This Program Assistant (PA) position sits on the Vaccine Delivery team and will support the Routine Immunization (RI) Strengthening body of work. This is a joint effort by the Vaccine Delivery, Polio, Africa, and Security teams to address RI at a sub-national level in the polio endemic countries of Pakistan and Afghanistan as well as 8 polio high-risk geographies in Africa and the Middle East. This work has two key goals: in the short term, accelerate progress in stopping polio in Pakistan and Afghanistan by the end of 2019; in the long term, prevent new polio-virus outbreaks in the highest risk sub-national areas of Africa and the Middle East.
The Program Assistant is responsible for providing administrative support to the subset of the Vaccine Delivery team working on RI Polio strengthening, as well as potential support to a small subset of Polio team members working on this effort. We are looking for a person who enjoys administrative support, who thrives in a fast-paced, high-intensity environment and excels at time management, organization and planning skills. Your love of efficiency, attention to detail, resourcefulness and good judgment to ensure smooth operations of the team make you successful in this role.
- Administrative Support: Partner with the Senior Program Officer and the Senior Program Coordinator to create seamless operational and administrative support across the RI Strengthening body of work and contribute to the ongoing health and culture of the team. Proactively take initiative to support the varying needs of the team by tracking, monitoring, and prioritizing tasks and projects and by maintaining organized files and records.
- Communications: Provide communications support and assistance to ensure timely responses to inquiries. Act as liaison for team with internal and external partners, answering questions, and routing requests appropriately.
- Calendar Management: Schedule a high volume of meetings and manage complex calendars for the team members. Very often meetings are scheduled over a number of time zones (international as well as domestic) and often include multiple communication links (i.e. conference call numbers and/or video conferencing).
- Meeting and Event Coordination: Schedule and plan for on-site as well as off-site meetings, conferences, and presentations, which may include coordinating arrangements for participants, handling logistics, preparing and disseminating materials.
- Travel Support: Make arrangements for and track extensive domestic and international travel for the team (including securing visas when required). Travel arrangements may also be required for participants of foundation sponsored meetings. Compile and process invoices, expense reports, reimbursements, and check requests with accuracy and timeliness for the team members and participants of meetings.
- A minimum of 3 years work experience in an office setting, preferably in an administrative role for a complex and fast-paced organization, interacting intensively with internal and external contacts.
- Experience setting priorities and meeting deadlines while balancing the needs of providing support for multiple individuals, including calendar management, travel arrangements, and event planning coordination.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills in an environment requiring diplomacy and good judgment in managing interactions with individuals at all levels inside and outside an organization.
- Demonstrated effectiveness meeting deadlines in a role requiring continual attention to detail in composing, typing, and proofing materials.
- Experience establishing organizational systems to improve efficiency and functioning in a changing environment.
- Demonstrated proficiency with Outlook, Microsoft Office, and PowerPoint is required. Previous experience MS SharePoint and OneNote preferred, but not required. Experience in learning and mastering new software applications.
- Demonstrated positive, collaborative approach to work, including a commitment to client-service and problem solving.
- Demonstrates culturally sensitive behavior with a diverse range of people
- Familiarity with programmatic areas of focus preferred (public health, routine immunization, Francophone Africa, Pakistan, Afghanistan).
- Written and spoken fluency in French preferred.
- The position is based in Seattle, WA.