Basic Function / Position Objective:

The Executive Assistant / Board Liaison provides administrative support in a cooperative, friendly and professional manner to the Executive Director, and works to support the goals of the organization. The Executive Assistant must understand, support, and do whatever is necessary to promote the organization’s mission, vision, values, and principles as well as be able to clearly articulate the organization’s function.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

● Provide general administrative support including, but not limited to:

o Compile, draft, edit and/or transcribe documents, including written and email correspondence, reports, graphs, PowerPoint presentations, and marketing materials.

o Prepare presentations for review by executives.

o Manage communications in a professional manner, take complete and accurate messages and follow up or resolve, as appropriate. Retrieve voicemail and email messages and follow up or resolve.

o Manage organizational and executive calendars.

o Schedule and organize internal and external meetings including board meetings and board committee meetings as assigned. Take, transcribe, and publish minutes. Maintain all corporate records for assigned meetings and committees.

o Establish and maintain effective filing systems.

● Provide administrative support to the Executive Director and New York Executive Staff, as necessary.

o Arrange travel and accommodations for executives and board members.

● Facilitate communication and cultivate relationships by acting as a liaison with board members, chapters, volunteers, staff, and others to ensure effective communication and relationships with all constituencies.

● Greet and assist staff and visitors with a positive and professional demeanor. Provide tours and distribute organizational information to visitors or others, as requested. 

● Develop working knowledge of the Friends of the Children program to effectively communicate the organization’s history and answer questions about the program.

● Support compliance with organizational policies and relevant regulations.

● Complete other projects as assigned.

Essential Skills and Abilities:

● Exceptional interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills. Excellent customer service skills and a positive, customer-oriented attitude demonstrated consistently with all contacts.

● Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality.

● Demonstrated ability to draft/produce accurate correspondence and reports. Demonstrated ability to edit written materials accurately and consistently, including own work.

● Demonstrated ability to take and produce accurate and timely meeting minutes.

● Strong organizational and time management skills. Able to plan, organize, and implement projects and to follow up as required.

● Must be detail-oriented and enjoy organizing others.

● Ability to present professional demeanor at all times.

● Ability to work in diverse environments. Ability to cultivate and sustain relationships and work effectively with a wide variety of constituencies, including staff, organizational supporters, current and potential donors, board members, foundations, and community partners. Ability to represent the organization to a wide variety of audiences in a professional, effective manner. 

● Excellent judgment, tact, and problem-solving skills.

● Demonstrated ability to take initiative, work independently with limited supervision, as well as to function successfully as a team player.

● Ability to effectively manage and prioritize several issues/tasks concurrently, meet deadlines, and communicate status effectively.

● Excellent word processing skills and demonstrated ability to organize files and establish and maintain an effective filing system.

● Self-motivated and able to anticipate organizational needs.

● Accomplished with Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook), Google, Asana, and Adobe Acrobat. Must be able to operate standard office equipment.

● Ability to research and learn new technological tools.

● Knowledge and understanding of basic HR. 

Work Environment:

● The work environment is hybrid, regularly 2-3 days at the Harlem office with some remote work flexibility.

● This position may require occasional travel

Compensation and Benefits:

● Competitive salary ($75,000 - $90,000 annually) commensurate with experience.

● Comprehensive benefits package including employer-paid healthcare, dental, vision for employee-only plans, and shared-cost for family plans, employer-paid life insurance at 1x salary, short and long-term disability, employer contributions to an HSA (when corresponding high deductible plan is chosen), access to employee-funded pre-tax FSA, transit, and retirement plans, monthly stipend for unlimited metrocard, phone use, and self-care, certification in First-Aid and CPR, and other professional development opportunities.

Required Education, Experience, and Abilities:

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required. Five years’ experience in administrative support position(s), including experience at a senior or executive support level and experience working with boards of directors. 

FRIENDS OF THE CHILDREN VALUES 

Our values guide us to achieve our mission. Each value applies not only to our youth, Friends, and program teams, but also applies to all Friends of the Children employees, volunteers, and partners. We use our values to make informed decisions; to hire, coach, and manage; and most importantly, we use our values to change the way the world treats and views our most vulnerable youth. 

PUT CHILDREN FIRST 

We intentionally serve youth who are facing the greatest obstacles. To help our youth discover their limitless potential, we foster their internal resiliency. We listen to our youth and base decisions on each youth's needs and dreams. We prioritize self-care so that we bring our best selves to our work and focus on our youth. 

BUILD RELATIONSHIPS ON LOVE 

We nurture long-term relationships from a foundation of love, acceptance, and culturally-informed practice. We don't give up easily, and take a no matter what approach to our work. We commit for the long-term. We intentionally develop collaborative relationships over time with trust, empathy, and healthy communication. We believe that we build community through one-on-one connections that are authentic, respectful, and meaningful. 

COMMIT TO EMPOWERMENT 

We leverage personal strengths to take ownership of our futures. We build relationships within the communities of our youth and families to strengthen social networks and provide bridges to new opportunities. We consistently inspire possibility through empathy, hard work, and fun. We model all of this for our youth, families and each other. 

PURSUE GOALS RELENTLESSLY 

We celebrate all achievements, big and small. We are disciplined in our commitment to goals, while innovative in how we reach them. We believe that the definition of success requires intentional reflection and adjustment over time. We work together and hold ourselves accountable with data to achieve short and long-term outcomes. 

DEMAND EQUITY 

We acknowledge the historical and present injustices impacting marginalized communities. We demand equity from ourselves and from our community. We insist that all people have the necessary support to achieve all of their hopes and dreams. We amplify the voices of our children, families, and communities. We bring together different experiences, skills, and backgrounds to provide opportunities to overcome personal, systemic, and institutional barriers.EOE Statement:

A Friend is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment and encourages qualified individuals from all backgrounds to apply. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. We strive to create a workplace that reflects the communities we serve and where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to bring their authentic selves to work.

As an equal opportunity employer, we are dedicated to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. We actively seek to recruit, develop, and retain a diverse workforce and embrace the unique backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences of all individuals.

We believe that diversity enriches our organization and enhances our ability to effectively serve the youth and communities we support. Our commitment to equal opportunity extends to every aspect of employment, including recruitment, hiring, training, promotion, compensation, benefits, and all other terms and conditions of employment.

By fostering an inclusive workplace where everyone is treated with dignity and respect, we can better fulfill our mission to positively impact the lives of youth and families. We are dedicated to creating an environment where all employees can thrive and contribute to our shared success.

We encourage individuals of all backgrounds and experiences to apply for positions with our organization and join us in our commitment to making a difference in the lives of children and adolescents.