Operations and Administrative Specialist

Join Our Team as an Operations and Administrative Specialist at the International Republican Institute (IRI)!

ABOUT IRI

The International Republican Institute (IRI) advances democracy and freedom. We link people with their governments, support politicians to be responsive to citizens, and motivate those citizens to engage in the political process.

At IRI, every employee plays a crucial role in advancing our mission across the globe. We’re looking for passionate individuals who embody our Core Values and are eager to contribute to our dynamic team. Our values include:

• Respect: We lead with trust, empathy, and dignity; empowering colleagues and partners.
• Teamwork: We collaborate across teams; solve problems together; are humble and ready to learn.
• Ownership: We take initiative; champion solutions; deliver results for IRI’s mission.
• Excellence through Execution: We balance thoughtfulness with timeliness; learn from results; prioritize progress over perfection.
• Transparency: We share information openly; give direct feedback; build trust through honest communication.
• Freedom: We are empowered to make decisions, try new approaches, and adapt as needed.

ABOUT THE ROLE: OPERATIONS AND ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIST

The Operations and Administrative Specialist supports timely, compliant procurement actions and payment processing for contracts and task orders. The Specialist prepares solicitations and standard procurement documents, compiles and maintains procurement records, creates purchase orders, reviews invoices and financial reports, and coordinates with program, Procurement, Finance, and other operational teams to move actions through established processes. The role provides hands-on guidance, training, and troubleshooting to staff but does not serve as the lead for direct program contracting. The Specialist also provides support to Global Legal & Operations (GLO) on contract administration, vendor screening, records maintenance, research, and government or third-party authentication processes.

This position is located in Washington, DC. The Operations and Administrative Specialist is expected to work in-office at least three days per week.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Procurement Support

• Work with requesting staff to initiate, document, route, and complete procurement actions efficiently, cost-effectively, and in accordance with IRI requirements.
• Prepare solicitations, purchase orders, standard-form contracts, modifications, and related procurement records using approved templates and established processes.
• Conduct in-depth reviews of contract scopes of work, solicitations, and proposals, assess risk associated with agreements, and provide solution-oriented feedback to staff to improve competitiveness, ensure compliance, or mitigate risks of procurement packages.
• Review procurement packages, modifications, reports, and closeout documentation for clarity, completeness, consistency, and required approvals.
• Organize procurement files and confirm that required records are complete, current, and maintained in the designated systems and procurement tracking tools.

Billing and Payment Processing

• Review and process contract invoices, financial reports, reimbursement requests, drawdown requests, and related payment documentation for accuracy, completeness, consistency with agreement terms, and compliance with applicable funder requirements and IRI policy.
• Reconcile accounts and maintain accurate records and documentation for audit readiness.
• Identify and resolve missing documentation issues in coordination with project teams and partners.

Global Legal & Operations (GLO) Support

• Support contract intake, routing, electronic signature, and records administration in Agiloft, and track expirations, renewals, deliverables, and reporting deadlines for assigned agreements.
• Collect and review Vendor Information Forms, confirm required information and documentation, conduct preliminary sanctions and exclusion screening, and escalate potential matches or documentation concerns.
• Maintain contract templates, standard forms, and corporate and entity records.
• Coordinate notarization, apostille, authentication, legalization, certification, filing, and other third-party approval processes for corporate, entity, registration, and operational documents, including preparing submission packages, arranging couriers, tracking status, and maintaining records.
• Conduct research and support special projects at the direction of senior staff.

Reporting and Compliance

• Apply relevant funder requirements, including 2 CFR Part 200, and IRI policies and procedures when reviewing procurement, billing, and payment documentation.
• Review audit documentation and support preparation for annual funder, project, and internal audits.
• Provide practical guidance, training, and troubleshooting to staff, contractors, and vendors on procurement, billing, documentation, and compliance requirements within the position’s area of responsibility.

Note: This post is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, or skills required in this role. Further details of the role will be shared during the recruitment process.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR

We seek a passionate, resourceful, and technically fluent individual with:

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, public administration, supply chain management, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Minimum three years of professional contracts, procurement, or financial administration experience.
• Attention to detail and ability to maintain organized, accurate records.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to track timelines, deliverables, and documentation across multiple agreements and projects.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team, balancing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to liaise effectively with internal teams and external partners, including vendors and service providers.
• Knowledge of 2 CFR Part 200 (Uniform Guidance), preferred.
• Ability to interpret and apply funder and organizational policies and procedures.
• Creative and solution-oriented with a customer service mindset.
• Knowledge of electronic systems (including JAMIS, Agiloft (or similar CLM), HubSpot (or similar CRM), Costpoint, Cognos, Quicken, QuickBooks, Concur, or similar financial systems).
• Willingness to learn software, systems, and processes and to take the initiative to understand, create, and refine best practices.
• Arabic, French, Russian, Spanish, and Ukrainian language skills desirable but not required.

IRI TOTAL COMPENSATION

The anticipated compensation range for this position is $60,000 to $76,000 USD.

The salary for this position is determined based on a wide variety of factors including but not limited to an individual’s professional experience, qualifications, education and other business needs along with internal equity considerations.

WE OFFER

An empathetic and dedicated work environment with generous benefits that demonstrates IRI’s commitment to all dimensions of employee wellness, including:

• Health and Wellness Support: Significant coverage of health, dental, and vision insurance costs. Meaningful assistance programs through an Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) and Rula (access to mental health experts).
• Long-term Financial Health: Retirement plan with generous employer contribution (vested after 12 months).
• Hybrid Work: Employees typically work in-office three days per week and telework two days per week.
• Time Off: Company-paid holidays, parental leave, generous vacation, sick, and personal leave days.
• Family Support: Dependent Care FSA
• Learning and Development Opportunities: Annual allowance for professional development courses and seminars along with access to world-class e-learning via eCornell.
• Compensation Equity: Regular competitive review of internal and external equity to ensure fairness in pay for employees working in similar jobs requiring comparable knowledge, skills, and experience.

Benefits, professional development, and flexibility offerings may vary based on employment classification and location.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS – RESUME, COVER LETTER, & REFERENCES

In your application, please include a copy of your most up-to-date resume along with a cover letter that outlines your background and explains why you are interested in this opportunity. Additionally, please include the contact details of at least 2-3 professional references. If you are selected for an interview, we will contact your references before the final interview.