Program Assistant

Counterpart International; Washington, Baltimore (District of Columbia, MD); Hybrid; USD 48,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

Counterpart International seeks a Program Assistant based in Washington, DC, offering hybrid work. The role focuses on supporting the West Africa portfolio and other Programs activities, including document prep, recordkeeping, and compliance.

It also provides admin support to the Global Programs team and, when needed, to HR and senior leadership, under the Senior Director of Programs. The position requires a Bachelor’s degree with at least two years of admin experience, strong English/French

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in international affairs, international development, business administration, or related field.
• At least two years of administrative support experience in an office setting.
• Proficiency in English and French (spoken and written).
• Strong writing, editing, and communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Provide administrative and logistical support to assigned projects, including the West Africa portfolio.
• Prepare, distribute, and file notes from recurring Programs team meetings.
• Resolve project issues and elevate operational risks to leadership.
• Maintain project records, trackers, and vendor/consultant agreements.
• Coordinate staff travel and logistics for events.
• Process invoices, expense reports, and budget entries for projects.
• Review grant and procurement documentation for completeness and compliance.
• Draft RFQs, RFPs, BPAs, ICAs, and related documents; support review processes.
• Ensure project files align with donor requirements and Counterpart policies.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

English (written & spoken)

French (written & spoken)

Communication skills

Time management

Organizational skills

Editing & writing

Problem solving

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in international affairs / international development / business administration / public administration

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Outlook

Job description

Tips: Provide a summary of the role, what success in the position looks like, and how this role fits into the organization overall.

Description

At Counterpart International, we believe that the people closest to the challenges are best positioned to solve them, but they shouldn’t have to do it alone. For more than 60 years, we’ve partnered with communities around the world to turn local ideas into lasting solutions. We connect local vision with global opportunity, working alongside leaders, organizations, and networks to build inclusive, resilient communities where people thrive. Our programs focus on long-term impact supporting women to lead and grow their businesses, strengthening food systems so families have access to nutritious food and sustainable livelihoods, and creating pathways for economic and social progress. As a trusted steward of development funding, Counterpart is known for transparency, accountability, and measurable results. We bring together the right partners, resources, and ideas to help communities build better lives and more durable futures, generation after generation.

Summary

Counterpart seeks a Program Assistant whose main priority is supporting assigned projects, including the West Africa portfolio of programs, through document preparation, processing, recordkeeping, and related administrative, operational, and compliance support. The Assistant also provides administrative support to the Global Programs (“Programs”) team and, as needed, to Human Resources and Senior Leadership, with such support coordinated through the Senior Director of Programs. This full-time, hybrid position based in Washington, DC will report to the Senior Director of Programs.

Responsibilities

• Prioritize administrative and logistical support to assigned projects, including the West Africa portfolio of programs. Provide support to Programs and, as needed, to Human Resources and Senior Leadership, with HR and Senior Leadership support coordinated through the Senior Director of Programs.
• Prepare, distribute, and file notes from recurring Programs team meetings.
• Help resolve project issues, share lessons learned with the supervisor and Programs team, and elevate operational risks to the appropriate departmental leaders.
• Prepare, process, organize, file, and maintain administrative documentation and records for active, closed, and terminated projects; maintain pending-action trackers; and manage records related to consultant and vendor agreements.
• Maintain and update Counterpart’s Country Registration Database.
• Coordinate staff travel and arrange logistics for project and global events.
• Copyedit project deliverables, reports, communications, and other materials, as needed.
• Process invoices, payment requests, expense reports, and related financial documentation, and enter data for project budgets, award obligations, cost share, and other financial tracking.
• Review supporting documentation for grantee invoices and process payments.
• Prepare and conduct initial reviews of vendor and consulting agreements, purchase orders, task orders, and other contracts for completeness and compliance with internal policies, in support of the formal review and approval process.
• Support U.S. and project staff in preparing, processing, organizing, and maintaining procurement and grant packages; draft RFQs, RFPs, BPAs, ICAs, checklists, and related documents; and conduct initial quality and completeness reviews of consulting and vendor agreement packages in support of formal review and approval.
• Maintain orderly and complete project records and conduct initial reviews of project files for completeness and alignment with Counterpart and donor requirements, in support of formal review and approval processes.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in international affairs, international development, business administration, public administration or related field .
• At least two years of relevant administrative support experience in an office setting, including internships and volunteer work.
• Professional proficiency in spoken and written English and French required.
• Ability to solve problems, manage multiple tasks, and set priorities in a dynamic professional environment.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision and collaborate effectively as part of a team.
• Ability to gather information from diverse groups, improve processes, and collaborate to resolve issues.
• Strong communication, time-management, and organizational skills
• Strong writing and editing skills.
• Ability to meet deadlines and maintain strong attention to detail under pressure.
• Experience working with donor agencies (US government, World Bank, etc.) or development organizations/contractors is preferred
• Experience with budget tracking, procurement, or grants administration is preferred.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, and Outlook.