Staff Assistant (Project Coordinator)

HunaTek Government Solutions; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Disability insurance

401(k) plan

Paid time off

Tuition assistance

Voluntary benefits

Job summary

HunaTek Government Solutions seeks a Staff Assistant (Project Coordinator) to support the Under Secretary, Special Assistants, and Senior Advisors in Washington, DC. The role coordinates administrative and operational processes to advance mission objectives and maintain liaison with key offices, ensuring timely deadlines and proper handling of correspondence and records.

The position requires strong judgment, multi-tasking across locations, and proficiency in travel planning, schedules, briefing

Qualifications

• Six (6) years or more work experience in international politics/foreign policy, military/defense, or security cooperation.
• Six (6) years or more work experience in administration, travel planning, complex logistics, political‑military affairs, foreign affairs, and defense security cooperation.
• Experience working with the U.S. interagency, preferably the Department of Defense, with senior‑level contacts.
• Experience as an assistant to Senior Executive Service/Senior Foreign Service officials, including managing schedules, briefing memoranda, and travel arrangements.
• Experience working with U.S. security cooperation, preferably Foreign Military Sales and/or export control issues.
• Experience in State Department paper content, format, and clearance management, including knowledge management systems such as SharePoint.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate administrative and operational processes to advance key business needs and mission objectives.
• Maintain understanding of major current and long-term issues pursued by the bureau to provide informed support.
• Prioritize competing demands and resolve administrative challenges.
• Provide backup support to process time and attendance records for F/FO personnel.
• Maintain liaison with the Secretary’s Office and related offices to facilitate coordination and information flow.
• Coordinate with bureaus to ensure deadlines are met for work tasked by S/ES and the Under Secretary.

Skills

Interagency coordination

Experience with DoD

Executive-level support

Travel management

SharePoint knowledge

Multicultural teamwork

Problem-solving

English communication

Education

High school diploma or GED

Tools

SharePoint

E2 travel solutions

Job description

Staff Assistant (Project Coordinator)

HunaTek is seeking a Staff Assistant to fill a vacancy on our contract with Department of State, located in Washington, DC. The Staff Assistant serves as a critical support resource to the Under Secretary, Special Assistants, and Senior Advisors by coordinating administrative and operational processes that advance key business needs and mission objectives. This role requires a comprehensive understanding of bureau priorities, strong judgment in managing competing demands, and the ability to facilitate seamless interagency coordination.

This position is contingent upon contract award.

Strategic Support & Coordination

• Serve as Staff Assistant to the Under Secretary, Special Assistants, and Senior Advisors, coordinating administrative and operational processes to advance critical business needs and mission objectives.
• Maintain a comprehensive understanding of major current and long-term issues pursued by the bureau to provide informed support and anticipate leadership needs.
• Exercise sound judgment in prioritizing competing demands and resolving administrative challenges both short and long term.
• Provide backup support to process and submit time and attendance records for F/FO personnel.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
• Maintain liaison with the Office of the Secretary, Executive Secretariat (S/ES), Operations Center, Department Principals, offices of other Assistant Secretaries, and offices of Principals in other agencies to facilitate seamless coordination and information flow.
• Coordinate with bureaus and offices to ensure deadlines are met for work tasked by S/ES and the Under Secretary, proactively addressing potential delays.
• Advise Bureau personnel on overdue action items, upcoming deadlines, priority issues, and Department/S/ES procedures for processing documentation.

Correspondence Management & Quality Control

• Maintain liaison with bureau offices to ensure deadlines are met for work tasked by S/ES and the Under Secretary, coordinating with the Chief of Staff, Special Assistants, and Senior Advisors to track and monitor correspondence within the F Family.
• Determine feasibility of meeting deadlines, make necessary corrections, return documents to originators for changes, and notify originators when extensions are required.
• Ensure all official communications to the F Under Secretary are properly and promptly handled in accordance with records requirements and Department standards.
• Assist in preparing high volumes of correspondence, telegrams, memoranda, briefing papers, and reports for senior-level contacts at the White House, NSC, DOD, DOC, DOE, DOJ, and across the Department.
• Prepare and request briefing memoranda for meetings through the Department paper tasking system.
• Coordinate with Special Assistants and Senior Advisors to track, monitor, and expedite correspondence within the F family bureaus.
• Ensure the quality and timeliness of written products drafted within the F family bureaus directed to Department principals, maintaining the highest standards of professionalism.
• Provide authoritative guidance, enforce deadlines, and review and edit all documents for the Under Secretary to ensure correct format, style, coherence, accuracy, content, and clearances.
• Make necessary corrections or return documents to originators with clear guidance for required changes.

Knowledge Management, Process & Workflow Improvement

• Design and implement knowledge management systems to track assignments, share information, and maintain core documentation in collaboration with F Front Office staff and other Department personnel.
• Determine feasibility of meeting deadlines on specific documents, notify originators when extensions are required, and negotiate realistic timelines.
• Respond promptly to inquiries from within and outside F family bureaus concerning the status, location, subject matter, and deadlines of documents and taskers.
• Identify workflow bottlenecks and take proactive action to avoid, minimize, or eliminate processing problems in both the short and long term.

Security & Classified Information Management

• Ensure classified materials are managed appropriately, including procedures for handling and storing SCI documents.
• Take and transcribe notes during international, interagency, or public meetings as required.

Skills and Qualification Required

• High school diploma or GED
• Six (6) years or more work experience in international politics/foreign policy, military/defense, or security cooperation.
• Six (6) years or more work experience in administration, travel planning, complex logistics, political‑military affairs, foreign affairs, and defense security cooperation.
• Experience working with the U.S. interagency, preferably the Department of Defense, with senior‑level contacts.
• Experience as an assistant to Senior Executive Service/Senior Foreign Service officials, including managing schedules, briefing memoranda, and travel arrangements.
• Experience working with U.S. security cooperation, preferably Foreign Military Sales and/or export control issues.
• Experience in State Department paper content, format, and clearance management, including knowledge management systems such as SharePoint.
• Ability to work independently to assess priorities and manage daily coordination of details without repeated requests for guidance from supervisors.
• Proficiency in travel management, preferably experience with E2 solutions.
• Ability to solve problems and encourage consistent, solid performance.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks, coordinate activities in multiple locations, act decisively in daily work, and work well in a multi‑cultural team environment.
• Strong organizational, communication, interpersonal, and computer skills.
• Excellent English language communication skills (written and spoken).

Our Benefits

• Long‑term and short‑term disability insurance and term life insurance
• 401(K) with safe harbor contribution
• Paid time off and 11 paid holidays
• Tuition and career development assistance
• A selection of voluntary benefits

Equal opportunity employer as to all protected groups, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.