Special Assistant to the President and The Children’s Movement

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 also leads The Children’s Movement of California, a unique network of more than 5000+ parent, youth, business, labor, civil rights, faith, and community-based organizations, as well as thousands of individuals, working together to make children a top priority in public policy. Learn more at http://www.childrennow.org including about Children Now’s core organizational values.

About the Role

We are seeking a highly-motivated, self-starting and detail-oriented Special Assistant to support Children Now’s President with scheduling, outreach and executive office operations. This position will manage the President’s schedule according to organizational priorities, supporting relationships with a wide range of partners, policy makers, funders and donors, key stakeholders and media; as well as help prepare for a diverse scope of meetings. The position will also support the rapid growth of The Children’s Movement (The Movement). Through prospecting, lead generation, outreach calls and emails, and representing The Movement to current and prospective members, this position will serve as a growth-focused ambassador for The Movement. This full-time, non-exempt position will report to the Manager of Policy and Engagement and receive support and mentorship from the Children Now President as well as the Senior Director of The Children’s Movement. This is a hybrid role that will require occasional work from the Children Now Oakland office.

Ideal Candidates

The ideal candidate will be a fast learner, able to handle a high volume of work quickly and efficiently, with excellent attention to detail. Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills as well as excellent judgment and work ethic are required for this role. The candidate must be flexible, adaptable and solutions oriented. This position is ideal for someone who thinks strategically, takes initiative, and enjoys learning and contributing in a fast-paced environment, as well as a deep commitment to racial equity and Children Now’s mission. The position offers an opportunity to learn about research, policy advocacy, coalition-building, CA politics, nonprofit management, communications and outreach, and fundraising while helping to support our efforts to improve the well-being of all of California’s children and remove racial and systemic inequities that limit children’s opportunities to reach their full potential.

Primary Responsibilities – Office of the President

With support from the Manager of Policy and Engagement, manage the President’s busy and rapidly changing calendar to optimize his time and ensure his schedule reflects key organizational priorities.
Anticipate the President’s pre-and post-meeting needs by ensuring appropriate preparation prior to meetings and follow-up afterward; tasks may include collecting, researching, and/or preparing presentation materials.
Schedule internal meetings that the President and/or senior staff participate in, including staff meetings and project director meetings.
In partnership with the Manager of Policy and Engagement, draft email correspondence and prepare meeting presentation materials for the President.
Work collaboratively with the Development team to build and maintain positive donor and partner relationships with Children Now.
Support the Development team in tracking the President’s meetings with funders and individual donors and scheduling internal planning meetings to prepare for the external meetings.
Support the Manager of Policy and Engagement with special events (i.e. board meetings and events, Leadership Council meetings, fundraisers) planning logistics as needed including but not limited to meals, reception set-ups, technology and support with critical logistics.
Support the President with social media posting for all speaking events, job postings, and to elevate key issues.
Maintain contacts list for the President and work with the development coordinator in maintaining the development database.
Coordinate travel arrangements and plan and prepare for meetings.
Handle administrative needs such as time reporting, expense reports, etc..
Assist with data entry projects for policy team briefs as needed.
Provide additional administrative, development and policy assistance, such as taking notes in meetings, setting up event invites, and preparing surveys as needed.

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 required;
At least two years of professional administrative or other relevant experience preferred with high level responsibilities 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;
High-level efficiency, recall, and attention to detail;
Excellent organizational, administrative and project management skills;
Superior judgment, confidentiality and discretion;
Experience with social media;
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 Office (Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint);
An interest in public policy, politics, philanthropy and the range of issues affecting children;
Able to work effectively with others in a vibrant, diverse and multicultural environment; and
Strong writing and editing skills.

Compensation

The salary range is $55,000-$65,000 for this position. Please also review our generous benefits.

Application Process

Please complete the online application form located here. Interested applicants must attach the following as part of their online application: 1) cover letter, 2) resume, and 3) three to five references (including former supervisors). Please note references will not be contacted without prior knowledge and consent. Please submit attachments in PDF 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.