Executive Assistant to the Executive Director

About NYC Kids RISE:

NYC Kids RISE is a nonprofit organization working with the City of New York and NYC Public Schools, formerly the NYC Department of Education, to manage the Save for College Program (the Program), a community tool New Yorkers can use to build wealth in their neighborhoods and support the college and career dreams of their children. Through the Program, eligible students enrolled in an NYC public school (including participating charter schools), starting in kindergarten, automatically receive a free NYC Scholarship Account, no matter their family income or immigration status, with an initial $100 by NYC Kids RISE on their behalf, invested in an NY 529 Direct Plan, and opportunities to receive additional rewards over time. Their families can open and connect their own college savings account on their child’s behalf, and communities can contribute to groups of these NYC Scholarship Accounts as both a targeted and universal platform for community-driven asset-building in every neighborhood. This approach draws from a variety of best practices and disciplines across the fields of asset building, child savings accounts, financial empowerment, education, community wealth building, urban poverty, neighborhood effects and social capital research, collective impact, and more.

Read more about NYC Kids RISE and the Save for College Program and listen to stories from partners who helped build the platform during its pilot phase from 2017 to 2022. You can also view recent articles in the New York Times, Fast Company, the Wall Street Journal, and the NYCHA Journal; and read more about NYC Kids RISE theory of change in a report by the Urban Institute.

After a successful pilot phase in the communities of School District 30 in Queens, the NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program expanded citywide during the 2021-2022 school year. Today, more than 200,000 students participating in the Program, across more than 1,000 elementary schools, have an NYC Scholarship Account for their educational futures.

Position Summary:

NYC Kids RISE seeks an experienced Executive Assistant to provide critical administrative and operational support to the Executive Director while reporting directly to the Chief of Staff. In this dynamic role, the Executive Assistant will also support the work of the Chief of Staff and the Executive Team during an exciting phase of organizational growth. The Executive Assistant will be proactive, respond quickly and efficiently, and must possess strong administrative, organizational, written, and verbal communication skills. This role will require the ability to prioritize projects, manage competing demands, and build strong relationships. The Executive Assistant will communicate internally and externally with the utmost confidentiality and discretion while supporting the needs of both the Executive Director and the broader organization.

The ideal candidate will be an exceptionally organized individual who is passionate about the work and mission, and a strong communicator who is comfortable working in a fast-paced and dynamic work environment to advance NYC Kids RISE’s mission.

Responsibilities will include, but not be limited to:

• Manages and prioritizes complex calendars to reflect top priorities of the Executive Director and the organization, including scheduling meetings, resolving scheduling conflicts, and expertly navigating time and priorities with other members of the leadership team
• Drafts high-quality correspondence and other materials for the Executive Director
• Works closely with the Chief of Staff to ensure Executive Director is equipped with all support materials related to meetings and informed of upcoming commitments and responsibilities in a timely, holistic manner
• Conducts research and drafts briefing material and presentations for internal and external meetings. This includes: drafting and finalizing documents and other materials for Executive Director for meetings, presentations, and events using Microsoft Word, Excel, and / or PowerPoint; and work with different departments and staff members to make certain the messaging in the documents / presentations is accurate for the intended audiences including drafting letters of correspondence to various stakeholders, potential champions, and internal staff.
• Supports the Executive Director by attending meetings, taking detailed notes, and tracking key action items
• Tracks key action items for Executive Director and support her in completing and prioritizing
• Provides excellent administrative support to the organization’s Board and Board Members, including: communications, calendar management for relevant Board-meetings, and accurate record keeping. Responsible for ensuring the quality and professionalism of materials provided to the Board.
• Receives and routes correspondence and documents that require the Executive Director’s review ensuring timely responses to internal and external inquiries and requests
• Prepares and completes expense and similar administrative reports for the Executive Director
• Oversees maintenance and organization of records, files/documents, equipment and supplies for the Executive Director including managing the contents of the Executive Director’s shared drive
• Supports and participates in special projects, initiatives and responsibilities identified and requested by the Executive Director
• Prioritizes conflicting needs; handles matters independently, expeditiously and proactively, and demonstrates great follow-through on projects to ensure successful completion, often with short deadlines
• Completes additional duties as assigned that support the shared goals of the organization

