NRWA Program Assistant

The National Rural Water Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to training, supporting, and promoting the water and wastewater professionals that serve small and rural communities across the country. NRWA provides education, training, and technical assistance to all 50 States through affiliated State Rural Water Associations. Rural Water training and technical assistance covers every aspect of operating, managing, and financing water and wastewater utilities.

The Program Assistant (PA) provides administrative, data, and compliance support to the Program Manager(s) to whom the PA is assigned, in the implementation and administration of NRWA’s national, federally funded programs. These programs are carried out by State Rural Water Associations under NRWA subawards, and the PA helps the Program Manager track their deliverables, data, and reporting. This is a support role;

the PA does not manage a program, award, or subaward, and does not approve expenses or changes to award terms, budgets, or program procedures. The Program Assistant position is not exempt from the overtime provisions of the FLSA.

• Mission: Support program activities that further the NRWA mission which is to “Strengthen State Associations.”
• Program Support: Develop a thorough understanding of each assigned program, including its deliverables, expectations, and deadlines. Track each assigned award separately under its own subawards and reporting requirements, and proactively keep the Program Manager informed of upcoming deadlines and deliverables.
• Program Policies and Procedures: Assist the Program Manager in preparing program policies, procedures, operating plans, subaward documents, and the program start-up guide at the beginning of each program period. Distribute documents to State Associations only after they have been approved by the Director of Federal Programs.
• Administrative Support: Create correspondence, reports, documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. Manage calendars and schedule meetings across time zones using video conferencing software (e.g., Zoom, Microsoft Teams). Prepare meeting agendas and notes, including for the monthly federal programs portfolio meeting when requested.
• Stakeholder Communication: Communicate program requirements, approved guidance, and deadlines to State Association staff, and schedule program-related meetings. Maintain positive working relationships with State Association Executive Directors, program staff, and field technicians, and with NRWA departments (e.g., Resource Development, IT, Accounting, Compliance, Legislative) and fellow Program Assistants.
• Questions on Award Terms and Guidance: Refer questions about award terms, eligibility, budgets, or the meaning of agency guidance to the Program Manager. Do not give State Associations or agency staff an interpretation or commitment on behalf of NRWA, and share agency guidance with State Associations only after it has been confirmed in writing through the appropriate channel.
• Records Management: Maintain program files, written agency guidance, subaward documents, and correspondence in the program’s SharePoint site, in accordance with records-retention requirements.
• Compliance & Reporting: Assist the Program Manager in preparing accurate and timely monthly, quarterly, and ad hoc reports, including compiling significant contacts, training session verification, and data processing. Track deliverables and reports due from State Associations under their subawards and flag late or incomplete items to the Program Manager. Promptly notify the Program Manager of potential compliance issues.
• Field Technician
  
  Certifications:
  
  Track field technicians’ Utility Management Certification (UMC) and/or Utility…