Executive Assistant, Office of the President Job at Democracy Fund in Washington

ABOUT US

Democracy Fund is an independent and nonpartisan, private foundation that confronts deep-rooted challenges in American democracy while defending against new threats. Since 2014, we have made grants of more than $275 million in support of those working to strengthen our democracy through the pursuit of a vibrant and diverse public square, free and fair elections, effective and accountable government, and a just and inclusive society. In addition to grantmaking, Democracy Fund advocates for better solutions and works with partners to grow philanthropic support for our democracy.

Democracy Fund champions leaders and organizations who defend democracy and challenge our political system to be more open, just, resilient, and trustworthy. We believe experimentation, learning, and adaptation are key to the health and resilience of any system, whether it is our organization or the American political system. As grantmakers, we focus on listening and being of service to our grantees, who are visionaries and our collaborators, and on ways we can more deeply embed diversity, equity, and inclusion as our values central to the success of our work and mission. To learn more, visit www.democracyfund.org and www.democracyfundvoice.org.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Office of the President supports the leadership of the organization’s chief executive in order to provide strategic direction for the organization. The office also enables special initiatives and experimental grantmaking at the organization and supports external leadership in the field.

The Executive Assistant provides high-level administrative support to, and serves as the first point of contact for, Democracy Fund’s Office of the President, which includes our President, his Chief of Staff, and the two Managing Directors of Program. The Executive Assistant should be a systems thinker who will quickly come to understand the nature of the organization’s work and mission, as well as how the different teams at Democracy Fund interact. This role will serve as an anchor within the Office of the President, connecting and working with every part of our organization and with external audiences to support open communications, smooth collaboration, and increased efficiencies.

We will look to the Executive Assistant to help us design and manage internal team processes, coordinate meetings and events, provide support for grantmaking and team-level accounting, and provide administrative and coordination support of key tasks for the team and across the organization. The successful candidate will be a resourceful, highly-collaborative team player who possesses strong written and verbal communication, administrative, and organizational skills, and who excels at maintaining a realistic balance among multiple priorities. Able to work independently on projects from conception to completion, the ideal candidate will enjoy meeting deadlines, designing and refining processes to make them run smoothly, and enhancing internal communication.

This role reports to the Chief of Staff in the Office of the President.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

The Executive Assistant’s primary responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, the following:

HIGH-LEVEL, ADMINISTRATIVE EXECUTIVE SUPPORT

• Responsible for overall administration and coordination for the Office of the President, including managing appointments, arranging all travel logistics, managing expense reports, and other administrative tasks as needed.
• Provide support for meetings, including agenda development, facilitation support, scheduling, preparing any necessary technology, ensuring compilation and sharing of relevant background information, notetaking, and overseeing follow-up communications or next steps.
• Work closely with both the President and the Managing Directors of Program to keep them well informed of upcoming commitments and responsibilities.
• Take initiative by following up and following through, and prioritizing conflicting issues to ensure that all team and organization-level objectives are met
• Coordinate closely with, and provide backup support to, the Executive Assistant to the Chief Operating Officer, as needed.

OPERATIONAL SYSTEMS & PROCESSES

• Design and facilitate core operational systems and processes to help the Office of the President run smoothly.
• Work with Democracy Fund staff and consultants to manage contract administration, expenses, honoraria, and invoices. Monitor and proactively follow up on workflows for grants, contracts, and payments.
• Support team-wide budgeting processes such as annual planning, tracking spending, and regular reforecasting.
• Provide administrative support for grantmaking, such as management of the team’ grant pipeline, tracking deadlines, and due dates for reports and payments.
• Manage and organize Office of the President data, including contacts, meeting agendas, and files. Use discretion and good judgment when managing documents with confidential information.
• In coordination with the Partnerships Team, track and support engagement with peer funders, including supporting management of contact database when needed.
• On occasion, provide project management for special initiatives, and provide additional capacity on key cross-organizational initiatives.

BOARD MANAGEMENT & GOVERNANCE

• Support the Chief of Staff in coordinating communications and logistics for all board business, including correspondence with board members’ executive assistants, event planning, drafting and proofreading board meeting materials, etc.
• Support correspondence with the Board of Directors, calendaring and logistics for board meetings, and assisting in the preparation of board materials.

INTERNAL & EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS

• Help ensure clear communications across the Office of the President and between the team and the broader organization, including regular drafting of all staff updates.
• Track, manage, and follow up on existing and incoming external contacts with professionalism, cultivating ongoing relationships as needed.
• Partner with other executive assistants and team coordinators to support organization-wide workflow planning and keep the Office of the President informed of key priorities and bottlenecks.
• Support the President and Managing Directors in fostering connections with staff by proposing and implementing initiatives that build a trust-based, inclusive culture.
• Support our Strategy, Impact, and Learning Practice (SILC) in building a culture of learning across the organization.

TEAM MEMBER

• Support receptionist with office administration, including providing coverage at front desk as needed.
• Provide additional capacity for event planning and logistics for cross-organizational events such as staff retreats, external convenings, and other all-staff events.
• Serve as a team player with ability to build strong relationships and work collaboratively.
• Work effectively with staff at all levels, balancing projects and priorities for multiple team members.
• Work with staff, and the Operations team specifically, to develop, support, and refine strong cross-organizational systems. Contribute to systems for strong internal communications to facilitate effective organizational management and a positive organizational culture.
• Contribute to a team culture that values collaboration, positivity, and transparency and that drives toward impact through continuous improvement and learning.
• Actively work to support the success of other members of the entire Democracy Fund team and cultivate an organizational culture that is highly-collaborative.
• Other duties as assigned.

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, & SKILLS REQUIREMENTS

• Passion for strengthening American democracy and a deep commitment to racial equity and justice.
• A high level of integrity that embodies and reflects Democracy Fund values.
• The ability to show initiative when carrying out and following up on assigned tasks, and to implement problem-solving.
• Successful time management skills to execute multiple tasks seamlessly while maintaining a meticulous attention to detail.
• Superb interpersonal skills and proven ability to build and sustain relationships with all staff and stakeholders, supporting their inclusion in bringing their wide diversity of perspectives and lived experience to bear on our work.
• Excellent organizational skills, as well as superior written and verbal communication skills.
• Sound judgment with the ability to analyze a situation or conflict and determine the correct prioritization or next steps. Must take a proactive approach to problem solving.
• Resourceful, curious team player who works well independently.
• Trusted professional with proven experience handling confidential information with discretion, adaptable to various competing demands, and who naturally seeks the highest level of customer service and response.
• Comfortable with ambiguity and adaptable while working in a dynamic entrepreneurial environment.
• At least five years of experience supporting C-level executives and executive teams, preferably in a nonprofit setting.
• High comfort with Microsoft Office and proficiency preferred in A/V set up and troubleshooting. Experience with Salesforce, Fluxx, Expensify, or other robust CRMs preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree or relevant experience.
• Democracy Fund follows a hybrid-remote and in-the-office model, which enables flexibility and meets collaboration needs. New staff must reside in the D.C. Metro area, and all employees are expected in the office several days a month.

SALARY

Salary range begins at $105,513 per year.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to our Jobs page. Applications submitted without a cover letter or lacking the desired years of experience will not be considered. Take this opportunity to tell us about yourself and why you're interested in joining our team. No calls, please.

Democracy Fund is committed to a diverse workplace, seeking voices and expertise from people from across the political spectrum. Our board, staff, advisors, and grantees include Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. Democracy Fund is an Equal Opportunity Employer, where we encourage candidates of all ages, color, ethnic background, country of origin, religion, disability status, gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity to apply.

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