Staff Assistant

CORTEK; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

CORTEK is seeking a Staff Assistant to support the Front Office of the Bureau of Arms Control and Nonproliferation (ACN/FO) in Washington, DC. This onsite role focuses on managing and coordinating large volumes of memoranda and policy papers, ensuring quality control, and timely reporting to the ACN Chief of Staff.

The position requires an A. or B.S. with 3+ years in nonproliferation or related fields, plus demonstrated experience supporting senior leadership. Active Secret clearance is required.

Qualifications

• A. or B.S. and three or more years of experience in nonproliferation, international security, or related fields.
• Demonstrable professional experience supporting senior-level leadership and office administration.
• Familiarity with Department of State and/or U.S. Government processes.
• Possess and demonstrate superior verbal and written communications skills.
• Strong interpersonal, collaborative and team skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple tasks simultaneously.

Responsibilities

• Tracks and monitors the status of memoranda and correspondence within the Bureau.
• Reviews outgoing documents for proper format, consistency, grammatical accuracy, completeness, clarity, makes necessary corrections, and returns documents to the originator for further changes and updates.
• Advises Bureau personnel of overdue items, upcoming deadlines, priority of issues, format, and Department/ACN procedures for processing documentation.
• Prioritizes and tasks requests for memoranda and other information to Bureau offices in accordance with directives of the Department's Executive Secretariat, the Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security, and the Assistant Secretary for Arms Control and Nonproliferation.
• Compiles Bureau inputs for the ACN Daily Activity Reports and the ACN Bureau Weekly Activity Reports for the Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security, ensuring they are accurate and submitted on time.
• Supports travel preparations for the Assistant Secretary and other Bureau senior leadership, including tasking papers, supporting the development of travel briefing books, and preparation for trip briefings.
• Ensures the Chief of Staff is advised of pertinent and time-critical information taskings of interest to the Assistant Secretary and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary.
• Ensures the quality and timeliness of written products drafted within the Bureau by providing guidance, enforcing deadlines, and reviewing for format, style, coherence, accuracy, content, and clearances.
• Ensures consistency with Bureau policies and procedures and synchronization with the Assistant Secretary's plans and goals, as well as Department policies and procedures.
• Regularly reviews and adjusts procedures to improve organization and paper flow in order to ensure optimal efficiency, including proposals of new methods for increasing effectiveness and productivity.
• Determines the feasibility of meeting deadlines on specific documents and notifies task originator if any extension is required.
• Maintains and utilizes the ACN Front Office SharePoint site and ACN Tasker System, ensuring appropriate information is made available to the Bureau through the SharePoint site, as well as accuracy of links, attachments, and due dates.
• Evaluates current Front Office procedures to identify process improvements.

Skills

Verbal and written communications

Multitasking

Team coordination

Education

A. or B.S. in related field

Tools

SharePoint

ACN Tasker System

Job description

Washington, DC, Dept. of State

Onsite Position

Cortek is seeking a Staff Assistant to support the Front Office of the Bureau of Arms Control and Nonproliferation (ACN/FO). The ACN Bureau works to prevent the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), their delivery systems, and related technologies, protect U.S. critical technologies, promote civil nuclear cooperation and U.S. advanced nuclear technologies, strengthen deterrence, enhance strategic stability through new nuclear arms control arrangements, and modernize multilateral arms control and nonproliferation forums.

The incumbent of this position manages and coordinates the large volume of information (i.e., action memoranda, information memoranda, briefing memoranda, and policy papers) that comes into and out of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Arms Control and Nonproliferation. The Staff Assistant is responsible for exercising quality control of these documents and reports to the ACN Chief of Staff.

Information flow is primarily directed to and from the Executive Secretariat and State Department senior officials at the Under Secretary level and above. Effective performance in this position requires that the incumbent understand the policies and priorities, and be skilled in the articulation of such policies.

