Government Affairs Associate - HALO USA

Role: Government Affairs Associate (HALO USA)

Location: Washington DC, Hybrid

Salary: $55,000 - $60,000 per annum (commensurate with experience and qualifications)

Position available: Immediately

Status: Full-time, Exempt

Reporting to: Head of Government Affairs and the Government Affairs Manager

Description:

The HALO Trust (USA) Government Affairs Associate is a position that supports HALO USA’s Government Affairs team with their interaction with the US Government—primarily the State Department—and the wider HALO team spanning our UK and US headquarters and over 20 field programs worldwide. The HALO Trust employs over 10,000 people globally, working to create safe and secure environments in conflict-affected communities by clearing landmines, helping manage stockpiles of weapons, destroying unexploded ordnance, and improving community resilience.

The Government Affairs Associate position is an excellent opportunity for an early-career professional interested in global affairs, humanitarian work, international development, arms control, and related issues to gain practical experience with federal grants management and contribute to an international organization’s humanitarian mission.

HALO USA currently follows a hybrid work policy of three days per week in-person attendance at HALO USA’s Washington, DC office, with this policy subject to change. The successful candidate will also be expected to be available for occasional in-person attendance at meetings and events.

Overview:

HALO USA manages about 30 concurrent grants and cooperative agreements with the US government. The Government Affairs Associate will be involved in liaising between the US and our international programs, helping craft proposals, monitoring work progress, and ensuring that all HALO programs comply with various US laws and regulations. Additionally, there will be opportunities to support efforts to build new relationships with other US government offices.

This role reports to the Head of Government Affairs and the Government Affairs Manager, and works within the broader HALO USA team. The role requires attention to detail, organization, critical thinking, and a willingness to enforce standards and best practices. The Government Affairs Associate will be exposed to the granular details of US grant management and will gain experience working within a large, international team.

Responsibilities include:

• Supporting with administration for the full life cycle of HALO’s government awards. This includes preparing materials for proposals, tracking progress, providing QA of documents, meeting administrative and legal requirements, reporting, and closeout.
• Liaising with the State Department and other government offices to receive guidance on award activities and share with HALO’s international country programs.
• Performing sanctions monitoring for all of HALO’s international programs.
• Maintaining clean and comprehensive administrative files and assisting with yearly audits of HALO’s accounts and awards.

• Bachelor’s degree
• Prefer prior experience in a field related to international affairs, grant management, office management, or client/constituent services.
• Strong proofreading, editing, and writing skills, as well as excellent attention to detail
• Experience reviewing and checking numerical products like budgets, financial transaction sheets, cost-analyses, or payroll.
• Ability to prepare and maintain detailed reports in an accurate, complete, and timely manner.
• Ability to plan and manage workflow and deadlines on multiple projects simultaneously.
• Possess the interpersonal skills to interact with internationally based staff across multiple time zones.
• Proficiency in Microsoft 365 products and apps; experience working with data is a plus.
• Willingness to be flexible and maintain a strong work ethic through varied work requirements.
• As this role may require occasional travel to HALO field programs, a willingness to work in challenging environments is a must.
• Knowledge of any language spoken in HALO program countries is a plus.

The HALO Trust USA employee benefits for full-time employees include:

• Vacation Time: 25 days (5 weeks) paid vacation (PTO) accrued at 16.667 hours per month.
• Sick Leave: 5 days (1 week) paid Sick-Leave. Sick Leave cannot be ‘carried-over’ to the next year.
• Holidays: HALO USA observes all US Federal holidays.
• Savings Plan: A 401(k) retirement savings plan is offered to our employees, but managed entirely through our Payroll provider, Insperity. HALO USA will ‘match’ up to 5% of an employee’s contributed monthly savings to their 401(k) account.
• Health Insurance: Health Insurance benefits are offered to employees through HALO’s payroll provider, Insperity. HALO pays a portion of the employee’s monthly health insurance premium. (Applies only to employees that choose to partake in the health insurance plan.)
• Dental Insurance: Dental Insurance benefits are offered to employees through HALO’s payroll provider, Insperity. HALO pays a portion of the employee’s monthly dental insurance premium. (Applies only to employees that choose to partake in the dental insurance plan.)

To apply for this role please submit your resume (no more than 2 pages) and a cover letter (no more than 1 page). Closing date for applications is Monday 12th February, 2024.

*Applications without a cover letter tailored to the position will not be considered.

*If there is a sufficient caliber of applicants, we reserve the right to close the role earlier than the date noted.

*Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S.

The HALO Trust is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any applicant for employment because of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation. The HALO Trust is committed to a culture that is both diverse and inclusive and we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool.

The HALO Trust is committed to ensuring that it provides a safe and trusted environment which safeguards and promotes the welfare and wellbeing of anyone who comes into contact with, or is part of, the Charity, with a zero-tolerance approach to behaviours which challenge this.