Project Assistant - Global Dynamics & Intelligence Division (GDI)

Overview

This position provides project support in the Global Dynamics and Intelligence Division (GDI). Under general supervision, this position will assist a large project team with a variety of tasks, including financial management, travel management, purchasing and sub-contractor support, and assist with implementing data collection and reporting processes for task and division databases. This position may also support the Division Business and Administrative Managers in the creation and distribution of reports. Additional duties may include the coordination and logistics for workshops, including support and coordination with internal IDA operations units and government personnel and creating draft plans for meetings agendas.

Responsibilities

• Work closely with division management and project leaders to continuously monitor project expenditures, forecasting, costs associated with travel, and monitor and report near real-time spending and burn rates. Formulate options for project leadership, if needed, to cover funding gaps.
• Prepare and manage ad hoc, monthly, quarterly, and annual Program Plan updates and related financial information for Division leadership review.
• Assists in coordinating staff utilization, lines of effort, deliverables, project reviews, and travel team composition.
• Work closely with the Division Business Manager on development of project description(s) and counsel staff members and sponsors as needed concerning funding mechanisms (MIPRs, 419s, etc.) and monitors the funding document until receipt by appropriate agencies.
• Assist project leaders and others to help create briefings and status reports for sponsors. Organize communications for internal and external project meetings.
• Serve as day-to-day point of contact for on- and off-site project team members, travel team, sponsor staff, and other meeting attendees or participants.
• Assist with consultant, honoraria, and subcontractor processing, coordinate between task leaders, consultants and finance to provide documentation, and any other data as required, enter requests into IDA systems and monitor the process to completion.
• Assist staff with travel, including processing travel authorizations, helping submit and pass personnel information to meeting hosts, and ensure travel reimbursement paperwork is submitted in a timely fashion.
• Monitor and submit travel requests and expense reports to accounting.
• Coordinate and de-conflict travel schedules.
• Provide guidance to staff, coordinate timely submissions before and after staff travel and resolve any travel issues or special requests in coordination with finance.
• Solicit data from research staff using established procedures, provide quality control for division databases, and work with research staff to pull data and conduct simple analyses to support briefings and reports.
• Support research staff to improve division databases, aid in the development of automated tools and new database capabilities.
• Provide coordination and logistic support for workshops, conferences, or meetings. Coordinate with sponsors, IDA staff, vendors, and others to support and complete task-related activities.
• Arrange all transportation details, lodging, payment request and special activities as required.
• Organize and manage processes to include guest invitations, registration, clearances, RSVPs and other special requests.
• Provide administrative support to the division and other project leaders as time allows. This can include but is not limited to staff onboarding and departures, scheduling conference rooms and meetings, preparing materials needed for conferences, correspondence and meetings.
• Assist as needed with the preparation of division memoranda, reports and briefings.
• Ensure documents are properly formatted, coordinate with division editors and research staff to incorporate editorial changes, and ensure that documents move smoothly through the division's publication process.
• Use appropriate software for creating and integrating documents and other data in accordance with prescribed format and procedures; may require chart preparation and graphics; review materials prepared for supervisor's approval for accuracy and format.
• Other tasks as assigned.
  

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business, finance, or a related field coupled with two years of progressively responsible work
• Ability to prioritize many complex concurrent tasks.
• Familiarity with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)
• Demonstrated proficiency with numeric data and general accounting principles.
• Advanced in Microsoft Suite: Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint and Word.
• Advanced experience using Adobe Acrobat.
  

The ideal candidate will have the ability to:

• Communicate effectively orally and written across various levels of external and internal leadership, staff members, and stakeholders.
• Prepare briefing materials for leadership.
• Manage event planning and related logistics.
• Maintain multiple master calendars.
• Perform accurate records and database management.
• Monitor and manage competing priorities and deadlines.
• Ability to handle proprietary or sensitive information, exercise appropriate discretion, judgment and initiative in completing assignments.
• Successful completion of a background check is required.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance is required. Existing TS/SCI preferred.

Why Work at IDA?

IDA, as a non-profit, is uniquely positioned to answer the most challenging U.S. security and science questions with objective and rigorous analysis leveraging extraordinary scientific, technical, and analytic expertise. This position is located in Alexandria, VA, just outside Washington, D.C.
IDA offers the following benefits and resources to their employees:

• Comprehensive benefits including diverse health insurance options, generous 10% contribution to retirement, maternity/paternity leave, 20 days paid time off, and relocation reimbursement.
• Mission-oriented work at a non-profit that supports and protects our warfighters
• Eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSFL) due to IDA's non-profit status.
• Professional development including tuition reimbursement, internal and external trainings, and funding for researcher-pitched projects and publications.
• A strong employee and corporate work-life balance, including options for flex time.
• A brand-new facility located in Alexandria's high-tech corridor in Potomac Yard; and close proximity to local dining and shopping.
• Easy access to Potomac Yard Metro stop and Potomac Yard DASH bus stop. Employer contributes $315/month (IRS max) to commuter benefits.

Compensation

We support transparency, equity, and fairness in our compensation program and provide a reasonable estimate of the salary range based on data-driven market analysis for each position. While it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range, a reasonable estimate of the salary range for this role is $56,254 - $90,007. Individual salary within this range will be commensurate with the incumbent's experience, unique skills and qualifications, and other relevant factors.