Program Associate - Part time

Position Program Associate

Status Part-Time (28 hours per week)

Department Program

Location Norwalk, CT

SeriousFun Children’s Network, founded by Paul Newman, is a growing global community of independently managed and financed camps and programs, which have come together with a common purpose – to provide transformative experiences to children with serious illnesses and their families, free of charge. Through our 30 camps and programs around the world, SeriousFun reaches more than 150,000 children and families annually. Learn more at www.seriousfun.org

About us: The SeriousFun Support Center is in East Norwalk CT. Our team of 33 staff members provides support services to SeriousFun camps and partner programs around the world to ensure program and operational excellence, create awareness for the camps worldwide, and foster the continued growth of the Network as a whole.

SeriousFun is committed to fostering and ensuring a culture and environment that values the experiences, knowledge, and voices of all those who work to carry out our mission. We are continually focused on bringing our core principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion to life by embracing individual talents and experiences and encouraging ongoing learning and understanding.

The purpose of our job posting is to provide an overview of the responsibilities and qualifications needed for this role and what it’s like to work with us. If this sounds like the work you would like to do - and if we sound like an organization that you would like to work for - then please apply even if you don’t match 100% of the job description.

You will be set up for success in this position if you love bringing structure and efficiency to a team, thrive on keeping details organized, and find satisfaction in delivering smooth, reliable administrative support. In this position, you will coordinate programs, manage logistics, and maintain essential documents and schedules that help our global Network succeed. Your keen attention to detail and commitment to supporting others will make a real difference in a mission-driven environment. If you are excited to be the go-to person for organization and logistics, we can’t wait to meet you!

Position Summary

The Program Associate plays a vital role at the SeriousFun Support Center, delivering essential administrative and logistical support to the Program department. Reporting to the Chief Program Officer, this position works closely with each team member of the department to coordinate a variety of programs and services offered to support the camp professionals working at the Network’s 30 camps and programs. The Program Associate’s efforts will enhance operational efficiency and support the Program department’s ongoing initiatives. This role offers frequent opportunities to engage with camp and partner staff across the global, third-party vendors and services providers. A high level of day-to-day oversight and support is provided to ensure success in this position.

Essential Responsibilities

Program Administration and Support

• Leadership Fellows Program: Facilitate the application process, maintain and update documents and resources, and support scheduling. Facilitate exchanges across camps and countries, and coordinate with external vendors.
• Mentorship Program: Implement processes and communicate about mentor/mentee match details, evaluations, and track progress.
• Professional Development & Learning Support to Members and Partners: Administer processes for receiving and reviewing grant applications and gather information to report on outcomes.
• Document Coordination: When necessary, coordinate and update third-party vendor contracts, forms, documents, or partner agreements, and onboarding and orientation materials.

Event Coordination and Logistics

• Event Support: Assist with researching and planning logistics for SeriousFun hosted gatherings, conferences, meetings, and field visits.
• Supply Management: Source and secure supplies and materials for various program department events and services.
• Travel Arrangements: Coordinate travel arrangements for camp and program leaders across the Network, and department staff as requested.
• Translation Services: Organize translation and interpretation services to support program needs.

Financial Coordination

• Invoicing & Payments: Submit invoices and track/report on payments and reimbursements for various projects and services.
• Vendors: Collaborate with Finance and Operations teammates to develop processes and maintain relationships with travel agencies, translation/interpretation vendors, and other relevant vendors.

Administrative Support

• Information Management Support: Research and communicate information, including but not limited to the 30 annual SeriousFun camp and program session calendars and updates to core programs and services of the Program Department.
• Meeting Coordination: Schedule meetings, record minutes, track action items, track key dates, and support data entry and document updates.
• Physical Mail: Mail letters, items, and supplies to camps and partners.
• Resource Identification: Identify tools and resources to maximize efficiency of Program department day-to-day administrative needs.

Additional Responsibilities

• Periodically support office-wide initiatives, as requested, such as donor appeals, fundraising events, office culture initiatives, and staff retreats.
• Other duties as assigned.

Key Competencies

Job-Specific Skills, Knowledge and Ability: Demonstrating the application of job-specific technical skills, general knowledge, and/or abilities to add value.

Authority and Accountability: Providing direction of processes, projects, programs, and people. Delegating responsibilities and decisions appropriately. Being accountable for results.

Critical Thinking and Decision Making: Making decisions and solving problems involving varied levels of complexity, ambiguity, and risk.

Planning and Organizing: Defining tasks and milestones to achieve objectives and ensuring the optimal use of resources to meet those objectives.

Interpersonal Skills: Building and maintaining productive work relationships, collaborating with others to achieve common goals, listening and communicating in a way that is inclusive, respectful, and supportive of others.

Adaptability: Adjusting one’s own behavior to work efficiently and effectively in light of new information, changing situations, and/or different environments.

Leadership: Setting a positive example, encouraging and supporting collaboration and teamwork, exhibiting humility, helping others achieve success, and being honest and trustworthy.

Minimum Qualifications and Job Specific Skills

• Education: High School Diploma or GED
• Years of Relevant Work Experience: 3-5years

Preferred Qualifications & Job-Specific Skills

• Education: Associates degree (e.g., AA, AS) or equivalent
• Experience in working in NGO’s or other non-profit organizations, particularly those with federated/networked structures.

Proven skills in:

• Microsoft Office suite and various videoconferencing applications
• Professional correspondence, customer service / stakeholder management
• Workload prioritization and fulfillment
• Developing presentation materials

Company Culture, Perks, and Benefits

• Fun, respectful, and collaborative environment
• Professional Development opportunities (online and company-facilitated offerings)
• Respect for your non-working time (in Eastern Standard Time) unless under special circumstances, we limit contacting staff on evenings and weekends.
• 30 days for you to enjoy as you see fit, including vacation days, holidays, and opportunities to volunteer at a SeriousFun camp.
• Paid time off for family, medical, and civic service needs.
• Company-sponsored retirement 403b plan after one year of continued service.
• New office located in a fully renovated mixed-used building with great onsite amenities.
• Steps away from the East Norwalk train station

Benefits are subject to change

We will determine where the salary offer will fall within this range of ($25-$30) per hour (28 hours per week) based upon the evaluation of the qualifications during the recruitment process. Our transparent and equitable pay bands, as well as our salary offer based on the qualifications evaluated in our process, are integral parts of our organizational systems and intentional culture. The salary offer is not negotiated as we know that negotiation is not aligned with equity and best practices for ensuring fair pay for employees of all identities and backgrounds.

We look forward to meeting you!

Job Types: Part-time, Permanent

Pay: $25.00 - $30.00 per hour

Expected hours: 28 per week

Benefits:

• 401(k) matching
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible schedule
• Flexible spending account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday
• No weekends

People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply

Education:

• High school or equivalent (Required)

Experience:

• Administrative: 3 years (Required)
• Travel arrangement: 3 years (Preferred)

Ability to Commute:

• Norwalk, CT 06855 (Required)

Ability to Relocate:

• Norwalk, CT 06855: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person

Salary : $25 - $30