VPD Government Solutions is a rapidly growing, employee-centric professional services company providing Strategic Communications & Stakeholder Engagement, Acquisition and Grants Management, PMO, IT PMO, and Data Analysis & Governance support to our federal clients. Our employees proudly serve as trusted advisors and innovative problem solvers for our clients. We are seeking a Entry Level Communications Assistant to join our diverse and talented team.

The Entry Level Communications Assistant supports communications activities of the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF). OPRE oversees contracts and grants to study ACF’s social services programs and the low-income and at-risk children and families they serve. Areas of focus include Head Start, childcare, welfare, employment and self-sufficiency, child abuse and neglect, responsible fatherhood and healthy marriage, home visiting, and youth services. OPRE includes approximately one hundred federal and contracted staff, primarily research and evaluation specialists. The Office oversees a portfolio of approximately $200 million in grants and contracts.

• Information on ACF is available at https://acf.hhs.gov.
• Information on OPRE is available at https://acf.hhs.gov/opre

Position Overview:

The Entry Level Communications Assistant will assist the OPRE communication team with scheduling social media content, posting new publications to the OPRE website, creating internal and external newsletters, and other communications related activities as assigned.

Responsibilities:

• Schedule social media content using Buffer or similar social media content scheduling platform
• Prepare a weekly office newsletter using Campaign Monitor (or similar email marketing platform) and other email communications as assigned
• Create new publication landing pages in Drupal (or similar website content management system) and coordinate review with staff and colleagues
• Coordinate the review of website pages and make ad-hoc website updates as assigned
• Assist federal staff with communications management activities (e.g., tracking publication review, taking notes during meetings, preparing agendas, scheduling meetings, records management, etc.)
• Assist with formatting and designing publications, graphics, and other deliverables
• Provide support for conference and webinar communication
• Provide internal communications support (e.g., internal email communications and mailbox inquiries, internal event planning and support, etc.)
• Provide 508 remediation support to colleagues as assigned (training will be provided)
• Provide ad-hoc communications support on special projects
• Assist with creating short videos and taking staff headshots as assigned
• Perform other duties as assigned

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree is required
• 2 years of general work experience with 1 year of relevant professional experience
• Strong written, and oral communication skills and responsiveness
• Strong organizational skills and experience with project management software, solutions, and best practices
• Strong writing, production, and technical editing skills
• Ability to be detail-oriented and self-motivated and to prioritize and balance a diverse workload
• Excellent time management skills, including handling multiple projects simultaneously and on tight timeframes
• Ability to work independently, be flexible, and work as part of a remote team
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Microsoft Teams, Outlook, and Zoom
• Ability to obtain and maintain a public trust clearance
• Must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19
• U.S. Citizenship required

Desired:

• Experience with and/or demonstrated interest in social science and human services research communication
• Familiarity with Drupal and other content management systems
• Experience with Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Premiere Pro and other graphic design, data visualization, and video editing tools (e.g. Adobe Express, Canva, Microsoft PowerBI)
• Familiarity with 508 compliancy standards and remediation

Why work for VPD?

• VPD is proud to be a certified Great Place to Work in 2022! See more about what our employees think! Working at VPD Government Solutions | Great Place to Work®
• Robust employee benefits package beginning on 1st of the month following hire date including health, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance
• 401(k) with 5% employer matching- immediate vesting!
• Profit sharing
• Flexible time off program including 3 weeks of paid time off
• Tuition reimbursement program
• Opportunities for professional development
• Employee-centric work culture including company sponsored events, happy hours, and team-building opportunities, frequent communications/information sharing from Leadership, supportive and positive teamwork environment, “open door” policy, etc.

Work Location: Remote - Washington, DC – Health and Human Services.

VPD is Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

• VPD Uses E-Verify - Right to Work Poster
• VPD Uses E-Verify - Participation Notice

Applicants have rights under Federal Employment Laws:

• EEOC Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal
• EEO is the Law - Federal Contractors/Subcontractors
• Employee Polygraph Protection Act
• Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision