisticated and comprehensive requirements in the Mission at the OMS level. MISSION LEAHY VETTING COORDINATOR 30% Incumbent oversees the Mission’s processing of over 10,000 Ugandan security officials for the Congressionally mandated Leahy Vetting process. In so doing, the incumbent must effectively and efficiently coordinate all Mission Leahy Vetting reviews, procedures, and processes with the DAO/DATT, OSC, RSO, and Consular Section to ensure they have done appropriate due diligence, provided necessary information on each candidate and are meeting realistic deadlines. If deadlines have not been met for reasons out of U.S. Mission control, and the candidates are a priority, incumbent must solicit a waiver from Washington-based administrators for expedited processing. Incumbent must be able to identify candidates with potential human rights violations and report to the Deputy Counselor and nominating offices for clarification and appropriate handling, which requires much sensitivity. Incumbent must also develop a constructive relationship with Washington-based program managers in order to ensure the smooth running of the program, to successfully receive expedited reviews when necessary, and to enhance and sustain the perception of our Leahy Vetting programs at post. Incumbent must plan ahead to address surges in nominations, must look to actively refine and make more efficient Mission vetting processes, and train new personnel in the use of our processes as new employees join other sections. In addition to Leahy vetting, incumbent processes political vetting for Americans and foreign nationals who are to be employed by the U.S. Government, numbering in the hundreds per year. This requires him/her to vet names against the Leahy software program.

Qualifications or requirements (e.g., education, skills)

EDUCATION: Completion of Secondary School is required.

Experience needed

EXPERIENCE: Three years of clerical, administrative, office support, event or travel management in an office setting is required.

Any other provided details (e.g., benefits, work environment, team info, or additional notes)

JOB KNOWLEDGE: Must understand how businesses/restaurants arrangements are made and confirmed in Uganda, and how to set up events in Uganda. LANGUAGE: English: Good working knowledge – speaking, reading and writing. The work schedule for this position is: Part Time, 32 hours per week Start date: Candidate must be able to begin working within a reasonable period of time (4 weeks) following receipt of agency authorization and/or clearances/certifications or their candidacy may end. Supervisory Position: No

• Manage all arrangements for scheduled meetings for Counselor and Deputy Counselors, including reserving rooms inside the Embassy, processing clearances, escorting participants, and providing refreshments, where appropriate.
• Oversee representational events for Counselor and Deputy Counselors, including procurement of caterers and service staff, establishing guest lists, designing and sending invitations, and overseeing attendance.
• Manage all personnel matters for the section – USDH, EFM, and LES – including time and attendance, performance reviews, and the submission and tracking of all section awards.
• Manage all section travel needs for domestic and international travel, including use of E2 travel system to support staff travel, help to resolve issues, and liaise with ICASS travel staff.
• Oversee the introduction and orientation of new officers, EFM, and LE Staff into the section, including orientation meetings, administrative requirements, information technology needs, security and other clearances, and other tasks as needed.
• Oversee section’s IT and communications systems to ensure that all cell phones, scanners, landlines, printers, and computers systems are working properly.
• Provide management support for Pol/Econ Section’s IT and Office Equipment through the entire life cycle.
• Assist with the preparation of procurement requests, track the delivery, and ensure that it is properly received and inventoried.
• Organize and attend weekly Pol/Econ Section staff meetings and ensure that actions assigned during such meetings are carried out in a timely manner.
• Draft diplomatic notes to request meetings, respond to Uganda government enquiries and other types of correspondence as required.
• Manage the visits of officials.
• Serve as back-up for the OMSs performing duties up to his/her clearance level.
• Oversees the Mission’s processing of over 10,000 Ugandan security officials for the Congressionally mandated Leahy Vetting process.
• Effectively and efficiently coordinate all Mission Leahy Vetting reviews, procedures, and processes with the DAO/DATT, OSC, RSO, and Consular Section.
• Solicit a waiver from Washington-based administrators for expedited processing if deadlines have not been met for reasons out of U.S. Mission control, and the candidates are a priority.
• Identify candidates with potential human rights violations and report to the Deputy Counselor and nominating offices for clarification and appropriate handling.
• Develop a constructive relationship with Washington-based program managers.
• Plan ahead to address surges in nominations.
• Actively refine and make more efficient Mission vetting processes.
• Train new personnel in the use of our processes as new employees join other sections.
• Processes political vetting for Americans and foreign nationals who are to be employed by the U.S. Government.

• Office management
• Administrative support
• Records management
• Logistics coordination
• Protocol duties
• Meeting arrangements
• Event planning
• Personnel management
• Travel management
• IT and communications systems oversight
• Property management
• Procurement assistance
• Database maintenance
• Correspondence drafting
• Visitor management
• Leahy Vetting process coordination
• Political vetting processing
• Understanding of Ugandan business/restaurant arrangements
• Event setup in Uganda
• Good working knowledge of English (speaking, reading, writing)

• Completion of Secondary School is required.
• Three years of clerical, administrative, office support, event or travel management in an office setting is required.
• Must understand how businesses/restaurants arrangements are made and confirmed in Uganda, and how to set up events in Uganda.
• Good working knowledge of English – speaking, reading and writing.