Special Assistant, Shared Services

POSITION SUMMARY

The Special Assistant is responsible for providing direct, proactive executive support to the Chief Financial and Administrative Officer (CFAO) as well as project- and task-based support to the Shared Services department, consisting of the Finance, People and Culture, Information Technology, Legal and Operations divisions. Requiring sound judgment, initiative and high attention to detail, this role will act as a key resource in the department, ensuring critical, cross-cutting work is adeptly executed. The position will report directly to the Chief Financial and Administrative Officer and will have dotted-line relationships with the other Vice Presidents in the department.

This is a full-time position based in Washington, D.C., with a hybrid work schedule requiring a minimum of two days in the office each week.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Executive Support (15%):

• Act as a key liaison between the CFAO and other departments, ensuring excellent communication, transparency, alignment and partnership across the organization’s teams.
• Facilitate timely and efficient information flow to the CFAO, including compilation of meeting agendas, management of deadlines, scheduling of meeting debriefs and circulation of notes for critical meetings, and action item follow-up.
• Provide basic administrative support to the CFAO, including calendar management, travel arrangements, expense submission, etc.

General Departmental Support (10%):

• Manage the Shared Services departmental calendar, including leadership meeting scheduling, planning, support, and action item capturing and follow-up.
• Coordinate meeting production and logistics as needed.
• Manage the status and timelines for key projects and specific workflows, ensuring internal constituencies are aligned and informed.
• Support overall office management duties as a backup for when the Office Manager is out.

Specific Departmental Support (75%):

• Finance. Provide overflow assistance with data entry, accounts payable processing, and inventory tracking.
• People and Culture. Assist the recruiting enterprise, including candidate interview scheduling, materials review, and onboarding and offboarding logistics and support.
• Information Technology: Provide bill and invoice entry and processing, inventory management assistance, and help desk ticket monitoring.
• Legal: Provide document management assistance (including data entry and templating), basic research as appropriate.
• Operations: Provide grant and subgrant due diligence assistance (materials aggregation and review, coordination with relevant departments, etc.).
• Other duties as needed and assigned.

REQUIRED SKILLS/QUALIFICATIONS/EXPERIENCE

• 3-5 years of administrative or related work experience.
• Superb organizational, project management, and coordination skills; strong desire to ensure operations run smoothly; attentive to details; and, conscientious in adhering to deadlines and deliverables.
• Ability to work individually but also as part of a strong team, with self-direction and discipline.
• Strong moral and ethical character; demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality of highly sensitive information.
• Experience using the Microsoft Office suite of products, particularly Outlook, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated initiative, creativity, and adaptability.

PREFERRED SKILLS/QUALIFICATIONS/EXPERIENCE

• Passion for providing high-level administrative and organizational support in service to the organization’s goals.
• Interest in and experience with improving systems and processes.
• Experience working in nonprofit organizations.
• Passion for Ocean Conservancy’s mission.

EDUCATION/TRAINING

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage for employees, spouses (same-sex and opposite-sex), domestic partners, and dependent children, effective on your first day of employment.
• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Insurance, fully employer-paid for employees.
• Basic Life Insurance, fully employer-paid for employees.
• Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs).
• Retirement Benefits: Employees are immediately 100% vested and may begin contributing upon hire. After one year of employment, Ocean Conservancy will establish a 401(a) retirement account and contribute an amount equal to 6% of your monthly salary, regardless of whether you participate in the 403(b) plan.
• Generous Paid Time Off, including:
  • 15 days of vacation
  • 11 paid holidays
  • 12 sick days
  • 2 personal days