Description

VPD is seeking a high-performing Administrative Specialist to provide direct front office support to senior federal leadership within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Office of Family Assistance (OFA). This role operates as a strategic enabler, ensuring leadership effectiveness through disciplined coordination, executive communications, and operational control of high-visibility activities.

The selected candidate will function as the central coordination point for leadership priorities, maintaining situational awareness across initiatives, managing executive workflows, and ensuring timely execution of critical actions. This position requires maturity, discretion, and deep familiarity with federal operations, with minimal need for training.

Your work will directly support the important work of OFA. OFA oversees the nation’s $16B+ welfare programming, called Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), as well as a critical set of demonstration grants focused on promoting healthy marriage and responsible fatherhood. You will tangibly assist political leadership in carrying out three big priorities for OFA under the Trump Administration: Promoting the Dignity of Work and Pathways to Independence; Strengthening the Institution of Marriage; and Upholding Program Integrity.

Requirements

Qualifications:

Strong customer service skills
Ability to manage multiple tasks at one time and a keen attention to detail
Possess enthusiasm, and a "can do" attitude
Strong communication skills and ability to interact with all levels of internal and external customers/clients
Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
Strong proficiency with Microsoft Outlook
U.S. Citizenship is required
Obtaining and/or sustaining a Public Trust/Background Investigation Tier 1 clearance is required for this position.

Education and Experience:

Bachelor’s degree
2-3+ years supporting senior executives in a federal or comparable environment
Demonstrated experience supporting GS-15-level or equivalent leadership
Proven ability to operate in high-tempo, high-visibility environments
Prior experience within HHS or similar federal agencies
Experience supporting politically appointed leadership
Familiarity with policy development and clearance processes

Summary

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

Meeting Management

Coordinate agendas, meetings, briefings, and engagements across internal and external stakeholders
Ensure leadership is fully prepared with briefing materials, talking points, and background context, including researching and preparing background materials when requested
Help arrange resources for meetings, e.g. videoconference equipment or transportation
Attend meetings or other events along with leadership and provide summary notes as needed
Represent leadership in coordination meetings within defined authority
As necessary, provide directions to visitors and escort them in and out of the building

Calendar and Correspondence Oversight

Manage complex executive calendars, prioritizing competing demands and mission-critical activities
Receive and review correspondence, and write and send response (at the direction of leadership), and ensure that Congressional and other sensitive correspondence is handled appropriately
Respond to inquiries
At leadership discretion, serve as the main point of contact, triaging all inquiries and requests for leadership’s time and/or approval of decisions or documents
Arrange travel for the Director, and submit all necessary items for travel authorizations and vouchers

Project Tracking & Coordination

Maintain a comprehensive tracker of all internal and external action items
Coordinate the development of procedures, special programs and project activities, studies, and correspondences, which may be short-, mid-, and/or long-range planning activities, and which may include a limited amount of sensitive and confidential information materials or assignments
Monitor progress daily, enforce accountability for timely completion, and provide continual updates on progress of those assignments
Coordinate across divisions, offices, and external partners to drive execution

Strategic Document Support

Prepare presentations, reports, graphs/charts, forms, and other office support materials using office automation equipment and appropriate software
Draft, review, and coordinate policy documents and briefing materials
Support clearance processes and ensure alignment with departmental priorities
Communicate leadership direction across stakeholders with clarity and consistency (and, at leadership discretion, provide presentations to state grantees and federal, state, and private partners)

Strategic Advisory & Organizational Support

Provide informed recommendations based on analysis of policy, operational, and stakeholder inputs
Identify risks, bottlenecks, and inefficiencies; recommend corrective actions

Operational Oversight

Support administrative functions including HR coordination, EEO considerations, and labor relations matters
Provide situational awareness on emerging issues, trends, and stakeholder sentiment