Position Descriptions

You may also review the Congressional Research Service’s report on Congressional Staff Duties, Qualifications, and Skills.

ADMINISTRATIVE

  • Implements administrative office policies and operating procedures.
  • Ensures that Senate rules and procedures are practiced at all times.
  • Maintains office policy manual and staff leave records.
  • Hires and terminates support staff upon appropriate approval from Chief of Staff or Senator.
  • Orients and trains new staff; maintains personnel files on permanent staff, interns, fellows, and job applicants.
  • Forecasts, prepares and oversees administrative budget.
  • Serves as liaison with Senate Legal Counsel, Committee on Rules and Administration, and Ethics Committee.
  • Interfaces with Senate Disbursing Office regarding payroll and all office accounts; maintains payroll files.
  • Monitors all official accounts, prepares and processes vouchers for transmittal to Senate Disbursing Office.
  • Responsible for personal office suite; submits requests for maintenance, furnishing, office relocations.
  • Orders and maintains inventory of supplies and office equipment.
  • Supervises and ensures daily office coverage at reception desk and mailroom.
  • Serves as office emergency coordinator and ensures proper education and training in evacuation procedures, inventory of relevant equipment and supplies, and overall continuity of operations.
  • Manages recruitment and supervision of office intern program, and selections for Senate Page Program.
  • Maintains Chief of Staff’s daily schedule and makes travel arrangements.
  • Screens and routes correspondence; maintains Chief of Staff’s files.
  • Screens incoming telephone calls, and coordinates conference calls.
  • Drafts correspondence, reports, and memoranda.
  • Assists with coordination of military academy appointments.
  • Provides backup support for Senator’s Executive Assistant and Scheduler as necessary.
  • Performs special projects assigned by Chief of Staff.
  • Develops operating plans, goals, and objectives.
  • Oversees office budget; monitors expenditures.
  • Establishes office personnel policies and procedures for Washington and state offices in accordance with rules and regulations of the United States Senate.
  • Hires, appraises, and terminates staff in accordance with policies and procedures of the United States Senate.
  • Represents the Senator at meetings, events, functions.
  • Monitors important issues, particularly of a legislative nature, for accurate representation of Senator’s positions.
  • Schedules and chairs staff meetings.
  • Coordinates military academy appointments.
  • Assists constituents with unique and special needs.
  • Schedules and coordinates town hall meetings in state with appropriate staff.
  • Travels with the Senator regionally and internationally as necessary.
  • Responsible for managing and processing large flow of incoming and outgoing communications.
  • Works closely with Legislative Correspondents, Legislative Assistants, and Legislative Director to facilitate the outgoing mail process by monitoring the office’s letter approval process, and expediting timely responses.
  • Sorts and distributes incoming communications, data-entry into the Correspondence Management System, and manages mailing projects.
  • Manages letter sign-off for both constituent mail and executive correspondence.
  • Develops responses to mail surges.
  • Prepares weekly reports on mail volume, turn-around time, and other metrics.
  • Maintains archive of constituent mail, works with CMS vendors to troubleshoot database problems.
  • Drafts congratulatory notes on behalf of the Senator, and manages special projects for the Legislative Director.
  • Attends to Senator’s daily administrative needs.
  • Coordinates calendar and appointments with Scheduler.
  • Ensures Senator adheres to daily schedule.
  • Greets scheduled visitors and escorts them to the Senator’s office.
  • Maintains historical recordation of meetings, appointments, and travel.
  • Coordinates with Scheduler and Administrative Director reimbursable expenses relating to Senator’s personal accounts.
  • Reviews and responds to Senator’s personal incoming and outgoing correspondence.
  • Ensures that official documents received by Senator are disseminated to appropriate staff for review.
  • Coordinates with Senator and Executive Assistant on a daily basis, schedules appointments, meetings, events, call log, and general demands for the Senator’s time.
  • Prepares weekly schedules for Senator including details of names, times, places, and topics to be discussed.
  • Acts as liaison with other Senators, spouses, the White House, Cabinet, other agency officials, foreign dignitaries, constituents, lobbyists, the public and office staff.
  • Communicates key information regarding the Senator’s schedule to staff ensuring proper advance for Senator’s appearances and events.
  • Ensures Senator adheres to daily schedule, and coordinates daily briefing material.
  • Handles Senator’s travel arrangements, including reservations and ticketing.
  • Reviews invitations and prepares responses.
  • Coordinates with appropriate state office staff concerning relevant scheduling issues.
  • Answers telephones, receives office visitors, tallies constituent opinion calls, and serve as the first interaction between constituents and the Senator’s office.
  • Leads tours of the Capitol to constituent groups.
  • Handles constituent services including: requests for tours and tourists services (White House, FBI, Kennedy Center, State Department); requests for US and state flags; and general requests for government publications, bills, speeches.
  • Maintains literature regarding state and Washington, DC for visitors, including tour information, maps, Senate gallery passes.
  • Drafts and manages official correspondence for commemorative and congratulatory purposes.
  • Maintains constituent and visitor guest book.
  • Coordinates room reservations with the Senate Rules Committee for events.
  • Maintains office voicemail system.
  • Assists with training and supervising interns.
  • Supports the office’s mailroom operation; ensures that all incoming postal and electronic mail is appropriately processed, screened, analyzed and routed to appropriate staff.
  • Enters constituent mail into the office’s correspondence management system.
  • Maintains and troubleshoots office network, and manages the Active Directory.
  • Updates and maintains the office’s IT systems in DC and state offices.
  • Develops and maintains information management for office.
  • Develops methods to process, manage, archive and store all electronic data.
  • Researches and recommends IT hardware and software for procurement.
  • Provides training and support related to IT systems, portable electronic devices and IT security.
  • Assists Administrative Director in the development and management of the IT budget.
  • Ensures system security and staff compliance with Senate cybersecurity requirements.
  • Serves as representative for Senate support organizations on information technology issues.

LEGISLATIVE

  • Tracks legislation and supports Legislative Assistants in preparation for meetings, briefings, and hearings.
  • Conducts research to adequately respond to legislative correspondence.
  • Attends committee hearings and executive sessions to respond to inquiries and provide briefing materials.
  • Meets with constituent groups about issues of interest and concern.
  • Assists with compiling speeches, floor statements, and articles as enclosures with letters from Senator.
  • Formulates general letters for response to correspondence of a similar nature.
  • Drafts responses to multiple issue letters that cannot be answered with a standard reply.
  • Formulates detailed responses on new issues and submits them for approval.
  • Drafts mailings to constituency on issues of importance.
  • Formulates, analyzes legislative proposals, and drafts amendments and legislation.
  • Tracks legislation in one’s issue areas.
  • Monitors legislative developments within relevant committees.
  • Briefs the Senator on status of legislation in assigned issue areas.
  • Prepares floor statements and remarks.
  • Monitors legislation on Senate and House floors.
  • Serves as liaison with committee and agency staffs.
  • Monitors and makes recommendations for co-sponsorship of bills.
  • Attends committee hearings and executive sessions.
  • Prepares issue-oriented speeches for Senator.
  • Approves responses to legislative correspondence.
  • Performs special projects assigned by Senator, Chief of Staff, or Legislative Director.
  • Interfaces and represents Senator with constituents, stakeholders, and interest groups.
  • Prepares summaries of meetings with groups and briefs the Senator.
  • Builds coalitions on various initiatives to ensure legislative successes.
  • Authors background reports and memoranda.
  • Travels with the Senator regionally and internationally as necessary.
  • Establishes legislative agenda and program for Senator, setting priorities, goals, and objectives for legislative staff.
  • Develops and executes legislative strategy and policy proposals to advance the Senator’s agenda.
  • Oversees development of vote recommendations; creates and implements long- and short-term legislative priorities.
  • Monitors Senate floor activities and legislative developments, particularly within Senator’s committee issues; supports outreach efforts to state and national constituencies.
  • Manages and directs Legislative Assistants and reviews all staff work products; interfaces with state office staff on legislative matters.
  • Meets with constituents, key external stakeholders in the private and public sector, and relevant congressional staff.
  • Maintains Senator’s legislative records including copies of all votes, floor statements, speeches, written articles, bills and amendments the Senator sponsors or co-sponsors, legislative projects, and committee materials.
  • Screens “Dear Colleague” letters and recommends potential co-sponsorship of legislation to the Senator.
  • Coordinates briefings with the Senator regarding status of current legislation.
  • Accompanies the Senator to Senate floor as required.
  • Travels with the Senator regionally and internationally as necessary.

