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Program Assistant

This job is no longer available

Seattle, WA, USA
Full-time

The Program Assistant is a key member of the GPA team, and provides a wide and varied range of administrative and organizational support to the Program Advocacy & Communications team. Efficiency, attention to detail, flexibility and good judgment to ensure smooth operations of the team are critical in this role.

Areas of Responsibility: 

The Program Advocacy and Communications team works in partnership with program teams and other teams in Global Policy and Advocacy (GPA) to achieve their policy and finance goals by:

  • Developing and coordinating the implementation of advocacy and communications strategies.
  • Leveraging leadership and foundation voice to implement advocacy strategies.
  • Developing and managing a grant portfolio dedicated to achieving advocacy outcomes. 
  • Closely advocating with sector leaders, influencers, media and government officials in order to achieve advocacy outcomes.
  • Guiding issue-specific communications in service of advocacy goals.
  • Developing policy recommendations or proposals in partnership with programmatic and regional offices.

Primary responsibilities are listed below:

  • Manage multiple complex calendars with a high volume of appointments and meetings. Assist with prioritizing and balancing workflow by successfully understanding dependencies and relationships.
  • Assist in scheduling and planning for events, such as on-site and off-site meetings, conferences, and presentations, which may include coordinating arrangements for participants, handling logistics, preparing and disseminating materials. Escort on-site guests, arrange catering and set up & maintenance of conference rooms.
  • Provide communications support and assistance to ensure timely responses to inquiries including answering and prioritizing calls, emails, and mail communications. This role is responsible for high quality interactions and clear and consistent communications with grantees and partners in the field.
  • Maintain organized files and records and a system of tracking, monitoring and prioritizing tasks and projects. Compile and process expense reports, reimbursement, and check requests.
  • Work on special projects as needed. May include conducting basic research and analysis of data to respond to requests.
  • Provide support to fellow Senior/Program Assistants as needed.
Educational Background: 
Bachelor’s degree is preferred and/or equivalent experience.
Skills/Experience: 
  • A minimum of three to five years of relevant 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.
  • Keen ability to anticipate next steps, demonstrate initiative, exercise discretion, apply sound judgment, and work well independently and collaboratively as a member of the team.
  • Ability to be independent and work with efficiency, with diplomacy and a high-level of professionalism and cultural awareness. Significant experience working with teams of high-performing professionals.
  • Experience setting priorities and meeting deadlines while balancing the needs of providing support for multiple individuals.
  • Experience with calendaring, travel arrangements, and event/meeting 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.
  • Ability to problem solve through situations that have undefined boundaries, lack of clarity or missing information.
  • Demonstrated proficiency with MS Office is required, in particular MS Outlook.
  • Previous experience using MS SharePoint preferred, but not required.
  • Experience in learning new software applications.
  • Demonstrated positive, collaborative approach to work.
  • Maturity, discretion and a sense of humor.

Organization Info

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Overview
Headquarters: 
Seattle, WA, United States
Annual Budget : 
More than $500M
Founded: 
2007
About Us
Mission: 

Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people—especially those with the fewest resources—have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Dr. Susan Desmond-Hellmann and Co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.

We work with partner organizations worldwide to tackle critical problems in four program areas. Our Global Development Division works to help the world’s poorest people lift themselves out of hunger and poverty. Our Global Health Division aims to harness advances in science and technology to save lives in developing countries. Our United States Division works to improve U.S. high school and postsecondary education and support vulnerable children and families in Washington State. And our Global Policy & Advocacy Division seeks to build strategic relationships and promote policies that will help advance our work. Our approach to grantmaking in all four areas emphasizes collaboration, innovation, risk-taking, and, most importantly, results.

Programs: 
  1. Global Health
  2. Global Development
  3. United States
  4. Global Policy & Advocacy

Listing Stats

Post Date: 
Mar 12 2018
Active Until: 
Apr 13 2018
Hiring Organization: 
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
industry: 
Nonprofit