Administrative Assistant (PIDP

About the East-West Center

The East-West Center is a premier institution in the Indo-Pacific that convenes, develops, and equips a network of leaders to solve challenges of common concern. Founded in 1960, the Center has promoted understanding and cooperation between the United States and the Indo-Pacific region through innovative programs and research initiatives.

The Pacific Islands Development Program (PIDP) is seeking an Administrative Assistant (AA) to provide high-quality, complex and routine administrative support to the senior leadership team. The AA manages multiple streams of time-sensitive clerical, fiscal, and travel-related work, using communication, judgment, and multitasking to prioritize tasks and keep PIDP operations running smoothly. The role requires excellent organizational skills and attention to detail, correspondence with scholars, government offices, and international partners, management of domestic and international travel and events, and maintaining rigorous records of contractual and budgetary arrangements.

The AA supervises student assistants and interns and works closely with the Deputy Director and senior leadership. Independent and cooperative work with other staff is essential, using good judgment to achieve expected outcomes.

The Pacific Islands Development Program (PIDP) serves as Secretariat for the Pacific Islands Conference of Leaders (PICL) and a Council of Regional Organisations of the Pacific (CROP). The incumbent will have direct access to and some involvement with highly sensitive international communications and activities involving elected and traditional leaders, senior officials, governments, and organizations. Confidentiality and privacy are paramount; the incumbent must maintain a high standard of behavior with regard to confidentiality and privacy at all times.

• Develop and maintain office procedures to ensure smooth functioning, including control records and filing systems for incoming correspondence, contracts, invoices, and action documents, and follow up on work in progress.
• Read all incoming program correspondence, determine proper action, and at times prepare answers before referring to leadership.
• Maintain inventory of PPE, laptops, printers, cell phones, and other equipment to support PIDP activities.
• Maintain online calendar of PIDP events, resolve schedule conflicts, assign space for events and staff offices, and keep staff informed of upcoming events.
• Receive visitors and telephone calls to PIDP and the Director, ascertain nature of business, determine appropriate action, and refer important business to appropriate staff.
• Maintain and protect privacy and confidentiality of high-ranking visitors, coordinating security details as needed.
• Inform staff of regular and special meetings, ensure an agenda is prepared and distributed prior to the meeting, and take minutes.
• Compose, edit, and organize administrative materials including email and print correspondence, travel arrangements, meeting agendas, event schedules, contracts, detailed financial and administrative forms, scholarly and technical materials. Check outgoing material for correct calculations, grammar, punctuation, spelling, and style compliance.
• Independently support senior leadership to set priorities for multiple work streams, responding to incoming correspondence and tasks using good judgment.
• Assist in preparation of reports and grant proposals, gathering materials, ensuring all forms are completed, and final product is professional.
• Arrange staff travel, prepare transportation or hotel reservations, gather background information, notify organizations to be visited, keep in touch during travel, and prepare itineraries and travel documents per policy. Help write thank‑you notes and follow up on items requiring action.
• Coordinate logistical, administrative, activity, and housing arrangements for domestic and international travel for PIDP participants, guest speakers, and consultants.
• Provide administrative support for high‑level EWC briefings with diplomats and policymakers, communicating with VIP staff regarding objectives and outcomes, ensuring…