PRESS

  • Develops and oversees all communications for the Senator’s office; manages communications team.
  • Advises the Senator on communications and messaging strategy to accomplish goals.
  • Develops and executes all aspects of a comprehensive, long-term communications plan.
  • Advocates legislative agenda in state and national media; writes and edits speeches, op-eds, news releases, plans and implements national and local media strategies that reflects office and legislative priorities.
  • Conveys the Senator’s objectives and achievements utilizing print, digital, and social media.
  • Prepares and staffs the Senator for interviews, press conferences and events, pitches stories and places columns; leverages social media platforms for maximum press exposure.
  • Maintains strong relationships with state and national press corps.
  • Travels with the Senator regionally and internationally as necessary.
  • Develops and drafts press releases, columns, op-eds, speeches, newsletters, and talking points.
  • Screens, responds to, or refers press inquiries to appropriate staff.
  • Maintains relationships with media outlets and monitors media coverage.
  • Manages social media accounts, Senator’s website, and produces online media content.
  • Reviews daily news articles and creates press clips to circulate and file relevant items.
  • Assists Press Secretary in coordinating press conferences, booking media appearances, and major media events.
  • Keeps abreast of media-relevant issues and informs staff of scheduled appearances by the Senator.
  • Receives, reviews, and distributes grant and contract announcements.
  • Distributes and maintains TV/radio actualities.
  • Updates Senator’s media contact lists; maintains archive of press releases and related media publications.
  • Trains and supervises press interns.
  • Manages production of daily press clips, maintains media contact lists, and fields press calls.
  • Pitches media events, helps draft and edit press releases, talking points, newsletters, advisories, video scripts, and digital content; takes and manages constituent photos.
  • Develops social media outreach, designs graphics for online media; edits/distributes audio and video content.
  • Updates Senator’s website and social media sites; uses analytics to evaluate and evolve the office’s digital efforts; designs and executes digital media campaigns.
  • Develops and executes digital media strategy for online communities, audiences and web-based news outlets.
  • Conducts analysis of web statistics and social media analytics.
  • Creates and edits content for video production and graphic design.
  • Assists with planning and executing press events.
  • Serves as a primary on-the-record spokesperson for the Senator, oversees interview requests and briefings; fields and responds to media inquiries, coordinates state press events.
  • Plans and coordinates media coverage, press conferences, and requests for appearances and interviews with Senator.
  • Writes and edits speeches, op-ed pieces, press releases, media advisories, narratives, newsletters, direct mail pieces, floor statements, quotes, and talking points.
  • Assists Communications Director to communicate the Senator’s sponsored/introduced legislation, committee hearings, constituent meetings, and floor activity.
  • Develops video scripts; tape, edit, and coordinate television satellite feeds.
  • Manages media outreach efforts and short- and long-term communications projects; coordinates and develops statewide media strategy.
  • Organizes and staffs press events; develops and maintains relationships with reporters, editors, and producers; works closely with other members of the communications and legislative teams to pitch stories.
  • Supervises and coordinates all activities of Deputy Press Secretary, and Press Assistant.
  • Updates biographical and photographic materials of the Senator.
  • Establishes and maintains a historical archive of press generated materials.