Duties

• Tracks and monitors the status of memoranda and correspondence within the Bureau.
• Reviews outgoing documents for proper format, consistency, grammatical accuracy, completeness, clarity, makes necessary corrections, and returns documents to the originator for further changes and updates.
• Advises Bureau personnel of overdue items, upcoming deadlines, priority of issues, format, and Department/ACN procedures for processing documentation.
• Prioritizes and tasks requests for memoranda and other information to Bureau offices in accordance with directives of the Department's Executive Secretariat, the Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security, and the Assistant Secretary for Arms Control and Nonproliferation.
• Compiles Bureau inputs for the ACN Daily Activity Reports and the ACN Bureau Weekly Activity Reports for the Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security, ensuring they are accurate and submitted on time.
• Supports travel preparations for the Assistant Secretary and other Bureau senior leadership, including tasking papers, supporting the development of travel briefing books, and preparation for trip briefings.
• Ensures the Chief of Staff is advised of pertinent and time‑critical information taskings of interest to the Assistant Secretary and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary.
• Ensures the quality and timeliness of written products drafted within the Bureau by providing guidance, enforcing deadlines, and reviewing for format, style, coherence, accuracy, content, and clearances. Ensures that information flows are timely and accurate. Correctly prioritizes and tasks all incoming papers and projects, as soon as feasible after receipt.
• Ensures consistency with Bureau policies and procedures and synchronization with the Assistant Secretary's plans and goals, as well as Department policies and procedures.
• Regularly reviews and adjusts procedures to improve organization and paper flow in order to ensure optimal efficiency, including proposals of new methods for increasing effectiveness and productivity.
• Determines the feasibility of meeting deadlines on specific documents and notifies task originator if any extension is required. Takes action to avoid, minimize, or eliminate these problems in the short and long‑term.
• Maintains and utilizes the ACN Front Office SharePoint site and ACN Tasker System, ensuring appropriate information is made available to the Bureau through the SharePoint site, as well as accuracy of links, attachments, and due dates.
• Evaluates current Front Office procedures to identify process improvements.

Desired Qualifications

• A. or B.S. and three or more years of experience in nonproliferation, international security, or related fields
• Demonstrable professional experience supporting senior‑level leadership and office administration
• Familiarity with Department of State and/or U.S. Government processes
• Possessand demonstrate superior verbal and written communications skills
• Strong interpersonal, collaborative and team skills
• Ability to work in a fast‑paced environment and manage multiple tasks simultaneously

Clearance

Active Secret Clearance is required.

About CORTEK

Founded in 2003, CORTEK is a distinguished Service‑Disabled Veteran‑Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) specializing in Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) defense, Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) terrorism prevention, Counter‑WMD (CWMD) support services, Counter‑Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C‑UAS), and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)/Privacy Act support.

With over a decade of experience, CORTEK has delivered mission‑critical solutions to government clients, including the Department of State (DOS), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Defense (DoD), and other Federal agencies. Our proven track record includes more than 12 years supporting the Department of State's WMD threat mitigation, consequence management, and international security cooperation programs, as well as technical and strategic support to the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) across Physical and Biological Sciences, Engineering, Policy, Operations, and emerging threat domains. CORTEK also provides subject matter expertise supporting international Counter‑UAS initiatives, helping partner nations strengthen airspace security, critical infrastructure protection, and emerging technology capabilities.

At CORTEK, relationships are at the heart of what we do. We pride ourselves on our customer‑centric approach, leveraging proven management processes to deliver tailored solutions that drive client success. Our focus on excellence, innovation, and competitive value throughout the project management lifecycle makes CORTEK a trusted partner. Curious to learn more? Visit us at CORTEK.com.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer

CORTEK is dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace by hiring and retaining talented individuals from all backgrounds. We provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants, regardless of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic.

As an Equal Employment Opportunity employer, CORTEK complies with all applicable Federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination and posts notices outlining these protections in accordance with applicable regulations.

Reasonable Accommodation Requests

CORTEK is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with physical or mental disabilities throughout the employment process. If you require an accommodation while applying for a position, please email [e-mail] or contact Human Resources at [phone]. Accommodation requests are evaluated on a case‑by‑case basis.

E-Verify

As a Federal Contractor, CORTEK participates in the E‑Verify program to confirm each employee's authorization to work legally in the United States.

Pay Transparency Non‑Discrimination

CORTEK will not discharge or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own