Roving Secretary Vacancy at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

The United States Government, represented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is seeking to employ a suitable and qualified candidate for the position below:

Job Title: Roving Secretary

Solicitation No.: AID-620-S-00-18-00014-00
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Security Level Required: SBU

Basic Function of the Position

• The Job Holder serves as an interim or roving Secretary to all USAID/Nigeria Offices, as assigned. The Secretary is assigned to the USAID/Nigeria Executive Office (EXO), and reports administratively to the USAID Human Resources (HR) Specialist/Assistant for assignment.
• When serving on assignment as an Office Secretary, day-to-day supervision will be from the appropriate Office Chief.
• The Secretary will perform work of a confidential nature, in lieu of secretarial or administrative personnel who are ill, on vacation, or otherwise absent or preoccupied for varying periods of time.
• The Secretary will provide T&A back-up and support of the Office of assignment, or to EXO/HR, as required. The formal supervisor is the Executive Officer.
• The Secretary may perform other office functions appropriate for their training and grade level.

Major Duties and Responsibilities
Secretarial, Administrative, and Clerical Support – 65%:

• As assigned, serves as Secretary (to an Office, Branch, or other Unit), with responsibility for providing the full range of secretarial, administrative, and clerical support to the organization staff.
• Typical duties vary with the assignment, but may include any or all of the following: keeps the organization Chief’s calendar: receives visitors and telephone calls to the organization; takes appropriate action depending upon the nature of the visit or the call; to the extent possible, provides information to answer non-technical questions within prescribed guidelines; arranges appointments, meetings, and conferences as requested, to include scheduling conference rooms and notifying participants and assembling background materials for conference use; makes travel and hotel arrangements, and coordinates logistical arrangements for visiting officials; and, as assigned, takes notes, and follows up to ensure commitments made in meetings and conferences are met.
• The Secretary provides administrative support for organization staff; receives, reviews, and controls incoming and outgoing correspondence and communications, and distributes mail and messages, maintaining controls and following up on actionable correspondence; drafts routine correspondence for signature of organization staff; types a variety of USAID correspondence; proofreads outgoing correspondence to assure they are in proper format, consistent with Mission style requirements, properly addressed, etc., prior to going to the organization Chief for clearance or signature; tracks official organization correspondence, GLAAS documents, etc. through the clearance and signature process; and, establishes maintains files and records, with input EXO/C&R.
• As required by the assignment, the Secretary maintains contact with counterparts in the US Embassy, other international organizations, host-government officials, and third-country nationals.
• The Secretary distributes non-technical articles, letters, and memoranda, for the organization Chief and staff.
•  As required by workload, the Secretary may be assigned as a second Secretary or Assistant, assisting organization Secretaries in the performance of their official duties.

Backup support for the Security Liaison Specialist – 25%:

• Serve as the alternate USAID security liaison with Abuja and Lagos RSOs with respect to official in-country travel.
• Disseminate all official in-country travel-related policies, updates, etc. emanating from RSO to USAID staff.
• Collect all required information from USAID Mission staff for official in-country travel requests and scrutinize submitted information to ensure compliance with U.S. Embassy travel policy. Requesting all USAID official in-country travel requests to Abuja and Lagos RSOs; corresponds with Abuja and Lagos RSOs until official in-country travel decision point and inform requesting USAID Mission staff of RSO official in-country travel decisions.
• Track all movements of USAID staff on official in-country travel; Make security recommendations concerning official in-country travel to USAID and to the RSOs.

Backup Time and Attendance Support – 15%:

• Provides back-up and support to EXO/HR in completing Time and Attendance coverage for the Mission, in the absence or preoccupation of the official Timekeeper.

Area Of Consideration:

• Nigerians and all individuals eligible to work in Nigeria with a valid Work permit.

