Coordinator, President’s Office and Board Operations

The Organization

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History (GLI) is the nation’s leading American history organization dedicated to K–12 education. The Institute’s mission is to promote the knowledge and understanding of American history through educational programs and resources. Since its founding in 1994, the Gilder Lehrman Institute has created powerful and meaningful ways to teach and learn history. Focusing on primary sources, the Institute offers teacher seminars, online courses, exhibitions, digital materials, and print publications that enable students of all ages and backgrounds to study the nation’s past.

The Institute brings the work of today’s leading historians into classrooms and homes around the globe. Through public events, publications, posters, videos, exhibitions, essays, and a dedicated website rich in primary sources, the Institute brings every period of American history to life. The Institute’s diverse education programs, including the acclaimed Hamilton Education Program, provide opportunities to explore five centuries of American history. The Gilder Lehrman Affiliate School network comprises twelve million students and more than 90,500 teachers from more than 35,000 schools worldwide.

The Position

GLI seeks a professional to support the President with all day-to-day activities and manage board relations. The coordinator must be obsessively organized, comfortable with ambiguity, an excellent writer, and energetic. This person will also work very closely with other members of the GLI team and, therefore, must be highly collaborative, flexible, and communicative.

This role reports to the President with a dotted line to the Chief Operating Officer.

Roles and Responsibilities (including, but not limited to)

• Manage the President’s Time and Priorities (75%)
• Maintain the President’s schedule of appointments, ensuring that his priorities are reflected in his calendar
• Ensure the President is prepared for all events and appointments, including conducting research and coordinating and confirming details of meetings
• Manage the efficient flow of information for the President, including maintaining electronic and paper files and other important materials
• Monitor the President’s email and social media
• Book travel for the President and others, as needed
• Manage sensitive matters with confidentiality and discretion

• Manage Board Operations (10%) (in close collaboration with Chief Operating Officer)
• Plan board, committee, and President’s Council meetings in consultation with the President, COO, and senior staff
• Prepare compelling and error-free materials according to the President’s priorities; coordinate staff contributions and presentations
• Review all materials for quality and consistency, ensuring they are prepared well in advance and disseminated in a timely manner
• Manage logistics of meetings, including scheduling, technology management of remote and in-person sessions, and catering for in-person meetings
• Communicate with board members and their assistants to secure attendance at meetings
• Maintain records of meetings and attendance, including preparing minutes
• Devise and implement systems to ensure Board members have access to relevant information and the support they need in order to fulfill their advisory, oversight, and advocacy duties

• Manage President’s Board and Donor Relations (10%) (in close collaboration with the Director of Development)
• Ensure that the President is in close touch with members of the Board of Trustees and President’s Council
• Schedule meetings with key constituents in the President’s portfolio
• Help prep the President for fundraising/VIP events and serve as his “handler” at events
• Track meetings and communication in Salesforce and prepare donation reports and forecasts for those in the President’s portfolio
• Prepare annual summary reports and frequent acknowledgments of Board members’ financial and in-kind contributions to GLI
• Compile and monitor news alerts for key constituents, sharing relevant updates with the President
• Draft written communication in the President’s voice

• Support Special Projects and Strategic Initiatives (5%) (in collaboration with the Chief Operating Officer)
• Conduct research and prepare background materials to support the strategic plan
• Manage the logistics of the strategic planning process
• Provide occasional administrative and research support to the COO for strategic initiatives

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree
• Stellar writing and proofreading skills
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Impeccable follow-through
• Obsessive organizational skills and attention to detail
• Strong problem-solving skills, particularly when under pressure
• An ability to work on several projects simultaneously, proactively seeking guidance about prioritization when necessary
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Google applications

Other Desired Qualifications

• Commitment to GLI’s mission and enthusiasm about communicating the mission to external audiences
• Exceptional project management skills, with the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment that involves juggling multiple projects at once and being detail-oriented about each task
• Strong relationship management skills and an  understanding of how to handle sensitive communications with care  
• Team-oriented with a desire to participate in creating a strong team culture 
• Knowledge of Salesforce and Asana a plus

Hours

Full-time, Monday through Friday, 10 AM to 6 PM, at 49 W. 45th Street; opportunity for occasional remote work; some evening and weekend hours required.

The Gilder Lehrman Institute offers a generous and inclusive benefits package, including employer-paid health, dental, disability, and life insurance, 401(k) and FSA plans, and paid time off in the first year of hire, including a paid winter recess from December 26 to 31. The Institute also reimburses 90% of the cost of tuition for the Gettysburg College–Gilder Lehrman Master’s Degree in American History.