One Federal Solution (OFS) is seeking an Administrative Specialist in Bethesda, MD. The Administrative Specialist will independently provide administrative support services to satisfy the overall operational objectives of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communications Disorders (NIDCD). The Administrative Specialist will coordinate the preparation of a variety of items such as travel authorizations, approvals, vouchers, professional service orders, requests for sponsored travel forms, outside activities forms, official duty memoranda, training requests, individual/mass mailings, correspondence, reports, and various forms as follows:

Task and Duties

• Provide services to the Division of Intramural Research (DIR), National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD). The position is in the Intramural Research Administration Branch.


• Coordinate the preparation of a variety of items such as travel authorizations, approvals, and vouchers, professional service orders, requests for sponsored travel (Form 348), outside activities (Form 520), official duty memoranda, training requests, individual/mass mailings, correspondence, reports, and various forms.


• Serve as a primary point of contact on HR activities within DIR. Provide advice on appropriate appointment and pay mechanisms and recruitment tools as applicable to meet the requirements of specific situations. Review and prepare all human resource packages before submission to the Administrative Officer (AO) and provide advice to program personnel on HR regulations and policies.


• Handle and process personnel actions including FTE, non-FTEs, Guest Researchers, and Special Volunteers. Initiate and complete all appropriate paperwork, onboard and offboard laboratory staff members, primary point of contact for administrative matters, etc. Keeps abreast of personnel policies and procedures.


• Arrange and coordinate all activities applicable to domestic, foreign, sponsored, and local travel for staff while adhering to all applicable NIH and federal guidelines using applicable NIH federal systems such as Concur Government Edition (CGE). Correspond with the Division of International Services (Client) and Fogarty International Center (FIC) regarding VISA, passport, and international travel related issues. Provide guidance to Principal Investigators (PI) and staff regarding the complex aspects of foreign and domestic travel. Report conferences as required by the Office of Financial Management (OFM).


• Monitor status of actions and serve as liaison with the HR office to expedite specific cases and responds to inquiries for additional information. Provide information to staff on various personnel activities, pertaining to appointment status, benefits, and promotional and training opportunities. Provide advice regarding NIH requirements for position descriptions, job analyses and crediting plans, etc. Assure that all necessary documentation is prepared and that signatures, approvals, clearances are obtained for recruitment/appointment of professional, technical, and support staff, renewal/extension of appointments, reassignments, pay increases/adjustments, separation/termination, etc. Assist with the maintenance of employee performance plans, progress reviews and final ratings for an organization's laboratory staff.


• Review monthly and other accounting reports, bring discrepancies to the attention of the PI/Lab Chief and AOs, and resolve issues with them or other concerned parties. Monitor the use and rate of expenditures for certain activities through continuing dialogue with lab staff, review of written documents, and examination of records and reports. Track certain expenditures (e.g., domestic and foreign travel) and provide advice to the AO when additional funds are required and initiate appropriate requests. Track the use of allocated FTEs, making certain the lab does not exceed its ceiling.


• Utilize Purchasing Online Tracking System (POTS) to order office, general-purpose equipment, and supplies for the labs. Serve as a liaison between scientific staff and purchasing staff, and as necessary provide advice on sources, justifications, object class codes, etc. Coordinates origination and renewal of maintenance contracts. Assists with the documentation and justification narratives for purchases of major procurement items. Completes ITAS audit monthly and submits recommended adjustments to Administrative Officer for processing.


• Provide support with timekeeping duties.


• Coordinate office communications (telephones, voice mail and email), typing memos, correspondence, manuscripts, etc., collecting and distributing internal and external mail, maintenance of office files, equipment, and supplies. Use a variety of software applications to generate/format reports and correspondence, maintain general and specialized databases and spreadsheets and to track a variety of administrative activities for the labs. Update/maintain calendars and shared calendars for multiple staff members.


• Coordinate and prepare the monthly on-call schedule for the consultant physician service which involves planning the schedule and contacting physicians for their availability, distributing to physicians, and coordinating with the telecommunication office.


• Serve as credentialing coordinator for the IC. Coordinates the credentialing process for all DIR clinical staff which involves frequent interaction with clinical and scientific staff, obtaining various documents, verifying, and validating information such as previous employment and education, adhering to strict guidelines.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Have a minimum of four (4) years of relevant experience..


• Expertise in Microsoft Office Suite (MS Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint).


• Knowledge of procurement (POTS), travel (Concur Gov/CGE2), and administrative systems.


• Possess the knowledge of standard office administrative procedures and the ability to read and follow written instructions.


• Have a keen attention to detail and be extremely organized.


• Exhibit exceptional communication and interpersonal skills.


• Be able to work on multiple projects simultaneously and have the flexibility of working both collaboratively and independently.


• Have a strong ability to identify and anticipate needs.

About One Federal Solution

One Federal Solution (OFS) is an innovative Professional Services provider with over 17 years of experience supporting Defense and Civilian agencies. OFS specializes in Business Intelligence, Acquisition and Procurement, and other Professional Services. We are pioneers, builders, thought leaders, and pride ourselves in thinking outside the box to co-create with our customers, helping them achieve excellent enterprise wide outcomes. As a certified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), OFS is committed to providing people who deliver high performance and excellence to our government partners.