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate will possess:

• A minimum of ten years of relevant experience particularly in clerical and administrative support functions
• Experience as an Executive Assistant for C-Suite Executive
• Demonstrated track record of effective planning, prioritizing and executing tasks in a timely manner in a fast-paced, scaling, and matrixed work environment.
• Proficiency in MS Office Suite (including advanced functions), Google Applications, and project management software (e.g. Asana)
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively and quickly under pressure, work independently and as part of a team, and interact professionally and graciously with all levels of staff and constituents
• Demonstrated ability to multitask, strong attention to detail, outstanding judgment, and excellent written and oral communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive situations and to handle a wide variety of tasks and confidential matters with the utmost discretion.

Additional preferred knowledge and experience:

• Experience working with diverse constituencies
• Demonstrated commitment to and experience working on gender and racial equity and centering communities of color in their approach to work
• Knowledge of, and demonstrated interest in, increasing economic opportunities and long-term financial security for low-income New York City families and neighborhoods, and combating wealth inequality and the racial wealth gap
• Familiarity with New York City neighborhoods and systems (schools, community-based organizations, social services, local and state government, philanthropy, etc.) preferred

NYC Kids RISE currently maintains a hybrid work environment where staff work both from home and in the office, as determined by the staff member's preferences as well as the needs of our organization and the specific responsibilities of individual roles and teams. This role primarily holds responsibilities that will need to be performed in-office. Our offices are based in Long Island City (Queens, NY).

To apply, submit a cover letter and resume and list the name of the position, “Executive Assistant to the Executive Director." The Salary range for this position is $90K-$110,000. Our anticipated hiring date is early to mid June.

NYC Kids Rise is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate in employment on the basis of basis of gender, religion, race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, marital status, caregiver status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, military status, unemployed status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Paid Time Off

All full-time, non-temporary NYCKR employees receive paid time off:

• Vacation days:
• Up to 15 vacation days per year based on start date in years 0-2
• 20 days per year in years 2-5
• 25 days per year in years 5+
• 5 personal days per year
• Up to 8 sick days per year based on start date
• 12 Recognized Holidays
• Winter break: the week between Christmas and New Year
• Summer break: The week that contains Independence Day
• Sabbatical Leave: After five (5) years of consecutive employment, regular full-time employees may choose to take a fully paid sabbatical lasting consecutive twelve (12) weeks. After achieving this eligibility status, sabbatical may be taken every five (5) years.

Wellness

All eligible employees receive the following wellness benefits:

• Medical insurance is made available to all regular full-time NYCKR employees through Oxford Health Insurance. NYC Kids RISE currently offers two plans through Oxford: a Gold and a Platinum plan.
• The Gold plan premium, for employee, spouse and/or dependents, is entirely covered by NYC Kids RISE.
• The Platinum plan requires a 15% contribution, for its premium, from the employee that selects this option.
• Dental ($2K maximum), Vision, Life, and Long Term Disability for NYC Kids RISE employees is provided through Principal.
• NYC Kids RISE offers two types of FSA accounts to allow pre-tax contribution toward healthcare and dependent care costs.
• A Healthcare FSA. NYCKR contributes $500 toward Healthcare FSA accounts for participating employees.
• A Dependent Care FSA.
• Commuter Benefits allow employees to use pre-tax dollars to pay for their commutes.
• NYC Kids RISE employees also have access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to support with services including counseling, legal, financial, identity theft support, and more.

Retirement

NYCKR offers its employees the opportunity to open a 401(k) or ROTH account after one year of service; as well as an employer match of up to 4% (100% on the first 3%, +50% on next 2%).