Action Officer (Division of International Affairs)

Position description

Valiant Harbor International is a CVE Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business that specializes in technical, programmatic, acquisition, compliance, and financial services for Government science and technology, research and development, and technological programs. At Valiant Harbor International, we emphasize our intense focus on helping federal government agencies identify and address organizational challenges to tailor and integrate specific solutions to solve their most difficult problems. Success is defined by our ability to meet our customers’ needs quickly, efficiently, and effectively.

Valiant Harbor International is seeking a dynamic and highly organized Action Officer to support strategic initiatives at the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) Division of International Affairs (DIA). This full-time position requires an experienced professional with strong organizational, communication, and analytical skills to help drive effective operational planning, stakeholder coordination, and leadership engagement. The ideal candidate will possess a track record of supporting executive leadership, coordinating complex activities, and synthesizing policy and international developments for strategic execution.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide strategic guidance and serve as a thought partner to office leadership to streamline processes, mitigate blockers, and support goal-setting, operational planning, and external communications.
• Coordinate division-level assignments, actions, milestones, and reporting on performance metrics such as objectives and key results (OKRs).
• Advise and support Division Director and DIA teammates to advance mission goals.
• Coordinate support for senior leadership engagements across industry, HHS, international partner communities, ecosystem events, and other key activities.
• Monitor and synthesize international and U.S. government developments to inform agency strategies.
• Collaborate with other Action Officers to support the agency’s international agenda and engagements.
• Handle, respond to, and coordinate a broad range of internal and external requests and communications.
• Interface with U.S. and foreign government officials, academics, international partners, and private sector stakeholders.
• Conduct research on global health technology, investment, and innovation trends and report insights to the team.

Required Qualifications:

• Minimum 7 years of experience serving as a Chief of Staff or Action Officer to a senior leader or principal.
• At least 2 years of experience with international relations and engagements.
• Demonstrated experience engaging with senior executives (SES or GS-15 equivalent).
• Proven success in strategic planning, operations optimization, and solving organizational challenges.
• Strong research and data analysis capabilities to inform strategic decisions.
• Excellent coordination skills for tracking actions and facilitating goal achievement.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Desired Additional Qualifications:

• 10 years of cumulative professional experience.
• Master’s or advanced degree in health, management, or international relations.
• Strong communication skills with experience engaging diverse stakeholders (U.S./foreign government, international partners, private sector).
• Experience supporting a front office or leadership support environment in government or ARPA-like settings.
• Familiarity with U.S. and/or international health organizations (government or non-government).
• Ability to multitask, prioritize, and manage complex responsibilities in a fast-paced environment.
• Prior support of ARPA-style programs (e.g., DARPA, IARPA, ARPA-E), DoD advanced development, R&D, or start-up environments.

Minimum Degree: Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s preferred.

Work Environment: Hybrid; minimum 2–3 days per week required onsite at Washington, DC client location

Salary Range: Negotiable; $90k – $180k annual salary.

Application instructions

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