White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders Careers and Internships

The White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI) is seeking current federal government civilian employees for 180-day details. Detailees may also support the work of the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders.

The White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI) is seeking current federal government civilian employees for at least a 180-day non-reimbursable detail. Detailees may also support the work of the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. Both entities are authorized through Executive Order 14031 and are tasked with developing, monitoring, and coordinating executive branch efforts to advance equity, justice, and opportunity for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) communities throughout the entirety of the federal government by working in close collaboration with the White House.

Requirements

What you’ll do
Duties may vary depending on skillsets as we build a robust team comprised of policy, research, communications, public engagement, programmatic, and administrative staff. Potential job series are in parentheses. Possible duties include:

Supporting Executive Branch Efforts to Advance Equity, Justice, and Opportunity for AA and NHPI Communities: Support executive branch efforts on a broad range of policy issues outlined in EO 14031, including: health, economic development, labor, education, voting rights, immigration, housing, climate and environmental justice, transportation, civil rights, language access, and data disaggregation.

Advising on Policies to Address and End Anti-Asian Bias: Research, analyze, and/or support the development of policies, programs, and initiatives to address and end anti-Asian bias, xenophobia, racism, and nativism, as well as to report, respond to, and track anti-Asian hate crimes and hate incidents. Responsibilities will include assisting with the development of guidance that the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services are required to issue pursuant to the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act.

Developing Strategic Partnerships: Research, analyze, and/or support the development of strategies to increase AA and NHPI public engagement and outreach, as well as public-and private-sector collaboration, and community involvement in improving the safety and socioeconomic, health, educational, occupational, and environmental well-being of AA and NHPI communities.

Supporting the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders: Support a 25 member Federal Advisory Committee by conducting research at the direction of Commissioners, coordinating briefings and presentations, providing meeting support, and serving as a liaison to the work of the Commission and its subcommittees

Supporting the Regional Network: Support WHIAANHPI’s Regional Network which is comprised of federal employees in 10 regions. Responsibilities may include but are not limited to producing round tables, briefings, and listening sessions; curating materials for regional stakeholders; and communicating input from the Regional Network, interested community members and affected AA and NHPI populations to the Interagency Working Group and Commission.

Providing Complex Administrative Work and Technical Support: Provide technical and audiovisual coordination; human resources support and recruitment; budget analysis; coordination with high level officials across multiple agencies to manage complex travel and meeting schedules; and contractor oversight.

Providing Administrative Support: Manage calendar, make travel arrangements, coordinate communications and correspondence, interface with leadership across the federal government, support events planning and meeting planning.

Analyzing Federal Grants and Federal Programs: Research, analyze, and identify ways in which the federal government can build on the capacity and contributions of AA and NHPI communities through equitable federal funding, grantmaking, programming, and employment opportunities.

Providing Public Affairs and Communications Support: Assist WHIAANHPI, the Commission, and WHIAANHPI’s Regional Network and Interagency Working Group with public affairs and communication efforts, including but not limited to liaising with the mainstream and ethnic press and others with interest in WHIAANHPI; producing content for WHIAANHPI’s website and social media channels; driving publicity for public meetings, roundtables, and listening sessions; writing talking points, blogs, and press releases; coordinating with affected communities or subject matter experts to ensure timely and accurate development, dissemination, and promotion of information.

What you’ll learn
This detail offers you tremendous opportunities to engage with a broad cross section of stakeholders across the federal government while enhancing your effectiveness to break down silos and address issues that cut across the executive branch. This detail offers significant opportunities for training and professional development.

The detail will allow you to effectively communicate with the public, senior government officials, as well as private and non-profit stakeholders on issues of importance to the Administration. You can build relationships with key White House officials, as well as federal, regional, state, and local organizations and impacted communities.

The detail will allow you to assist in the development, monitoring, and coordination of executive branch efforts to advance equity, justice, and opportunity for AA and NHPI communities on topics including education, commerce, business, health, human services, housing, the environment, the arts, agriculture, labor and employment, transportation, justice, veterans affairs, economic and community development, immigration, law, national security, and more.

The detail will allow you to interact with the President’s Advisory Commission, Interagency Working Group, Regional Network, and stakeholders to address cross-agency and community issues on a wide range of topics of importance to the AA and NHPI population.

Who we are
• The White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders and the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, authorized by President Biden’s Executive Order 14031, are working to advance equity, justice, and opportunity for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. Both are co-chaired by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra and U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai, and led by Executive Director Krystal Ka'ai.

Requirements
The position requires flexibility and the ability to multitask. Specific skills will vary depending on the detailee’s assignment. Skills may include but not be limited to:

• Knowledge of issues and experience related to Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities.

• Ability to drive interagency work in the broader goal of advancing equity, justice, and opportunity for AA and NHPI communities throughout the federal government.

• Flexibility and adaptability are key as this is a start-up organization.

• Strong organizational and project management experience in planning, organizing, and prioritizing tasks.

• Strong problem-solving skills with impeccable multi-tasking abilities and ability to meet multiple and varying deadlines.

• Ability to effectively collaborate and communicate with varying levels of senior managers, staff members, and external groups.

• Strong oral and written communication skills with the ability to draft communications utilizing information from multiple sources.

• Ability to prioritize and process information based upon context and situational awareness.

• Skill in preparing written recommendations in plain language, including experience with drafting policy documents for senior leadership.

• Experience working in or with federal regional offices.

• Knowledge of federal, state, and local antidiscrimination laws and initiatives to address discrimination and racism in government programs.

Detailees may be from agency headquarters offices or based in regional offices across the country.

How to apply Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and evaluated based on need for the skillsets and availability of slots. Positions may be in DC or virtual.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

As staffing for these positions will be on a non-reimbursable basis, candidates should already have an idea about their individual prospects at securing release from their existing position in advance of applying.

DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS:

1) Resume or CV

2) Most recent SF-50 Personnel Action indicating eligibility (please redact SSN)

3) Most recent signed Performance Evaluation with ratings

4) Written approval from applicant’s current supervisor

5) Cover letter

During the application process you can chain the documents together in a pdf to upload where it says “resume.” If you have not submitted all documents, this may delay processing.