Executive Assistant Center for Career Navigation

About JFF 

Jobs for the Future (JFF) drives transformation of the U.S. education and workforce systems to achieve equitable economic advancement for all. Seeing that millions of people are unfairly shut out of quality jobs and the chance for a better life, our goal is to align education, workforce, and employment changemakers toward a shared North Star: In 10 years, 75 million people facing systemic barriers to advancement will work in quality jobs.    

To achieve that goal, we design solutions, scale best practices, influence policy and action, and invest in innovation. With a staff of more than 300 people across the country working remotely and in offices in Boston (headquarters), Washington, DC, and Oakland, California, we operate at the national, state, and local levels, forging deep partnerships with employers, investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and education and workforce development providers to break down barriers and reimagine what’s possible.   

We’re on a path of ongoing growth and expanding impact. We have an operating budget of $105 million, and we’re funded by dozens of leading government agencies, foundations, and corporations. Learn more about JFF and join us as we build a future that works—for everyone.  

DEIBW at JFF  

Diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and well-being (DEIBW) are core to JFF’s North Star and mission. We employ and build diverse teams across race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity and expression, age, and lived experiences and are constantly working toward ensuring these differences are celebrated and included. We aim to cultivate a culture that centers the overall care, well-being, and success of the employee through flexible work hours, balanced workloads, professional development, and equitable career advancement opportunities. Learn more about what DEIBW looks like in practice at JFF. 

We seek to invest and learn from those who represent the communities we serve, particularly individuals from populations who have been explicitly or implicitly excluded from the workforce. Knowing its importance to the success of our work and the engagement of our staff members, we aspire to attract and retain a diverse team and welcome people of all backgrounds to apply to our open roles. JFF is a fair chance employer and in alignment to our North Star, we strongly encourage individuals whose highest level of education attained is less than a 4-year degree; People of Color; and people with records to apply. 

About the Position 

To support JFF’s rapid growth and opportunities for increased impact, JFF is seeking to hire an Executive Assistant (EA) to meet the needs of the Center for Career Navigation. Across JFF, EAs are valued members of our organization who play a critical role in managing the behind-the-scenes work, enabling senior leaders to operate as vehicles for change. Your skill at connecting the dots between individual administrative tasks or scheduling requests, and your team’s vision and priorities, adds value by allowing senior leaders and their teams to do their best work.  

JFF fosters and celebrates a team environment that is creative, inclusive, generative, highly collaborative, and focused on impact. This is great opportunity to work directly with senior-level leaders at JFF and build community with other EAs across the organization, thus ensuring you have the support, resources, and more to make your work effective and engaging. The ideal candidates for this role are highly organized, proactive, and adept at communicating effectively with a variety of stakeholders.  

What You'll Do  

Support the Vice President (VP), Center for Career Navigation in leveraging their time, through scheduling, calendaring, and prioritization 

• Provide strong calendar management by prioritizing inquiries and requests, and troubleshooting conflicts when planning and scheduling meetings 
• Manage correspondence by triaging, drafting responses to, or directly responding to email inquiries 
• Support the organization and productivity of the VP by organizing, prioritizing, and summarizing emails and requests 
• Manage detailed travel plans, including drafting itineraries, coordinating flight, hotel, and dinner reservations, submitting event RSVPs, tracking travel reimbursements, etc. related to the VP’s in-person meetings and events 
• Coordinate scheduling for executive-level meetings that involve the VP, Center for Career Navigation and assist with preparing information and materials for meetings, acting as the point of contact with internal and external attendees, and/or taking notes during the meetings 
• Create, edit, and proofread materials in partnership with senior leaders, including email communication, meeting agendas, and other internal- or external-facing materials 

Proactively prepare the VP, anticipate challenges, and find solutions across engagements 

• Keep the VP informed of upcoming commitments and responsibilities and follow up appropriately 
• Understand the VP’s capacity, priorities, and preferences to make judgements and recommendations that ensure smooth daily engagements and dedicated focus/work time 
• Stay up to date with the VP’s meeting occurrences and deadlines with key internal and external stakeholders to support senior leaders in budgeting their time, preparing to fully engage in meetings, and to follow through with the next steps they are responsible for 
• Support the VP's fundraising, business development, and partnership development efforts by preparing leaders effectively for engagements and managing relevant data on these activities 

