The Senior Program Assistant (SPA) is a key member of the Innovative Technology Solutions (ITS) Team, playing a critical administrative role in support of the ITS Director and Program Manager, as well as ensuring smooth operations of the ITS Program Strategy Team. The SPA also manages the ITS Program Assistants. Efficiency, attention to detail, flexibility, and good judgment are critical to this role to ensure smooth operations of the team. Primary responsibilities are listed below.
Optimize the use of the Director's time so as to maximize the efficiency of the team's operations. This requires providing support to ensure that their time is preferentially dedicated to the highest priority activities, that tasks and correspondence are rapidly delegated as appropriate, and that follow-up by the Director's office is ensured. This includes the following:
- Prioritize the Director's appointments, meetings and travel
- Manage communications with and for the Director
- Assist with prioritizing and balancing Director's workflow and time, by successfully understanding dependencies and relationships
- Complex calendar management, scheduling high volumes of appointments and meetings with internal staff and external parties
- Travel Arrangements: Make complex, domestic and international travel arrangements
- Event Coordination: Assist in scheduling and planning of meetings, conferences and presentations for department or for external guests, which may include coordinating travel for participants, organizing logistics, preparing and disseminating materials
- Expense Reconciliation: Compilation and processing of expense reports, and reimbursements in an accurate and timely manner
- Assist with special projects as needed
Information resource and internal communications to the team and cross-foundation liaison with regards to operational issues:
- Provide communications support and assistance to ensure timely responses to inquiries from external partners, grantees, government officials and consultants
- Act as team liaison with internal operations and business partners such as human resources team, maintaining confidentiality as required
- Assist with onboarding of new team members
- Team resource to communicate foundation policies
Serve as the Manager for the ITS Program Assistant team ensuring efficient collaboration among the team. This includes management of Program Assistant task coordination and workflow, capacity building for Program Assistants, harmonization of procedures, and serving as liaison to other administrative units as needed.
- Anticipate ongoing staffing needs and make recommendations for appropriate administrative support staffing
- Lead hiring efforts for new ITS Program Assistant staff (temporary and full time): Including job postings, interviewing and hiring, training and onboarding
- Monitor and assess performance of the ITS Program Assistants
- Provide ongoing coaching and/or mentoring to Program Assistants as needed
- Approve timesheets and time off requests
- Devise and implement plans for back up staff support. This includes out of office coverage, and workload balancing amongst the PAs to ensure a team approach in addressing spikes and dips in workflow across the team.
- A minimum of five to seven years’ work experience in an office setting, preferably in an administrative role for a complex and fast-paced organization, interacting intensively with internal and external contacts.
- Experience setting priorities and meeting deadlines while balancing the needs of providing support for multiple individuals, including calendar management, travel arrangements, and event planning coordination.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills in an environment requiring diplomacy and good judgment in managing interactions with individuals at all levels inside and outside an organization.
- Demonstrated effectiveness meeting deadlines in a role requiring continual attention to detail in composing, typing, and proofing materials.
- Experience establishing organizational systems to improve efficiency and functioning in a changing environment.
- Experience managing and/or supervising a team.
- Demonstrated proficiency with Outlook, Microsoft Office, and PowerPoint is required. Previous experience MS SharePoint and OneNote preferred, but not required. Experience in learning and mastering new software applications.
- Demonstrated positive, collaborative approach to work, including a commitment to client-service and problem solving.