STATE OFFICE

  • Supervises caseworkers.
  • Coordinates casework to ensure that duplicative efforts are prevented.
  • Ensures that casework is performed in a timely fashion.
  • Maintains office personnel files and leave records.
  • Advises Senator, Chief of Staff, and State Director of specific cases requiring their personal involvement.
  • Assists State Scheduler with Senator’s state office visits.
  • Prepares expense vouchers for state office staff.
  • Approves all mail transmitted from state office.
  • Oversees supply and equipment requests.
  • Serves as office emergency coordinator and ensures proper education and training in evacuation procedures, inventory of relevant equipment and supplies, and overall continuity of operations.
  • Supervises selection of candidates for U.S. military academies, Senate Page Program.
  • Assists in supervision of intern program for state offices.
  • Liaison between the Senator and local elected officials, government agencies, local organizations and constituents in assigned geographic area within the state.
  • Represents the Senator at civic meetings, hearings, community events to monitor developments, opinions and concerns.
  • Works directly with constituents to resolve problems with the Federal Government (i.e., Veterans, Social Security, IRS, etc.); contacts agencies, via telephone and e-mail, to obtain information, and track progress.
  • Monitors casework for problems that might be resolved by legislative action.
  • Responds to constituent correspondence, and maintains log of cases handled by the office.
  • Develops and maintains relationships with local businesses, governments, and community organizations to provide assistance/intervention regarding appropriate projects.
  • Represents the Senator in all areas of the state.
  • Directs state office staff including supervision, assignments, and workflow.
  • Implements office policies and procedures for state office operations.
  • Oversees recruiting, hiring, and training new employees.
  • Maintains close communication with district, community business leaders, constituent groups, and D.C. office.
  • Accompanies Senator on visits throughout the state.
  • Schedules meetings with government agencies, including other congressional offices as necessary.
  • Delivers speeches at events in-state when Senator cannot be present.
  • Schedules and chairs state office staff meetings.
  • Maintains liaison with political leaders in state.
  • Performs special projects assigned by the Senator.
  • Maintains the in-state schedule, prepares travel arrangements, and communicates key information regarding the Senator’s in-state schedule to staff.
  • Ensures proper advance work for Senator’s travel, appearances, and meetings.
  • Receives, evaluates, organizes, and tracks all incoming in-state meeting and event requests.
  • Assists in the strategic planning of state work period appearances and events.
  • Makes travel reservations including air, ground transportation and lodging.
  • Coordinates constituent meetings and special events, town hall meetings, award ceremonies, and educational summits and forums.
  • Maintains close communication with the Senator’s DC Scheduler.
  • Drafts personal correspondence, and serves as assistant to State Director.