Collaborate, contribute, and add capacity across teams 

• Act as the Hiring Coordinator for roles in which the VP is the hiring manager, providing critical support to hiring teams by liaising and scheduling interviews with candidates advancing through the hiring process 
• Provide ad hoc administrative support to other senior leaders within the Center for Career Navigation, capacity permitting  
• Collaborate with peer Executive Assistants and Coordinators across the organization to ensure efficient, comprehensive support to senior leaders, and completion of shared role responsibilities 
• Manage, coach, or mentor other Executive Assistants or Coordinators, as needed 

Who You Are  

The qualifications listed within the job description are intended as a guide and we do not expect candidates to bring all experiences and skills listed. Research supports that self-selecting out of potential professional opportunities is particularly common among individuals with identities that are marginalized in professional spaces. So, if you believe that you can meet the overall expectations of the position, we encourage you to apply so that we have an opportunity to learn more about you and the unique strengths you would bring to the work. 

• You have a proven track record of successfully supporting senior level executives and leveraging their capacity effectively in order to reach ambitious goals (Executive Assistants at this level at JFF typically bring 10+ years of prior professional experience through a combination of full-time, part-time, internship, and/or freelance positions)  
• You are highly organized with the ability to prioritize your workload, multitask, and deliver quality work that supports you and your senior leader’s priorities 
• You can quickly identify, learn, and adopt new approaches, processes, and technology that increase the quality, value, and efficiency of you and your team’s work 
• You value relationships and make it a priority to build effective, positive, and respectful relationships with a diverse range of internal and external stakeholders; you are skilled at getting to know the needs, preferences, and styles of the senior leaders you support 
• You have a track record of successfully collaborating with others and know how to hold yourself and others accountable in order to achieve shared goals 
• You are skilled at clearly communicating information with others verbally, in meetings, or in writing and seek out opportunities to share knowledge across your organization 
• You proactively anticipate needs and challenges and identify creative solutions to adapt approaches and/or change course as needed 
• You know how to optimize a senior leader’s capacity, especially when competing priorities arise, by ensuring that their decisions, projects, and communications align to your team or organization’s overall goals and mission 
• You are adept at keeping senior leaders well-informed by collecting, organizing, and sharing relevant information 
• You are an active listener who demonstrates good judgement and clear analytical thinking when making decisions, especially when responding to confidential and time-sensitive matters  
• You possess excellent attention to detail and know how to handle highly confidential and time sensitive information with necessary care and prioritization 
• You are an effective problem-solver, with the ability to proactively identify key opportunities, issues and risks, and exercise independent professional judgment 
• You possess high energy and passion for JFF’s mission and North Star, and the ability to apply JFF’s core values to all areas of your work    
• You are energized by stewarding JFF’s DEIBW values and practices within your day-to-day work, including embracing the differences and celebrating the diversity that each individual brings to JFF  

What We Offer  

At JFF, we’re fueled by the desire to create a world where everyone has equal opportunity for economic advancement. Our team works hard to push the boundaries of what is possible, and in return, we provide a gratifying work experience, competitive salaries, and a comprehensive benefits program that includes flexibility and choice as core values in order to support people wherever they are in their lives and careers.  

JFF has offices in Boston, Oakland, and Washington, DC; employees are welcome to use JFF office space to work in-person or hybrid, or completely remote. To improve the employee experience and promote productivity while working remotely, JFF offers an annual home office stipend to all regular full-time and part-time employees. In addition, new employees receive office equipment as needed.   

The hiring range for this role is $80,000 - $100,000 annually, in alignment to JFF’s Executive Assistant II salary band and our compensation philosophy. Starting salaries for new hires will be determined based on a combination of the new hire’s relevant experience and market demands.  

To Apply  

As part of your application, please include your resume and a thoughtful cover letter, addressed to JFF’s Talent Acquisition Team, outlining how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position. We are accepting applications through 5pm EST on Friday, June 28, 2024. Applications submitted by that date will be reviewed and candidates will receive updates on their candidacy by the week of July 8, 2024.   

At JFF, we’re also committed to accessibility and want to ensure that everyone, including people with disabilities, can fully access and engage with our application and hiring process. If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability and/or have specific access/accommodation needs in order to fully participate in our hiring process, please contact us at hiringaccommodations@jff.org. 

Positions at JFF are not eligible for employer-visa sponsorship or open to F-1 student visa holders. 

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