The Senior Program Assistant (SPA) is a key member of the Development Policy and Finance team. Development Policy and Finance (DPAF), leads the foundation’s analysis on and engagement with the international development financing system. The team’s work spans aid policy, country financing and strategic partnerships with international financial institutions. This role provides a wide and varied range of organization and executive level administrative support to the DPAF Director and at least two Program Officers and is also responsible for assisting with project coordination and working as part of a team of other assistants in Seattle, Washington, DC and our regional offices in the UK, Africa, China and India to support the overall work and ensure the smooth running of the DPAF team.
Areas of Responsibility:
- Optimize the use of the Director’s time by providing support to ensure that the Director’s time is preferentially dedicated to the highest priority activities, and tasks are rapidly delegated as appropriate, and that follow-up by the Director’s office is ensured. This includes the following:
- Partnering with the Director and team to help prioritize appointments, meetings and travel and be a critical thought partner regarding the Director’s time, engagements, travel and the overall long-term planning.
- Complex calendar management, schedule high volumes of appointments and meetings with internal staff and external parties. Coordinate daily briefing materials for Director.
- Aid the Director in managing deadlines by keeping track of key dates and understanding the Director’s assigned tasks.
- Travel Arrangements: Make complex, domestic and international travel arrangements per support model guidance for Director and/or team, including visa applications.
- 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, reimbursements, and check requests in an accurate and timely manner.
- General Support: Creating, updating and/or maintaining organized files and records (physical and digital). Maintaining an organized system of tracking, monitoring and prioritizing tasks and projects.
- Understand, anticipate and help manage cyclical work flow.
- Responsible for managing timelines, deadlines, and document flow across multiple work streams; ensuring that all aspects of various projects run smoothly and efficiently.
- Assist the team with the planning for events, key leadership meetings, retreats, convenings, and presentations which may include coordinating arrangements for multiple participants, managing participant communication, handling logistics, preparing and disseminating materials.
- Provide communications support & assistance to ensure timely responses to inquiries including answering and prioritizing calls, email and mail communications.
- Provide communications support and assistance to ensure timely responses to inquiries from internal and external partners. This includes interactions with high-level partners in the field as well as acting as the face of the Director’s office internally.
- Provide input on new polices and guidelines, as well as help communicate changes in policies and procedures.
- Acts as a subject matter expert resource for the team’s Program Assistants (PAs). Represent the PAs in management team meetings and with the Director. Assist with special projects as needed and other duties as assigned.
Educational Background:
Bachelor’s degree with 3+ years’ experience in an administrative role supporting senior management or executives.
Skills/Experience:
We believe that energized people, working well together, fueled by great leadership in an inclusive environment in which they thrive, will do phenomenal things.
Core Knowledge and Skills
- Experience setting priorities and meeting deadlines while balancing the administrative needs of multiple team members, including calendar management, travel arrangements, and event planning coordination.
- Familiarity with the investment workflow process to develop and manage investments.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills and excellent attention to detail.
- Experience in an environment requiring diplomacy and good judgment in managing interactions inside and outside an organization, with individuals at all levels, including the very senior.
- Ability to deal with and work through ambiguity.
- Experience establishing organizational systems to improve efficiency and functioning in a changing environment.
- Demonstrated proficiency with the Microsoft Suite: MSWord, Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint is required. Familiarity using Microsoft SharePoint is preferred.
- Experience in learning and mastering new software applications.
- Demonstrated positive, collaborative approach to work, including a commitment to client-service and problem solving.
Job Function:
Organization Info
Listing Stats
Post Date:
Jul 31 2018
Active Until:
Aug 31 2018
Hiring Organization:
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
industry:
Nonprofit