This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/655177100. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
The Executive Assistant to the Director of the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian provides confidential executive administrative and program support to the Director. The Executive Assistant participates in planning and managing the administrative functions of the Director's office, both for the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and the Harvard College Observatory (the two components of the Center for Astrophysics).
Learn more about this agency05/18/2022 to 06/18/2022
$74,129 - $96,363 per year
IS 11
1 vacancy in the following location:
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Not required
No
Permanent - Indefinite Trust Appointment. This is not a Federal position.
Full-time - Full Time
Competitive
11
No
No
22-45
655177100
Position is open to all qualified US citizens or perm residents. First consideration maybe made 14 days after the opening date.
Major Duties
1. Serves as personal and confidential assistant to the Director. Reviews and keeps abreast of all correspondence and email directed to the Director and determines which should be directed to senior staff or others in the office. Develops and maintains a program to log and track all correspondence, reports and emails to ensure timely action, follow-up and replies.
2. Maintains the calendar for the Director. Arranges meetings, contacting participants, assembling correspondence, records, reports, and other material having a bearing on the subject for discussion. When required, assists in the arrangement of the agenda, attending meetings, if needed, taking notes and preparing summarizations as required for subsequent action by the Director or senior staff or for their review before later discussions.
3. Receives and screens visitors; answers multi-line phone system for the Director's Office and routes calls based on a thorough understanding of programs and priorities. Coordinates and facilitates logistics for visitors to the Director, including national and international travel, accommodation and schedules.
4. Composes correspondence, reports and statistical data from brief notes or verbal instructions, drawing on knowledge of the Director’s interest and priorities, office operations, and requirements to locate information. Reviews outgoing correspondence for procedural and grammatical accuracy, conformance to general policy, and factual correctness.
5. Facilitates report preparation for the Director, including preparing charts and spreadsheets based on data and reports provided by staff and external sources, as needed.
6. Coordinates and facilitates all logistics for the Director's domestic and international travel with the Harvard College Observatory, the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, and the Smithsonian Institution travel staff and offsite travel agencies; schedules appointments and prepares itineraries; prepares trip folders and gathers all necessary material for the Director’s travel; prepares trip expense reports; maintains travel files and a MS Access travel status database.
7. Uses analytical techniques to identify and resolve issues or problems of a procedural nature including administrative practices and procedures common to SAO such as channels of communication, routing of correspondence and filing systems.
8. Establishes and maintains Director’s Office digital files. Obtains material from other offices or agencies as necessary.
9. Reviews files annually to determine what material should be retained, destroyed to archived, based on the Director’s priorities.
10. Supports the Director with development of PowerPoint presentations including preparing presentations using figures and data provided by the Director and staff. Sources material for presentations as requested. Manages logistics related to presentation at conferences and events. Reviews the Director’s presentations for grammatical accuracy and factual correctness.
11. Acts as the Director's personal liaison with the Office of the Secretary at Smithsonian, the Smithsonian Under Secretary offices, and with the Harvard University President's Office. Communicates effectively and professionally on behalf of the Director.
12. Works on a variety of projects as assigned by the Director. Performs other duties necessary to the functioning of the Director's Office as assigned by the Director and in support of the Director’s Office management team.
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OR
Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.
OR
3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree.
OR
a combination of education and experience.
For information on qualification requirements, see Qualification Standards Handbook for General Schedule Positions viewable on the web at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0300/miscellaneous-administration-and-program-series-0301/
The Smithsonian does not pay relocation expenses.
The Smithsonian embraces diversity and equal employment opportunity.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Your application will be evaluated first for the basic qualifications described above. The applications that meet the basic qualifications will be evaluated further against the following criteria:
Broad knowledge of and the ability to learn with enthusiasm, SI, SAO, and HCO administrative practices, procedures, programs, operations, objectives, and policies in order to successfully develop materials and coordinate logistics for meetings, presentations and special events such as committee meetings, site visits by external partners, donors, and SAO Board members.
Extensive knowledge of the organizational structure, programs, priorities, and working knowledge of business and management principles and practices.
Exemplary inter-personal skills in situations requiring a high level of tact and discretion in handling multiple assignments with competing priorities and the ability to communicate effectively with staff at all levels.
Expert knowledge of office software applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, MS Office Suite, MS Google Suite), electronic mail, scheduling/calendar programs, Concur, ERP Financials, WebTA, and other software as needed and the ability to learn with enthusiasm.
Ability to apply a comprehensive knowledge of management and organizational techniques, systems, and procedures to the evaluation and analysis of office productivity, management controls and functions, administrative support functions, and long-range planning.
Knowledge of administrative policies and processes and the ability to effectively select which administrative process to follow in a given situation.
Your application package should include the following documents:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Click on the "Apply Online" button on the upper right side of the page.
You must apply for this position online through the 'Apply Online' button.
After you apply, you will receive an automated acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. The staffing process to identify highly qualified candidates may take up to four weeks or more to complete. After the announcement closes and application reviews are done, you may be contacted by the hiring office if further evaluation or interviews are required. All applicants will receive written notification on the final outcome of the position.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/655177100. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
Learn more about
The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory is part of what is arguably the largest and most diverse astrophysical institution in the world, where the staff carries out a broad program of research in astronomy, astrophysics, and earth and space sciences. If you would like to join this exciting organization, apply today!