Administrative & Office Assistant

Tennesseans for Student Success

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Job Summary

POSITION OVERVIEW
The Administrative Assistant provides support to the president & CEO that includes collaboration with our board of directors, funders, and program staff. The Administrative Assistant serves as the primary point of contact for internal and external constituencies on all matters for the president & CEO and organizes and coordinates executive outreach and external relations efforts and oversees special projects.

The Administrative Assistant must be a detail-oriented self-starter and enjoy working within a small, mission-driven environment. The idea candidate must exercise good judgment in a variety of complex situations, have strong written and verbal communication, administrative, and organizational skills. He or she must be able to maintain a realistic balance among multiple priorities. The Administrative Assistant must be able to work independently on projects from conception to completion, and must be able to work under pressure at times and handle a wide variety of activities and confidential matters with discretion. Experience supporting boards and managing sales or donor pipeline engagement is preferred.

MISSION

The mission of the Administrative Assistant is to stay five steps ahead of their leader, tracking all of the administrative details, and clearing the path for him or her to make their greatest contribution to our organization. The Administrative Assistant will be a key asset to the CEO by anticipating needs at an exceptionally high level, allowing him or her to develop vision and strategy for all aspects of Tennesseans for Student Success so that we can reach our strategic goals. While repetitive tasks are certainly part of this position, the tasks assigned can vary from week to week based on the CEO’s needs and the needs of business. The most important responsibility of the Administrative Assistant is to ensure that administrative tasks and projects are completed with a high level of efficiency, confidentiality, accuracy, flexibility, and positivity in order to support the initiatives of the CEO.

Job Responsibilities

RESPONSIBILITIES 

The Administrative Assistant will have the following primary responsibilities:

• Monitor incoming task request for the president & CEO, working closely with him to keep up with priorities and deadlines as they fluctuate based on the needs of the organization and progress from key partners
• Maintain ongoing relationship between the president & CEO and key partners, including employees, contractors, vendors, and donors
• Manage all incoming and outgoing scheduling requests along with an “Ideal Week” to keep calendars updated with a complete and accurate picture of daily meetings, appointments, and protected focus time
• Manage donor pipelines, ensuring necessary engagement for progressing donors is prioritized on the CEOs schedule
• Ensure all scheduled meetings have a prepared agenda, location, and any related resources ready and available before the meeting begins
• Submit monthly report of all expenses to the Operations Manager and assist the Operations Manager with updating financial projections
• Maintain office efficiencies including regularly checking the mail and ensuring supplies and common areas are stocked and prepared for meetings
• Perform other tasks as need to support the Operations Manager

Qualifications

COMPETENCIES

You are a relationship-builder: You know how to build relationships with a wide range of people – business leaders, consultants, and vendors. You find ways to connect and build trust naturally. You always treat others with respect and are also able to engage authentically to negotiate and compromise (when appropriate) in order to make progress.

You are commercially savvy: You have a knack for identifying emergent business opportunities and creating new or expanded margin for the executive you support through careful listening and engaging others in shared ideation. You are able to evaluate ideas from both an impact and resource standpoint and to make critical decisions about whether to proceed and how best to do so.

You are a proactive and persistent problem solver. You hold yourself personally responsible for results and are patiently persistent as you follow up and follow through. You are relentless and efficacious in managing your time and prioritizing your tasks. You know, intrinsically, how to spot essential and nonessential tasks. You find ways to clear barriers to meet your goal. You get the job done and are allergic to excuses. You do not wait to be told what to do. You’re adept at laying out a project plan that reflects the organization’s expectations and ensuring that key deadlines are met. You successfully navigate unexpected challenges and changes in real time. You think of the needs of other team members and their projects, always anticipating and problem-solving in advance of deadlines.

You are an excellent communicator.  You use clear and concise language without being overly verbose or talkative. Your writing is concrete and actionable. You are comfortable writing correspondence on behalf of the executive you support, with little guidance. Others have said that your writing is concrete and actionable. You understand the context in which you are communicating, and respond professionally and effectively, tailoring your message depending on the audience. You are skilled in communicating with a wide range of critical stakeholders.

You embody professional maturity: You deeply understand the confidential and complex nature of the work and approach stakeholder and partner relationships through this lens. People like being around you. The emotional wake you leave behind is one that inspires rather than demoralizes or deflates. You are a model of professionalism and discretion. You respond to challenges in a positive and proactive way.

REQUIREMENTS:

Education: Associate degree required. Concentration in English, Business, or Accounting preferred.

Experience: At least three (3) supporting c-suite executives.

Physical: Ability to stand or sit for prolonged periods.

Job Type: Full Time, Salaried

Travel: Less than 10% (As of March 16, 2020, all work-related travel has been suspended by Tennesseans for Student Success). Available to attend events and meetings outside regular work hours.

Additional Information

Benefits

How to Apply

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

To apply, please submit the following via email to brooke@tnsuccess.org:

1. Cover letter and PDF of your resume.
2. A writing sample (memo, presentation, or other material) similar to that which may be produced in this job. The sample should reflect your analytical, research, and communication skills.

Details

• Date Posted: March 31, 2021
• Type: Full-Time
• Job Function: Administrative
• Service Area: Other