COMMITTEES

  • Prepares and manages the committee’s annual budget including payroll, benefits and contracts; makes recommendations to Staff Directors on the expenditure of committee funds, controlling petty cash and administrating reimbursement of expenses; acts as an administrative and financial liaison between the majority and minority staff of the committee and Senate support organizations.
  • Assists in the organization and administration of committee hearings and markups, scheduling of witness testimony, production of committee reports and coordination with Government Publishing Office (GPO).
  • Supervises work of committee support staff, orients new staff regarding policies, procedures, Senate rules and ethics, and monitors employee compliance; coordinates annual and sick leave schedules and maintains personnel files.
  • Responsible for committee office suite; submits requests for maintenance, furnishing, office relocations.
  • Serves as committee office emergency coordinator and ensures proper education and training in evacuation procedures, inventory of relevant equipment and supplies, and overall continuity of operations.
  • Provides administrative support to committee staff by answering phones, greeting and screening office visitors, and ensuring that requests for assistance are efficiently processed.
  • Maintains committee records and files of hearings, studies and reports; obtains documents requested by staff; makes official deliveries to other committees, Senate, and House offices.
  • Logs official correspondence; collects, sorts and distributes mail; monitors delivery and pick-up of materials.
  • Supports the set-up, execution and management of committee hearings, mark-ups, business meetings and committee projects.
  • Proofs and edits hearing transcripts.
  • Provides overall administrative support to Chief Clerk.
  • Advises committee staff on legislative and oversight matters, and assists in the development of policy positions and legislative initiatives for the committee.
  • Coordinates activities for assigned committee hearings including preparation of witness lists, drafting questions for witnesses, statements by committee Chairman or Ranking Member, and ensuring that relevant materials are submitted for the hearing record.
  • Advises and assists committee members with preparation of floor statements, talking points and rebuttals to opposing arguments.
  • Drafts bills and amendments related to assigned issues, monitors legislative developments, and recommends strategies and tactics on bills and amendments.
  • Reviews legal memoranda drafted by staff for submission to staff director and committee members.
  • Makes initial evaluations in internal conflict-of-interest and ethics issues and serves as liaison to Senate Select Committee on Ethics.
  • Meets with constituent groups related to committee business; acts as liaison with other committees, House staff, government agencies and outside interest and advocacy groups.
  • Formulates and staffs investigations and oversight work on issues falling under the committee’s jurisdiction, constructs and implements investigative agenda, and develops committee hearings, forums, reports, and reference materials.
  • Assists the Staff Director by providing administrative support for meetings, hearings, markups, floor debate, and conference session.
  • Creates and maintains spreadsheet of language differences in conference with the House on legislation; schedules and announces conference-related meetings with the House; maintains central committee correspondence files, and log of members’ interest letters.
  • Provides support for scheduling, travel, events, correspondence, office visitors, and phone calls.
  • Serves as liaison with personal offices of the Chairman or Ranking Member.
  • Researches, plans, and assists in the development of legislative initiatives under the committee’s jurisdiction.
  • Drafts reports, statements, memoranda and position papers on legislative issues.
  • Analyzes legislation related to assigned issues, and briefs committee members on current developments.
  • Monitors Senate floor activity relating to assigned issues and provides up-to-date status reports regarding pending legislative developments.
  • Assists committee staff in organizing and holding hearings, preparing witness lists and briefing materials; contacting and assisting witnesses.
  • Prepares statements and talking points for committee members on pending legislation and hearing topics.
  • Acts as a liaison with government officials, constituent groups, outside interest and advocacy groups as well as Senate and House staff on matters related to assigned issues.
  • Maintains working knowledge of all current issues pending before the committee and handles special projects as assigned.
  • Performs background research and develops expertise in assigned legislative issues.
  • Assists professional staff in developing legislative initiatives including original research, and editing of final drafts.
  • Supports committee staff in preparing, organizing, and holding hearings and other events, including preparing witness lists and briefing materials; contacting and assisting witnesses; compiling background information and materials and distributing and monitoring hearing testimony.
  • Responds to constituent requests and concerns related to assigned issues.
  • Assists staff in drafting reports, statements, memoranda and position papers on various issues; prepares briefing books and other materials for use by committee members and staff.
  • Maintains a working knowledge of issues under the committee’s jurisdiction.
  • Develops and maintains an information management and automation strategy for the committee.
  • Administers and maintains domains and physical networks.
  • Ensures committee systems’ integrity through continual monitoring of critical updates, service packs and virus definitions; performs computer backup procedures, utilizes remote access; maintains overall committee network security.
  • Provides technical support necessary for committee hearings; troubleshoots IT-related issues including PC and peripheral problems; provides staff training.
  • Maintains committee website; posts committee reports, hearing schedules, legislation, multi-media content.
  • Researches new technologies; advises, recommends and oversees purchasing and installing IT services and equipment.
  • Directs and coordinates all legislative, administrative, and committee functions.
  • Assists committee Chairman or Ranking Member to develop and implement all policy objectives, strategies and operating plans for the committee.
  • Supervises staff and possesses oversight responsibility for hiring, promotion, disciplinary, and termination decisions.
  • Ensures that committee staff and functions adhere to the applicable Senate rules and federal law.
  • Manages day-to-day legislative activities of the committee including hearings and reports, negotiations with majority or minority staff, approves strategy and tactics on bills and amendments relating to committee jurisdiction from professional staff members and counsel.
  • Advises committee Chairman or Ranking Member on legislative matters and pending nominations, and makes recommendations regarding potential investigations, hearings, and other oversight issues.
  • Serves as principle liaison to committee members, other Senate and House committee staff, government agencies and other organizations.