Administrative Assistant

About the role

• Schedule Management: Organize and maintain calendars for departmental staff, schedule appointments, meetings, and conference calls.
• Correspondence Handling: Manage incoming and outgoing communications, including emails, letters, and phone calls. Draft and proofread correspondence as needed.
• Document Management: Maintain and organize physical and electronic files, records, and documents. Ensure proper documentation and filing systems are in place for easy retrieval of information.
• Meeting Coordination: Arrange meeting logistics, including room bookings, catering, and equipment setup. Prepare agendas, distribute materials, and take meeting minutes as required.
• Travel Arrangements: Coordinate travel arrangements for departmental staff, including booking flights, accommodations, and transportation.
• Administrative Support: Provide general administrative support such as copying, scanning, and faxing documents. Assist with expense reporting, invoice processing, and procurement tasks.
• Data Entry and Reporting: Input data accurately into databases and generate reports as needed. Maintain confidentiality and integrity of sensitive information.
• Customer Service: Serve as a point of contact for internal and external stakeholders. Respond to inquiries professionally and redirect as necessary.
• Special Projects: Assist with special projects and initiatives as assigned by departmental leadership. Collaborate with team members to achieve project objectives.
• Adherence to Policies: Ensure compliance with USDA policies, procedures, and regulations. Stay informed about updates and changes relevant to administrative functions.

Qualifications & Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent; associate's or bachelor's degree preferred.
• Proven experience in an administrative role, preferably in a government or large organization.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and other relevant software applications.
• Strong organizational and time management skills with the ability to prioritize tasks effectively.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Attention to detail and accuracy in completing tasks.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information appropriately.
• Flexibility to adapt to changing priorities and work independently or collaboratively as part of a team.

Additional Information: CORE COMPETENCIES

• Teamwork - ability to foster teamwork collaboratively as a participant, and effectively as a team leader
• Leadership - ability to guide and lead colleagues on projects and initiatives
• Business Acumen - understanding and insight into how organizations perform, including business processes, data, systems, and people
• Communication - ability to effectively communicate to stakeholders of all levels orally and in writing
• Motivation - persistent in pursuit of quality and optimal client and company solutions
• Agility - ability to quickly understand and transition between different projects, concepts, initiatives, or work streams
• Judgment - exercises prudence and insight in decision-making process while mindful of other stakeholders and long-term ramifications
• Organization - ability to manage projects and activity, and prioritize tasks

Other Requirements

• Business Tools - understanding and proficiency with business tools and technology, including Microsoft Office. The ideal candidate is advanced with Excel, Access, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Word, and proficient with Adobe Acrobat, data analytic tools, and Visio with the ability to quickly learn other tools as necessary.
• Commitment - to work with smart, interesting people with diverse backgrounds to solve the biggest challenges across private, public, and social sectors
• Curiosity - the ideal candidate exhibits an inquisitive nature and the ability to question the status quo among a community of people they enjoy and teams that work well together
• Humility - exhibits grace in success and failure while doing meaningful work where skills have an impact and make a difference
• Willingness - to constantly learn, share, and grow and to view the world as their classroom

Additional information

Risk Management | Compliance | Business Processes | IT Effectiveness | Engineering | Environmental | Sustainability | Human Capital