Federal Relations Assistant

University of Wisconsin-Madison; Washington; Hybrid; USD 55,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

generous paid-time off

comprehensive benefits package (health

tax-advantaged savings accounts

UW Retirement System (WRS) pension)

Job summary

The Federal Relations Assistant at the University of Wisconsin‑Madison provides administrative and operational support for the Washington, DC‑based Office of Federal Relations. The role reports to the Senior Director of Federal Relations and coordinates with the Office of the Vice Chancellor for University Relations on administrative matters.

Responsibilities include scheduling, calendar management, travel arrangements, expenditures, and maintaining files and documentation related to federal

Qualifications

• Strong organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Experience with standard office software (e.g., Microsoft Office Suite).
• Experience coordinating complex scheduling (meetings, travel, or calendar management).

Responsibilities

• Sends, receives, copies, and distributes communications to the appropriate entities according to established policies and procedures under general supervision (10%).
• Schedules logistics and secures resources for meetings, conferences, travel, and work unit operations (20%).
• Maintains established methods and organizational systems directed at the maintenance of electronic/physical records related to work operations according to established policies and procedures (30%).
• Serves as a first point of contact for individuals and groups, provides basic organizational information via phone, in person and through other communication mediums, and routes more complex inquiries to the appropriate entities (10%).
• Collects, analyzes, and prepares various communication materials from established sources utilizing technology mediums (30%).

Skills

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Experience coordinating scheduling

Education

Associate's Degree

Bachelor's Degree preferred

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

Current Employees: If you are currently employed at any of the Universities of Wisconsin, log in to Workday to apply through the internal application process.

Job Category

University Staff

Employment Type

Regular

Job Profile

Administrative Assistant II

Job Summary

The Federal Relations Assistant provides administrative and operational support for the Washington, DC-based Office of Federal Relations. This position reports to the Senior Director of Federal Relations.

• Provide administrative support to the Office of Federal Relations and coordinate closely with the Office of the Vice Chancellor for University Relations on administrative matters
• Serve as a point of contact for internal and external inquiries related to federal relations activities
• Support the Senior Director of Federal Relations and Director of Federal Relations in scheduling meetings, maintaining calendars, and coordinating appointments with congressional offices, federal agencies and others
• Arrange travel, manage expenditures and reimbursements, and make purchases for the Senior Director and Director
• Maintain files, databases and documentation related to federal relations activities and communications
• Support the preparation of briefing documents, policy summaries, legislative updates and similar materials
• Ensure the timely filing of federal lobbying disclosure reports, including the collection and organization of relevant information from Office of Federal Relations staff as well as outside lobbyists
• Assist in coordinating meetings, campus visits, and events involving federal officials and staff
• Track federal legislation and issues, as directed by the Senior Director and Director

Key Job Responsibilities

• Sends, receives, copies, and distributes communications to the appropriate entities according to established policies and procedures under general supervision (10%)
• Schedules logistics and secures resources for meetings, conferences, travel, and work unit operations (20%)
• Maintains established methods and organizational systems directed at the maintenance of electronic/physical records related to work operations according to established policies and procedures (30%)
• Serves as a first point of contact for individuals and groups, provides basic organizational information via phone, in person and through other communication mediums, and routes more complex inquiries to the appropriate entities (10%)
• Collects, analyzes, and prepares various communication materials from established sources utilizing technology mediums (30%)

Department

Office of Federal Relations

The Office of Federal Relations advocates on federal policies and issues that affect the university, facilitates congressional and administration meetings for university administrators, faculty and staff, coordinates issue briefings for members of congress and their staff, and serves as a liaison between the University and the federal government.

Compensation

The target pay range for this position is $55,000-$60,000 annual ($26.45-$28.85 per hour). Actual pay will depend on the selected candidate’s qualifications.

• generous paid-time off
• competitively priced health/dental/vision/life insurance
• tax-advantaged savings accounts
• participation in the nationally recognized Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) pension fund

Review the benefits summary for more information.

Work Schedule/Location

This is a full-time (40 hours per week) position.

This position is based in the Office of Federal Relations' Washington, DC office. This position can accommodate a hybrid schedule, with a preference for at least 3 days on-site, and with additional on-site work required in certain periods based on the needs of the office. Expectations regarding on-site vs. remote work are negotiable.

Required Qualifications

• Strong organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills
• Experience and competency with standard office software (e.g., Microsoft Office Suite, email/calendar platforms)
• Experience coordinating complex scheduling (e.g., meetings, travel, or calendar management)

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior employment or internship experience with a congressional office or federal agency, or with an entity that advocates regularly with the federal government
• Experience with the federal lobbying disclosure reporting process
• Familiarity with federal issues impacting higher education
• Familiarity with UW-Madison

Education

Associate's Degree Required. Bachelor's Degree Preferred.

Institutional Statement on Diversity

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.

To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment.

The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7).

The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3 calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. UW-Madison will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the University of Wisconsin Police Department.