Program Assistant

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW

Foundation for a Just Society (FJS) envisions a world where all people are equally valued and lead self-determined lives. FJS advances the rights of women, girls, and LGBTQI people and promotes gender and racial justice by ensuring those most affected by injustice have the resources they need to cultivate the leadership and solutions that transform our world.

FJS makes grants to local, national, regional, and global organizations and networks with an emphasis on Francophone West Africa, Mesoamerica, South and Southeast Asia, and the US Southeast. FJS supports efforts that advance long-term, structural change and meet immediate needs that enable women, girls, and LGBTQI people most affected by injustice to be leaders, strategists, and agents of change.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Program Assistant plays a key role in the effective operations of the program team. The Program Assistant provides administrative, scheduling, and project management support to the Head of Communications for Philanthropic Advocacy; the Head of Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning; the Head of Regional Programs; and, the VP of Programs and Strategy. Reporting to the VP of Programs and Strategy, the Program Assistant also plays an essential role in providing project and change management support to the Program Team in collaboration with other staff teams.

The ideal candidate has administrative and project management experience and a working knowledge of and commitment to women’s rights and LGBTQI movements globally.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES + RESPONSIBILITIES

Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Executive Administrative Coordination (50%)

• Manage the calendars of three program team heads and the Vice President of Programs and Strategy
• Make travel arrangements for these staff members
• Provide scheduling and logistics support for cross-team projects, working groups, team meetings, recruitment processes, retreats, site visits, and other events
• Support budget management and expense reporting for the three heads and the Vice President of Programs and Strategy
• Coordinate and liaise (on behalf of the heads and VP of Programs and Strategy), as needed, with other program staff and the finance team in processing contracts and payments
• Assist in documenting and keeping track of action items, deliverables, and deadlines related to ongoing team-wide projects involving the three heads and the VP of Programs and Strategy, helping to prioritize ongoing tasks requiring senior management’s attention

Team Coordination (30%)

• Assist heads and VP of Programs and Strategy to develop, communicate, and keep track of project timelines involving different members of the Program Team
• Manage day-to-day team operations, working alongside program staff associates and executive team to oversee workflows, administrative tasks and projects
• Prepare agendas for team and project planning meetings, filing meeting notes and managing action items

Executive Grantmaking Support + Coordination (20%)

• Assist the VP of Programs and Strategy (and as needed, the Head of Regional Programs) with grantmaking responsibilities, including the NYC portfolio and executive philanthropic advocacy:
  • Serve as a point of contact and information resource for grantee partners, assisting in solicitation of proposals and gathering additional information as needed from partners to maintain up-to-date grantmaking information in GivingData
  • Build and maintain relationships with a small cohort of NYC grantees and funder colleagues
  • Review, analyze, and approve proposals, reports, and related documents submitted by NYC grantees and any other executive grantees as requested, and support the VP of Programs and Strategy to synthesize that information into draft grant recommendations for approval
  • Identify and advise on ways to improve processes related to grantmaking, including reporting tools and templates
  • Stay up-to-date with relevant grantmaking best practices and developments in gender justice, racial justice, women's rights, and LGBTQI rights, especially as it pertains to NYC funding
• Perform any other duties or tasks as assigned.

REQUIREMENTS

• Commitment to the mission of FJS
• Minimum of two years of experience within human rights and social justice nonprofit or philanthropic sectors, or the equivalent education and experience;
• Administration and project management skills with attention to detail; familiarity with Asana project management software a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with colleagues around tasks, priorities, deadlines, and idea generation
• Familiarity with gender justice, women’s, girls’ and LGBTQI rights, and global trends within these fields.
• Strong problem-solving and communications skills
• Comfortable with a dynamic workplace that may require periodic extended work or nonstandard hours
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills in English.
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office and Google suite applications
• Eligibility to work in the United States
• This is a hybrid position based in New York and requires working in the office two days a week.

FJS is committed to cultivating an organizational culture where everyone is able to bring their full, authentic selves to work. The foundation believes a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace is one where all employees, no matter their gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, education or disability, are valued and respected.