Project Associate, International Education Division

Position Description

RTI is currently accepting applications for the position of Project Associate to support our work in International Education.

The successful candidate will provide operations and financial support in all aspects of home office project management implementation and support business development for the division.

The Project Associate will work on tasks in support of RTI’s international education programs, and in all cases will work as a member of the education and Project Management Unit (PMU) team and in support of the program’s goals.

The successful candidate will excel at planning and organizing their work, while maintaining a positive and productive attitude with other team members in a fast-paced and demanding environment.

The candidate must be energetic and show initiative, demonstrate a willingness to take on challenges, while appreciating the scope of the position and role within the team.

This position will report to the Director of Operations, or designated Project Coordinator, and will preferably be based in Research Triangle Park, NC or Washington, DC, but applications will be considered for remote work within the US.

The position may require international travel up to 10% of the time.

Responsibilities

General Project Management :

• Under the supervision of Project Managers and Coordinators, support project management activities from project start-up to closeout.
• Under the supervision of Project Managers and Coordinators, collaborate with other project team members, division management, and RTI business partners to identify and mitigate risks related to implementation.
• Support the recruitment and onboarding of project staff and other human resources processes.
• Draft staffing, consultant, travel, subcontracts, contract modifications and other contractual approval requests, as well as other items for submission to clients.
• Liaise and coordinate support services from RTI business partners.

Administrative :

• Create project cheat sheets / trackers with key funding, contractual, and technical information; lead and manage project trackers.
• Support daily project and team activities including managing the calendars, agendas, and meeting notes for the project and or technical activity meetings.
• Maintain project files on shared drives and SharePoint.

Financial :

• Support project staff with financial monitoring and tracking.
• Support budget planning, consult with technical teams, business partners, regional offices, and project team members to support improved forecasting as needed.
• Review invoices and work with Accounts Payable to ensure on time payment.

Procurement :

• Support engagement of subcontractors, consultants, and / or other vendors by assisting with collecting necessary documentation and preparing subcontract / purchase order requests and modifications.
• Create and maintain Level of Effort (LOE) and budget trackers for subcontractors, consultants, and / or other vendors.
• Under the supervision of Project Coordinators, support the project team with participating in procurement processes and ensuring compliance.

Other :

• Perform discrete tasks on projects and / or proposal development efforts under the supervision functional leads.
• Perform other tasks as directed and delegated by the direct supervisor or Project Coordinator in the assigned portfolio.

Qualifications

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in education, international development, engineering, business administration, or relevant discipline with 1 year of relevant experience.
• Must be eligible to work in the United States without sponsorship.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Experience in project administration and management in international development.
• Understanding and knowledge of USAID rules and regulations.
• Experience working with project management teams and / or in a matrixed environment.
• Experience working with and / or managing budgets.
• Ability to operate across multiple time zones and in a virtual format, and strong digital literacy.
• Culturally sensitive and respectful, able to work well with individuals from different backgrounds.
• Proficiency in an additional language, particularly Spanish, French, or Arabic a plus.
• Interest in international education and / or project management.
• Strong interpersonal skills and written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency with MS Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Excel.

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