United States of America: Executive Assistant - HAI

Executive Assistant

Join Heartland Alliance International to support our innovative programs serving marginalized and vulnerable communities.

Organizational Background:

Heartland Alliance International (HAI) is the global arm of Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights, a family of organizations that has been leading anti-poverty and social justice work in Chicago for more than 125 years. HAI is comprised of offices in nearly a dozen countries that implement programs on a range of global human rights issues, as well as the Chicago-based Marjorie Kovler Center for the Treatment of Survivors of Torture, which serves individuals from more than 50 countries. HAI has significant expertise in the fields of trauma-informed mental health care and access to justice for survivors of rights abuses. It is also an industry leader in access to high-quality and stigma-free health care, including HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programs. Across all of its programs, HAI promotes progressive, innovative approaches to human rights protections and gender equality that are inclusive of the rights of LGBT persons.

Overview:

The Executive Assistant provides strategic, administrative and logistical support to the Executive Director of Heartland Alliance International. The Executive Assistant provides high-level administrative coordination and support, serves as a conduit to and from the Executive Director to the rest of HAI, composes and creates communications, maintains documentation related to contracts and official documents, and maintains an appropriate professional demeanor while interacting with all levels of staff, visitors and external stakeholders. Individual accountabilities and work volume will be established through the development of annual Success Objectives, within the framework outlined below. In this role, the Executive Assistant will have unique visibility into and gain experience supporting operations at all levels of a growing international human rights non-profit. This is an exciting opportunity for a self-starter seeking a dynamic role with extraordinary learning and growth potential.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Executive Support

• Completes a broad variety of administrative tasks for the Executive Director including: managing an extremely active calendar of appointments; screening visitors and callers; completing expense reports; composing and preparing correspondence that is sometimes confidential; managing all signatures; copy editing materials; arranging complex and detailed travel plans, itineraries, and agendas; compiling documents and briefing materials for travel-related meetings. Anticipate and solve for challenges to ensure the most strategic use of the Executive Director’s time.
• In coordination with the External Relations team, arranges external events (e.g. fundraising and networking events), records business cards/enters data, and conducts research in advance of meetings.
• Coordinates all meetings for the Executive Director and routine staff meetings, including preparing materials and scheduling. Order refreshments for meetings as needed and adhere to various dietary restrictions. Set up conference rooms with audio, visual and conference call needs.
• Works closely and effectively with the Executive Director to keep her well informed of upcoming commitments and responsibilities, including key decisions, following up appropriately.
• Provides Board of Directors-related support services including but not limited to: the maintenance of Board and Board Committee rosters, coordination of Board meetings, preparation of minutes and collection of agenda-related materials. Provides similar support services to other external and internal work groups, coalitions and task forces.
• Support the Executive Director with international board management, coordination, and collecting minutes for HAI’s foreign boards.
• Coordinates the Executive Director’s internal communications to staff, including monthly emails to all staff and quarterly calls with Country Directors and other meetings and communications.
• In coordination with the External Relations team, communicates as needed on behalf of the Executive Director, with Board members, donors, and others, on matters related to the Executive Director.
• Prioritizes conflicting needs; handles matters expeditiously, proactively, and follows through on projects to successful completion, often with deadline pressures.
• Leads on staff appreciation including tracking birthdays, years of service, and other staff milestones.
• Adheres to professional standards as outlined by organizational plans and policies.

Strategic Executive Functions

• Provides leadership to build relationships crucial to the success of the organization, and manages a variety of special projects for the Executive Director, some of which may have organizational impact.
• Keeps the Executive Director updated on staff needs in headquarters.
• Researches, prioritizes, and follows up on incoming issues and concerns addressed to the Executive Director, including those of a sensitive or confidential nature. Determines appropriate course of action, referral, or response.
• Provides a bridge for effective and regular communication between the Executive Director and internal departments; demonstrating leadership, collegiality and empathy to maintain credibility, trust and support with the global headquarters and country teams.
• Proactively identifies ways to improve communication within HAI leadership team and to/from leadership teams throughout HAI.

Administrative

• Answers incoming calls, takes messages, welcomes visitors, and responds to routine inquiries for information.
• Maintains confidentiality of all documents and other information. Prepares records, contracts for signature or submission, personnel and other documentation and ensures the appropriate filing and distribution of such data.
• Attends meetings, takes minutes and distributes minutes to attendees, including weekly staff meeting minutes.
• Sorts and distributes incoming mail and deliveries, processes outgoing mail, and handles requests for messenger and delivery services.
• Completes requisitions in eRequester when the Operations Manager is unavailable
• Supports office management with the Operations Manager
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Education and/or Experience: An Associate’s Degree and four years related experience required. May give credit towards years of experience if attained a degree higher than an Associate’s Degree.
• Communication Skills: Effective business writing skills and the ability to communicate clearly with all levels of staff with an attention to organizational structure and department responsibilities.
• Computer Skills: Demonstrated proficiency in Word, Power Point, Outlook and Excel. The ability to create professional reports, organization charts, diagrams and graphs.
• Personal Characteristics: An effective self-starter with creative problem-solving skills who can perform a variety of work with minimal direction. Exceptional interpersonal skills. The ability to multi-task and to react productively to change and lead by example. A demonstrated commitment to high professional ethical standards and a diverse workplace. Demonstrated commitment to international development, social services, and/or human rights. Maintain a sense of humor during stressful situations

Other Competencies:

• Professionalism - Approaches others in a tactful manner; Reacts well under pressure; Treats others with respect and consideration regardless of their status or position; Accepts responsibility for own actions; Follows through on commitments.
• Planning/Organizing - Prioritizes and plans work activities; Uses time efficiently; Plans for additional resources; Sets goals and objectives; Organizes or schedules other people and their tasks; Develops realistic action plans.
• Quality - Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness; Looks for ways to improve and promote quality; Applies feedback to improve performance; Monitors own work to ensure quality.
• Time Management – Ability to prioritize tasks, manage time and complete projects in a fast-paced, changing environment with minimal supervision.
• Analytical- Synthesizes complex or diverse information; Collects and researches data
• Written Communication - Writes clearly and informatively; Edits work for spelling and grammar; Varies writing style to meet needs; Presents numerical data effectively.
• Adaptability - Adapts to changes in the work environment; Manages competing demands; Changes approach or method to best fit the situation; Able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events
• Cultural Sensitivity – Respects cultural environment in which person is working and does not act in a manner that is outwardly offensive to the local community.

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

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit; use hands to handle or feel and reach with hands and arms.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds.

Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Heartland Alliance makes all hiring and employment decisions without regard to race, creed, color, age, gender, gender identity, marital or parental status, religion, ancestry, national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, sexual identity, immigrant status, political affiliation or belief, ex-offender status (depending on the offense and position to be filled), unfavorable military discharge, membership in an organization whose primary purpose is the protection of civil rights or improvement of living conditions and human relations, height, weight, or HIV infection, in accord with the Organization's AIDS Policy Statement of September, 1987. Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodation should contact the Employee Services Office at +1 (312) 660-1431.

https://chk.tbe.taleo.net/chk01/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=HEARTLANDALLIANCE&cws=1&rid=...