Ascendant
Congressional & Public Affairs Analyst (USTDA)
Arlington, District of Columbia, US
Role snapshot
Ascendant is hiring a Congressional & Public Affairs Analyst (USTDA) on a full-time basis. This is a role based in Arlington, District of Columbia, US.
- Company
- Ascendant
- Location
- Arlington, District of Columbia, US
- Job type
- Full-time
- Experience
- 1–3 years
- Posted
- Nov 7, 2026
Who this role suits
People with roughly one to three years of experience who can own small pieces of work with light guidance and want to widen their scope.
How to prepare your application
- Prepare two or three stories about work you owned end to end, including one thing that went wrong and what you changed.
- Read what Ascendant publishes about its product or team, so you can say clearly why this role and this company.
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About the role
Ascendant is recruiting qualified candidates for a full-time Congressional & Public Affairs Analyst positionlinked to a multi-year contract that we hold with the U.S. Trade & Development Agency (USTDA). The Analyst will perform substantive research, analytical, and administrative support functions for USTDA's Office of Congressional and Public Affairs.
This position is based in Arlington, VA and is metro accessible (Rosslyn).
Qualifications
- 1-3 years professional experience in public outreach, congressional affairs, government relations and/or communications
- Bachelor's degree is required; a master's degree is preferred
- Ideal candidates will have education backgrounds and interests in Public Affairs, Government Relations, Communications, Political Science, Public Policy, International Relations, International Development, International Trade, or other related fields of study
- Proficiency with all Microsoft Office Tools including Word, Excel, SharePoint, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams
- Experience with social media, graphic design, and/or website production applications is a plus (e.g. GovDelivery, Sprout, Drupal, Adobe Creative Suite)
- Energy, Critical Minerals, Digital Infrastructure, and/or Transportation sector knowledge and/or experience is a plus
- Must have strong writing skills to draft and edit reports, briefing materials, memos, letters, social media and website content
- Must be detail-oriented and be able to format professional-grade documents for public dissemination
- Ability to operate independently to complete tasks and succeed in a fast-paced environment
- High degree of organization and time-management skills
- Applicants should demonstrate enthusiasm, initiative, flexibility and the ability to multitask
- Candidates must be able to obtain a Secret level security clearance with the U.S. Government.
- A public trust background check with U.S. Government must be completed prior to starting work.
Ascendant offers a comprehensive benefits package including paid time off, paid parental leave, medical, dental, and vision coverage, 401(k) contributions, professional development support, and an Employee Assistance Program.
Annual Salary Range: $55,000 - $125,000