Full-Time Executive Assistant to the President and Founder
Job Description
Are you a changemaker who wants to play a pivotal role in restoring vision for millions of people in low-income communities around the world?
VisionSpring seeks an organized, smart, energetic professional with strong executive function to join our team as executive assistant to the president and founder. As a “right hand” to the president, you will manage the president’s and founder’s schedules and travel, support internal and external communications, coordinate activities of the board of directors, and manage the VisionSpring New York office. You will play a key facilitative role in a high-growth environment, interacting daily with VisionSpring’s global team, leadership, and partners. This position is based in New York City.
The role of executive assistant is ideally suited for someone with a demonstrated interest in social entrepreneurship, who will use this entry level position as a unique opportunity to gain a deep and nuanced understanding of how an organization that blends philanthropic and earned revenue delivers social impact. The candidate who succeeds in this position will skillfully and gladly manage the sometimes-tedious work of scheduling and travel, knowing that s/he is also gaining frontline exposure to managing growth, with a bird’s eye view into strategy, fundraising, global operations and governance. The executive assistant will have the opportunity see and contribute to VisionSpring’s work in a frontier or emerging market at least once a year.
We anticipate that a motivated candidate will use this role as a spring board to graduate school. Or, for those coming out of a master’s program looking for early job experience, the role may serve as a stepping stone into an operational role within the organization. In both instances, VisionSpring requires a minimum two-year commitment for this role.
ABOUT YOU
- You are a no-task-is-too-small superhero. You will simultaneously prepare a presentation for an upcoming conference, plan the board of directors visit Bangladesh, and re-order ink for the printers.
- You are pursuing a career in social entrepreneurship.
- You are on top of everything. Ever since you can remember, you’ve known the key is to prioritize. You put first things first and are methodical in executing an ever changing “to do” list.
- You were the kind of kid who organized your toys; now you organize your inbox and other people.
- You take initiative and make things happen. If friends or family plan a weekend together, you are invariably the key arranger. You sweat the details.
- You find it easy to put your thoughts into words and make a message pop off a page. Your secret Microsoft Office super power is PowerPoint formatting.
- You find roles with flexible parameters energizing.
- Friends would describe you as curious and structured, smart with low-ego, resilient and full of zest.
ABOUT US
- We are creating access to affordable eyewear, everywhere. Clear vision creates opportunities for increased learning, work, safety, civic participation, and quality of life.
- As a social enterprise, social change motivates us first. Our focus on sales and revenue targets serves and advances our mission objective – to increase functioning, productivity, and income earning potential for our low-income consumers by correcting refractive error with eyeglasses.
- We are working to transform the systemic dysfunction of an optical market that has failed to deliver eyeglasses – a 700-year-old technology – to 2.5 billion consumers in need of vision correction, most of whom live on less than $4 a day.
- We serve low-income consumers, not as beneficiaries but as customers. Our customers expect a high-quality and affordable product, and they will spend limited discretionary income for the immediate and tangible benefits of vision correction.
- By selling eyeglasses, we awaken new demand and seed a viable market. By selling new eyeglasses we are able to serve four times as many people per dollar input than the alternative of donating recycled ones. To efficiently scale, we must deliver each new unit with lower cost.
- We run our business on both sales metrics and social impact measures. We use a range of organizational forms and practices to get the job done.
- We believe in scaling our impact, not our organization. We are a lean team of doers.
WHAT YOU’LL DO
Executive Support
- Manage a heavy load of scheduling. Coordinate internal meetings with a global team, and external meetings and calls with partners, donors, and other stakeholders, ensuring that no-one gets forgotten.
- Help the president and founder manage and maximize their time.
- Make all arrangements for the president and founder for international and domestic travel.
- Maintain the rhythm of the business by scheduling the organization-wide annual calendar of key events and monthly deliverables.
- Assist others in the organization with document preparation that requires the input of the president or founder, including signatures and approvals.
- Maintain confidence by keeping information confidential.
Board Support
- Support the president in collaborating with the chairman of the board and the board committees to achieve the board’s annual goals.
- Take the lead in drafting presentations for board meetings, including coordinating and editing content from across the organization.
- Take minutes at all board meetings, and maintain follow-up task lists for the leadership team and board members as appropriate.
- Manage all board-related scheduling and logistics, including for meetings, dinners, calls, and periodic visits to field offices.
Internal & External Communications
- Prepare monthly internal newsletter, and coordinate quarterly “all-hands” global team videoconference.
- Assist the president and founder with preparing for meetings, including with philanthropic investors and for speaking engagements. Provide supportive research and draft presentation materials.
Office and Administrative Support
- Assist with onboarding new team members in the New York office and monitor paid time off.
- Support VisionSpring board directors with securing travel visas.
- Ensure VisionSpring’s New York office is a conducive work environment. Oversee all facilities matters, including liaising with VisionSpring’s landlord and interfacing with building maintenance personnel, cleaning services, and other vendors.
- Maintain office supplies inventory; anticipating needs and placing cost-conscious orders.
WHAT’S REQUIRED
- Bachelor’s degree required; in economics, political science, sociology, or another related field preferred.
- Two years of professional experience. Prior experience with executive support, communications, or project management preferred.
- Highly organized and detail oriented with great problem-solving skills.
- Demonstrated capacity to produce professional business correspondence, status reports, and presentations.
- Comfort and experience with managing up, collaborating with peers, and working with colleagues remotely and in different cultures and time zones.
- Highly proficient with PowerPoint, Word, and Excel.
- Preferred experience: (1) Working in a high-growth or start-up environment; and/or (2) Living or working in a low-income international setting.
- Must meet the highest standards of ethics and personal integrity, with a demonstrated capacity for discretion and for handling confidential information with care.
- The ability to travel up to 5% of your time, domestically and internationally, as needed. Willingness to travel to locations with limited infrastructure.
- Currently authorized to work in the United States.
COMPENSATION
- Based on experience and education, and competitive for a social enterprise.
- We offer comprehensive benefits, including medical, dental, and vision, as well as 401(k) with match, pre-tax commuter plan, and generous vacation/personal time.
How to Apply
- We want to know more than just what you have done. We want to know who you are. What are the passions and talents that draw you to this role?
- Please submit your application, including a thoughtful cover letter and your CV/résumé to: talent@visionspring.org. Please assure there is a short description of each company or organization on your CV/résumé. Include your last name and "Executive Assistant to the President and Founder" in the subject line.
- The preferred start date is September 1, 2019; early application is encouraged.
- Please note, only candidates to be interviewed will be contacted.
- VisionSpring is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
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