Administrative Assistant

Overview: The Center for Fiction has connected writers and readers for over two hundred years. We encourage people to read and value fiction, and we support and celebrate its creation and enjoyment. We do this by providing access to books, supporting emerging writers, introducing children to contemporary books and authors through our KidsRead program, and nurturing diverse readers of all ages through our educational and public programs. In the past year, over 200,000 visitors came to us in person at The Center in Brooklyn, and almost 40,000 people participated in our programs. As a longtime home for readers and writers, we know that fiction expands our capacity for empathy and connection, and that sharing stories transforms communities.

The Administrative Assistant will support the Director of Development in raising essential funds to help run The Center for Fiction’s programs. This position will also work closely with the Membership and Marketing Manager to administer The Center’s membership program and create strong relationships and stewardship of The Center’s members. This position requires exceptional customer service, a talent for engaging with and getting to know members, strong organization skills, excellent written and oral communication, a high level of attention to detail, attentive data entry and administrative skills, and an ability to prioritize and navigate both administrative and customer service responsibilities. The Administrative Assistant supports daily operations of the Development program, including database management and acknowledgment letters, assistance with fundraising and membership events, donor research, and materials for potential donors and funders.

This wide-ranging, entry-level position offers encompassing support for The Center’s development, membership, and marketing programs. It is an ideal position for someone with a passion for books and reading, an interest in a career in arts administration, and a strong commitment to professional learning. The ideal candidate is enthusiastic, outgoing, and results-oriented with strong attention to detail and a high degree of professional dedication and commitment. They take initiative and seek opportunities to contribute to the overall success of the team.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Administrative support for the Development and Marketing department
• Member outreach and engagement

Development Operations:

• Updates and maintains clean donor database records, ensuring accuracy and completeness
• Generates and maintains development reports to provide regular updates and support ongoing assessment and data analysis
• Drafts acknowledgment letters and coordinates mailings
• Prepares invoices for donors at the direction of the Director of Development
• Conducts prospect and donor research
• Assembles book mailings, donor kits for events, and presentations for donors
• Assists with scheduling and calendar management
• Sits in on meetings on an as-needed basis, taking notes and minutes
• Collaborates with department colleagues to implement new CRM and migration of data between platforms
• Assists with other duties as assigned by the Director of Development

Member and Donor Communications:

• In partnership with Director of Development and Membership & Marketing Manager, drafts and prepares member and donor communications and materials
• Drafts and sends routine correspondence and follow-up on behalf of department
• Greets and engages with all members at The Center for Fiction, creating a warm and welcoming community environment for our members here at The Center and in all of our communications with them
• Collaborates with Membership & Marketing Manager on friendly, proactive, and consistent outreach to current and new members
• Helps draft engaging member communications, including quarterly newsletter
• Leads welcoming tours for prospective members, effectively sharing the story of The Center and the meaning and value of membership
• Welcomes and onboards new members and Members Lounge visitors, proactively engages and follows up with new members and visitors
• Reaches out to lapsed members via phone and email to renew memberships and ensure strong member retention
• Answers member questions and emails, assists members with library books and on-site questions, gets to know our members as they visit The Center

Events:

• Supports member events and other fundraising and marketing events at The Center as directed by the Director of Development and the Membership & Marketing Manager
• Assists with event preparations, including preparing invitations and tracking RSVPs
• Assists with sponsor research and outreach for The Center’s First Novel Fête and for other fundraising, marketing, and membership events
• Active in assisting with all event-day responsibilities and eager to help anywhere needed
• Serves at events as a friendly, warm, and welcoming ambassador on behalf of The Center
• Assists with post-event duties, including drafting thank-you notes and follow-up correspondence, conducting post-event reporting, and ensuring timely and organized storage of materials

Marketing:

• Assists Membership & Marketing Manager with outreach to prospective media partners, and helps maintain database of existing contacts
• Pulls reports from The Center’s database of programming participants
• Stays knowledgeable about The Center’s programs in order to share information about this work with existing and potential members, as well as the general public

Ideal Candidate

• Values diversity of thought, backgrounds, and perspectives
• Commitment to the experiences of those from historically marginalized groups, as well as an understanding of the challenges facing Black, Indigenous, People of Color
• Warm, friendly, personable, gregarious and outgoing
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills, team-oriented and collegial
• Excellent administrative abilities, including accuracy, organization, and attention to detail
• Clear written and verbal communication
• Thinks creatively and analytically
• Adaptable, “can-do” attitude; demonstrated resourcefulness and good judgment
• Ability to multitask while maintaining vigilant attention to details
• Identifies and can articulate pain points within workflow systems and databases; is eager to help find solutions, assist with troubleshooting, and facilitate problem-solving from start to finish
• Constantly looking to learn, grow, and apply best practices
• Connection to The Center for Fiction’s mission
• Integrity/ethics beyond reproach
• Comfortable using—or quickly able to learn—platforms such as Google Suite, Microsoft Office, Mailchimp, WordPress, CRMs, and databases
• Comfortable using social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn