We are seeking a results-oriented person to join our team as Assistant to the Executive Director (AED) enabling the Washington regional team to move effectively toward reaching its ambitious goals. This environment is exceptionally fast-paced and demanding, and the ideal candidate will possess outstanding poise and ability to communicate on behalf of the Executive Director verbally and in writing to a variety of audiences including corps members, alumni, school partners, high-level funders, and Teach For America senior staff. This staff member must be a reliable self-starter who excels at independent work, can seamlessly switch between projects and work streams, has a keen attention to detail, has the ability to anticipate problems, and also possesses a natural ability to work collaboratively. Additionally, this person must excel at and enjoy adhering to, creating, and maintaining organizational systems. This person should have an excellent customer service orientation, and feel confident and comfortable working closely and building relationships across a wide range of teams and roles. This role reports to the Senior Managing Director, Chief of Staff.
As Assistant to the Executive Director (AED) you are the “right hand” to the Executive Director. The AED serves as the region’s administrative, technological and financial contact, providing critical operational and administrative support through managing the regional budget, the office facilities, inventory, data and systems, as well as project support. The AED also plays a central role in ensuring that the region functions as efficiently as possible, focused on equipping the regional team members with the materials and equipment they need to do their jobs well. The AED role is right for you if you are:
- An organizer: You love to create and implement systems, details, and schedules. You can keep yourself organized and assist others in doing so as well. You are adept at adopting systems created by others and easily adapt to new technology platforms required for a role. You are a thoughtful communicator who knows how to deliver important information in a way that is timely, concise, and easily internalized so that different audiences can take desired actions with little or no need for clarification. You are able to advocate for the information you need to do your job well and understand how to align your plans and actions to expectations that may evolve due to shifting time lines, circumstances, and priorities. You are able to support the Executive Director through time management and prioritization by managing his calendar and supporting critical priorities.
- Committed to follow-through: No task goes undone under your watch. You are relentless in completing tasks and believe no detail is too small to make a project successful.
- A strong communicator: You excel in both written and verbal communication and are able to clearly articulate your message by employing the appropriate communication style and channel for a broad range of situations and audiences. You are skilled at sharing and gathering information from multiple sources to create materials, drafting communication, and enjoy participating in a wide range of special projects.
- A culture builder: You enjoy your work and contribute to an inclusive and fun environment that is aligned with Teach For America’s core values.
- A collaborator: You understand what it means to truly lead behind the scenes and take full ownership over projects and tasks under your purview. At the same time, you enjoy working with others on projects and events. You are able to gain investment from as many individuals as possible, which may extend beyond Teach For America.
- Manage and maintain Executive Director schedule, including scheduling travel and conferences
- Assist with budget analysis and preparation
- Prepare executive responses to routine memos, letters, and correspondence
- Collect and analyze information to prepare reports and presentations
- Provide support to other staff members for travel and event preparation, including hotel, restaurant, and travel reservations, budget tracking, and insurance needs
- Manage paperwork process for AmeriCorps and communicate with approximately 50 corps members to ensure they meet their respective expectations as members of this program on an ongoing basis
- Oversee administrative policies within an organization and within the office
- Develop, utilize, and retrieve historical information
- 2-4 years professional experience required
- Previous administrative or operations experience strongly preferred
- Skills
- Strong customer service ethic and ability to handle confidential information with sensitivity
- Excellent organization skills and attention to detail
- Strong technical skills (including knowledge of MS Office)
- Strong analytical skills
- Enthusiasm for the “behind the scenes” work of positioning the region to successfully meet goals
- Strong entrepreneurial spirit
- Strong written and interpersonal communication skills
- Self-starter with the ability to work both individually and with teams
- Able to manage multiple projects at a time and move fluidly between them
- Work Demands
- Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment, and to juggle several projects at once with a spirit of flexibility and positive outlook
- Some weekend work required for regional events
- 2-4 years professional experience required
- Previous administrative or operations experience strongly preferred
Skills
- Strong customer service ethic and ability to handle confidential information with sensitivity
- Excellent organization skills and attention to detail
- Strong technical skills (including knowledge of MS Office)
- Strong analytical skills
- Enthusiasm for the “behind the scenes” work of positioning the region to successfully meet goals
- Strong entrepreneurial spirit
- Strong written and interpersonal communication skills
- Self-starter with the ability to work both individually and with teams
- Able to manage multiple projects at a time and move fluidly between them
Work Demands
- Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment, and to juggle several projects at once with a spirit of flexibility and positive outlook
- Some weekend work required for regional events