Physical Demands:

• The work requested does not involve undue physical demands

Minimum Qualifications Required for this Position

• Education: Completion of Secondary Schooling and two or more years of post-secondary schooling in Secretarial Science or Business Administration, equivalent to a US junior college or community college diploma, is required.
• Prior Work Experience: A minimum of two years of secretarial or clerical experience is required.
• Post Entry Training: On-the-job training in USAID organization and procedures, familiarization training in USG records management practices, computer training, language improvement training (if required) will be provided.  Participation in regional job-related workshops will be considered, when available and subject to availability of funds.
• Language Proficiency: Level IV (fluent) oral and written English language capability is required.
• Job Knowledge: The Secretary must have a good understanding of general document preparation, and have, or be able to quickly develop, a familiarity with USAID activities and programs, as well as a general knowledge of office procedures and practices.
• The Secretary should have a good working knowledge of file management, mail handling, and correspondence formatting.

Skills and Abilities:

• The Secretary must have good organizational and planning skills, and the ability to multi-task in an office-management work situation.
• Level II typing/word processing ability (40 words per minute) is required, as is proficiency in word processing programs (Microsoft Word), good telephone skills, and good interpersonal relationship skills.

Evaluation and Selection Factors 
Applications will be required to have the minimum qualifications expressed in Section II. Qualified applicants possessing skills above the minimum requirements will be assessed based on the following factors:

• Education (10 points)
• Work Experience (20 points)
• Knowledge (30 points)
• Language Proficiency (10 points)
• Skills and abilities (30 points)

Market Value:

• N3,372,091.00 equivalent to FSN-5 In accordance with AIDAR Appendix J and the Local Compensation Plan of United States Mission, Nigeria (Effective July 8, 2018). Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value.

Benefits/Allowances
As a matter of policy, and as appropriate, a PSC is normally authorized the following benefits and allowances:

Benefits:

• Health Insurance
• Annual Salary Increase (if applicable)
• Annual and Sick leave
• Annual Bonus

Allowance (as applicable):

• Transportation Allowance
• Meal Allowance
• Miscellaneous Allowance
• Housing Allowance

Taxes:

• The Mission emphasize to its employees of the fact that they are obliged to observe Nigerian Laws, including those concerning income and related tax obligations. Payment of such taxes is a matter between the individual employee and the Nigerian Government. In the absence of a specific international agreement, the U.S. Government will not withhold local taxes from an employee’s salary.

Deadline: 25th September, 2018.

• Application for US Federal Employment (DS – 174) ; or a current resume or curriculum vitae that provides the same information as a DS – 174;
• Any additional documentation that supports or addresses the requirements listed above (e.g.transcripts, degrees, NYSC certificate/exemption etc.)
• A type-written and signed application letter specifically applying for this position, and addressing the minimum requirements as advertised. Please reference the job title and announcement number on the application letter.
• Limit all electronic (e-mail) submission to one entry/email not larger than 5MB. Please submit attachments in PDF and Word formats, not pictures.
• E-mails received without the appropriate subject line and incomplete applications will not be considered.
• Offers must be received by the closing date and time specified in Section I, item 3, and submitted to the Point of Contact in Section IV.
• To ensure consideration of offers for the intended position, Offerors must prominently reference the Solicitation number in the offer submission.

Note

• Per this scoring rubric, Work Experience, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities are the most important factors. Applications will initially be screened for conformity with minimum requirements and a short list of applicants developed.
• USAID reserves the right to interview only the highest ranked applicants in person or by phone OR not to interview any candidate.
• After the closing date for receipt of applications, a committee will be convened to review applications and evaluate them in accordance with the evaluation criteria. Applications from candidates which do not meet the required selection criteria will not be scored. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. No response will be sent to unsuccessful applicants.
• As part of the selection process, finalist candidates may be interviewed either in person or by telephone at USAID’s discretion. Reference checks will be made only for applicants considered as finalists. If an applicant does not wish USAID to contact a current employer for a reference check, this should be stated in the applicant’s cover letter, and USAID will delay such reference check pending communication with the applicant.
• Only finalists will be contacted by USAID with respect to their applications.