Special Assistant to the President

Children Now is a nonpartisan, whole-child research, policy development, and advocacy organization dedicated to promoting children’s health, education and well‐being in California. Children Now employs a game changing, anti-racist connector strategy to mirror and ultimately exceed the power of other established interest groups. Children Now also coordinates The Children’s Movement of California, a network of more than 5,400 parent, student, civil rights, direct-service, business, labor and faith, and community‐based organizations working together to make children a top priority in public policy. Learn more at www.childrennow.org including about Children Now’s core organizational values.

About the Role

We are seeking an extremely talented, ambitious, highly-motivated, and detail-oriented Special Assistant to work closely with Children Now’s President and support him with scheduling and internal organizational management. This position will be central to managing the President’s schedule according to key organizational priorities; supporting relationships with a wide range of partners, policy makers, funders and donors, key stakeholders and media; supporting the President with his social media, and preparing for a diverse scope of meetings. Through this work, the Special Assistant will gain exposure to the full range of the organization’s activities, including our whole child policy portfolio (pre-natal to age 26), government relations, research, communications, operations, development/fundraising, network building and The Children’s Movement. The Special Assistant will also work and support one or more of the projects in these other areas. This full-time, nonexempt position will report to the President, and is based out of our Oakland office with a remote-first work environment.

Ideal Candidates

Ideal applicants will be fast learners, able to handle a high volume of work quickly and efficiently, with excellent recall and superior attention to detail. Candidates should have strong written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills and excellent judgment and work ethic. The candidate must be flexible, adaptable and solutions-oriented and able to effectively anticipate the needs of the President. This position is ideal for someone who is able to think strategically, take initiative and be able to contribute in a fast-paced environment. The candidate must have as a deep commitment to racial equity and Children Now’s mission to ensure all kids have the supports to reach their full potential. The position is ideal for someone who wants to have a high-level leadership position in the public, non-profit or for-profit sector(s) later in their career, and is passionate about learning about leadership, management and politics.

Primary Responsibilities – Office of the President

Effectively and accurately manage a diverse variety of administrative, communications and project management tasks for the President, using initiative, attention to detail and critical thinking skills, including but not limited to:
Efficiently manage the President’s busy and rapidly changing calendar to optimize his time and ensure his schedule reflects key organizational priorities;
Schedule internal organizational meetings that the President participates in, including staff meetings and numerous project director meetings;
Support the President in drafting and posting social media posts;
Maintain contacts dataset for the President and assist with maintaining development and communications databases;
Coordinate travel arrangements, plan and prepare for meetings and events and handle all administrative needs such as time reporting, expense reports, etc.;
Keep the President well-informed about and prepared for a wide range of internal and external meetings and responsibilities, following up appropriately;
Support The Children’s Movement recruitment and engagement;
Support the Development Department in tracking meetings and outreach with high priority partners;
In partnership with the Development & Communications Department, draft correspondence and prepare meeting presentation materials for the President to support outreach and development as well as to strengthen key relationships and increase the visibility of the organization; and

Manage a variety of special projects for the organization, including event planning, outreach, development, operations and policy efforts, with a strong outcomes- and solutions-orientation;
Provide additional administrative, development and policy assistance; and
Conduct other duties as assigned.

Required Qualification:

Bachelor’s degree, with demonstrated academic and extra-curricular excellence;
Experience in a fast-paced environment where there was extensive engagement with a diverse range of outside entities;
Demonstrated effective written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively in and across teams;
Strong analytical, writing and editing skills.
Experience with writing for social media;
High-level efficiency, recall, and attention to detail;
Excellent organizational, administrative and project management skills;
Superior judgment, confidentiality and discretion;
Creativity, a positive attitude, and highly flexible to take on a range of assignments;
Ability to be forward-looking and actively seek opportunities and propose solutions;
Proficiency in prioritizing conflicting needs, being resourceful, handling matters expeditiously and proactively, and following through on projects to successful completion often with deadline pressures;
Ability to learn quickly and a commitment to quality work;
Advanced working knowledge of Microsoft Suite (including Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint) and comfort navigating new technologies;
An interest in leadership, management, public policy, politics, philanthropy and the range of issues affecting children; and
Able to work effectively with others in a vibrant, diverse and multicultural environment.

Primary Responsibilities – The Children’s Movement

Provide administrative support to The Children’s Movement Equity Fellowship program.
Through online research, email, and phone outreach, recruit California organizations to join The Children’s Movement to advance state policy for kids.
Mobilize existing Children’s Movement members to support advocacy campaigns.
Conduct list-building and maintain high data quality of leads and contacts in Salesforce.
Contribute to The Children’s Movement team by engaging in team discussions, sharing ideas for movement growth, and providing ideas and feedback to help shape the team’s continuous improvement efforts.

Qualifications and Experience

Bachelor’s degree, with demonstrated academic and extra-curricular excellence;
Experience in a fast-paced environment where there was extensive engagement with a diverse range of outside entities;
Demonstrated effective written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively in and across teams;
Strong analytical, writing and editing skills.
Experience with writing for social media;
High-level efficiency, recall, and attention to detail;
Excellent organizational, administrative and project management skills;
Superior judgment, confidentiality and discretion;
Creativity, a positive attitude, and highly flexible to take on a range of assignments;
Ability to be forward-looking and actively seek opportunities and propose solutions;
Proficiency in prioritizing conflicting needs, being resourceful, handling matters expeditiously and proactively, and following through on projects to successful completion often with deadline pressures;
Ability to learn quickly and a commitment to quality work;
Advanced working knowledge of Microsoft Suite (including Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint) and comfort navigating new technologies;
An interest in leadership, management, public policy, politics, philanthropy and the range of issues affecting children; and
Able to work effectively with others in a vibrant, diverse and multicultural environment.

Compensation

The salary range is $55,000-$70,000 for this position. Please also review our generous benefits.

Application Process

Please complete the online application form. All applicants must attach the following as part of their online application: 1) cover letter, 2) resume, and 3) a two-to-three-page writing sample. Please submit attachments in PDF or Microsoft Word format only.

We do not accept phone inquiries regarding the position; please do not call. Position open until filled.

Children Now COVID-19 Vaccination Policy

The health and safety of our employees is our number one priority. Thus, Children Now has implemented a COVID-19 vaccination policy covering all employees. To be compliant with this policy, all new staff members shall be required to provide proof of their vaccine status at the start of their employment, unless a reasonable accommodation is requested and approved.

Children Now is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to staff diversity, equity, and inclusion. Children Now values diversity as an asset essential to accomplishing our work and views diversity as including differences in race, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, disability, veteran status, job skills, education, and geographic location and any other category protected by law. We encourage all qualified candidates to apply.