Executive & Operations Assistant

Job Title: Executive & Operations Assistant

Location: Washington, DC or anywhere on CT or ET

Classification: Full-time, exempt

Organization: Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth (CFSY)

Due: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis

About the Opportunity:

The Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth is hiring! Founded in 2009, the CFSY works to ban juvenile life without parole in the United States and create opportunities for those directly impacted by extreme sentencing to thrive and lead. The Executive & Operations Assistant is a new position designed to provide concentrated support to the CFSY’s newly elevated Executive Director, while also offering some support to the CFSY’s Executive Leadership team. The EA will also ensure smooth and effective implementation of the organization’s administrative goals and objectives. 

The Executive & Operations Assistant’s primary responsibilities will be daily and ongoing support to the Executive Director (ED) paired with other organizational administrative tasks. The EA will act as the ED’s right arm, and be involved in everything from inbox management to calendar maintenance to fielding speaking engagement and appearance requests. The EA will possess piercing attention to detail, devising and maintaining a system through which the ED can track commitments, goals, tasks, and deadlines. The EA’s duties will also include support of other members of the Executive Leadership Team (ELT), general operational and organizational coordination, assistance with staff travel itineraries, and other administrative needs.

The CFSY has an office and a core group of staff in Washington, DC, but this position can be based anywhere on Central or Eastern Standard Time. 

The Executive & Operations Assistant will report to the Executive Director. 

Primary Responsibilities

Executive Assistance:

• Provide a range of strategic and technological administrative support to the Executive Director (ED) to ensure they are able to work effectively, efficiently and sustainably, and to allow their attention to be focused externally and on high-level concerns;
• Manage the ED’s inbox to ensure timely responses to correspondence, and follow-through in all areas; 
• Manage the ED’s calendar, including helping schedule and document meetings, liaise with CFSY staff and external partners to determine meeting needs, and help prioritize and think strategically about the ED’s time;
• Draft follow-up to contacts made by the ED, support cultivation of ongoing relationships, and track relationship development in Salesforce
• Devise and maintain a system through which the ED can track commitments, goals, tasks, and deadlines;
• Manage, purchase, and coordinate ED and ELT travel itineraries, travel with ED as needed to various conferences and events;
• Draft other correspondence from ED, work with ED, ELT, and others to develop, research, and collect materials for EDs to attend various meetings, events, and more;
• Liaise with and support the organization’s Board to schedule meetings; help develop, compile, and distribute necessary materials; coordinate video and in-person meetings, including some travel arrangements, provide tech support as needed; serve as point person for Board member questions; confirm that attendees will be present; attend and take board committee meeting minutes 

Operations and Administration:

• Manage key recordkeeping and financial control processes (e.g. receipt tracking and payment processing) in partnership with Finance & Operations staff;
• Provide front-line tech support, liaise with external resources and support desks;  support outsourced IT when required;
• (If located in DC) Offer administrative support in the DC office once or twice a week. Keep the physical office running smoothly; including managing mail, ensuring office machines work, ensuring adequate kitchen and office supplies, and maintaining an organized office space;
• Manage CFSY staff/events calendar, including meeting coordination and staff social activities; 
• Work with fellow support staff to manage and support a variety of department specific and org wide events: coordinate logistics, arrange and book travel, secure offsite locations when necessary, assist in agenda planning and expense tracking, coordinate with external partners;
• Manage staff meeting logistics – collect agenda items, create and circulate the agenda and video access information; take and distribute notes and action items; 

Fulfill other tasks and responsibilities as needed to support a growing organization.

Qualifications:

• 2-5 years of experience in office administration, or supporting Executives, preferably in nonprofit settings (volunteer, extracurricular, and/or professional);
• A passion for and desire to grow professionally in administrative work;
• Exceptional organizational skills; detail-oriented and able to multitask;
• Demonstrated ability to engage and work effectively with a diverse group of partners and stakeholders;
• Demonstrated organizational and computer literacy (Google Apps, Microsoft Office, video conferencing software);
• Demonstrated ability to engage and work effectively with a diverse group of partners and stakeholders;
• Demonstrated ability to effectively manage and support complex projects and tasks, with multiple stakeholders, goals, timelines and deadlines;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Values and Traits:

• Strong interest in criminal justice issues, particularly progressive reform to youth sentencing practices, racial discrimination in youth justice, and/or human rights in the United States;
• Belief that our society has failed the children impacted by life without parole and other extreme sentences and that we all have a responsibility to create avenues for their restoration and that of our entire community;
• Belief in the inherent dignity and humanity of all people regardless of race, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, class, education level, zip code and more; and belief that each of us is more than the worst things we’ve done or experienced;
• Self-motivated and able to take initiative and implement own responsibilities within guidelines of department structure and workplan;
• Ability to thrive in a fast paced environment while responsible for cross-department functions;
• Flexible and willing/able to adapt to the evolving nature of CFSY’s work;
• Constructive and optimistic; confronts problems with the expectation that a solution exists;
• Prioritizes self-care.

Location and Travel

The CFSY’s headquarters are in Washington, DC, with many staff working remotely throughout the country. The Executive & Operations Assistant should be based in Washington, DC, or remotely on Central or Eastern Standard Time. In accordance with CFSY internal policies, all required home-office technology, equipment and supplies, and all business related travel will be paid for by the CFSY.

Physical Environment and Equipment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• The work will be performed primarily in an office setting, with moderate background noise and requiring the ability to sit and/or stand at a workstation for extended periods of time;
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to: stand, sit, talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone;
• Specific vision abilities include close vision requirements due to computer work;
• Light to moderate lifting (no more than 25 pounds);
• Ability to travel occasionally, including in a plane, car and occasionally public transportation;
• Ability to effectively use a telephone, including mobile phone; computer (with Microsoft and Google applications); keyboard; and video conferencing.

Compensation, Benefits, and Culture:

The salary range for this position is $60,000-$70,000 commensurate with experience. The CFSY also offers a generous benefits package, including:

• Four weeks of paid vacation yearly and accrued sick time; 
• 100% employer-paid premiums for an individual health insurance plan, life and disability insurance; 
• An Employee Assistance Program; 
• An eight-week sabbatical after five consecutive years of employment; 
• Twelve weeks of paid parental leave following the birth or adoption of a child;
• A 403(b) retirement plan with employer match; and
• Flexible approach during and in response to the Covid pandemic, including office closure at 2 pm on Fridays.

The CFSY believes in and actively practices meaningful connection to individuals directly impacted by extreme prison sentences. We work in deep partnership with people currently in prison, those who have been released, and their family and social networks. All staff at the CFSY, regardless of role and position, engage in this connection and are regularly proximate to those directly impacted by the work we do. 

The CFSY is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and is an equal opportunity employer. Black, Latino/Latina, Indigenous and others who identify as nonwhite, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and those with lived-experience with the criminal legal system are strongly encouraged to apply for this role. 

To Apply:

Email a letter of interest, resume, and two references (contact information only, recommendation letters are not necessary) in one PDF file to jobs@cfsy.org. Use “Executive & Operations Assistant -Last Name” as the subject of your email and as the file name for your PDF, and include your availability in the email. For tax purposes, please list the address you will be working from should you accept the position. Only complete applications sending all application materials in one PDF file will be reviewed.