Assistant, Operations and Learning, job in Durham

The Assistant, Operations and Learning role provides a unique opportunity to be part of a small group with an expansive scope of work across Arabella’s largest team. This group works across MO and coordinates with internal-facing Arabella teams to solve problems, manage efficient operations, and ensure ongoing growth and work-life fit for MO staff. The role offers opportunity to learn and grow, and is seeking a candidate who is organized, on-task, and proactive in identifying and suggesting solutions for better and more efficient workflows.

Essential Responsibilities

Capacity Management (50%)
Support the MO capacity manager in:
• Assisting with data collection and analysis for MO capacity and utilization reports (monthly and quarterly)
• Pulling and organizing timesheet data from the PSA to provide ongoing insight into team members’ project portfolios, both monthly and on an ad-hoc basis as needed. This also includes following up on late timesheet submissions.
• Administering the monthly capacity survey to identify team members’ who need adjustments to their workload
• Communicating new project assignments to team members
• Other tasks, as needed

Onboarding Administrator (20%)
• Serve as administrator for MO onboarding: coordinate sessions, facilitators, and attendees, and when applicable, reserve conference rooms for sessions.
• Work with facilitators to ensure descriptions and materials remain up to date.
• Maintain the MO onboarding master list and SharePoint folder, including recorded session files
• Administer post-onboarding survey and provide initial analysis on results

PSA Administrator (20%)
• Create MO timecodes and project assignments via Financial Force PSA software in Manifest; set up new projects with accurate cost/revenue and budget data and manage assignment requests from staff during project team transitions
• Set up new hires with global MO timecodes
• Support efforts to improve processes and innovate around timekeeping and reporting
• Answer PSA-related questions as needed from staff
• As needed, represent the MO team in firm-wide PSA working group

Operations and Learning Administrative Support (10%)
• Coordinate planning and logistics for annual retreats as well as fall local retreats
• Help produce quarterly business reports for team leadership and in coordination with Advisory and Executive team members
• Provide additional administrative support to the Operations and Learning group as needed

To be successful in this role you’ll need:
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Outlook, Word and PowerPoint
• Desire to work both independently and collaboratively as part of a team
• Ability to be resourceful and adapt quickly to change
• Strong sense of ownership over tasks
• Curiosity, desire to solve complex problems, and a positive attitude
• Preferred:
o Advanced Excel skills, including the ability to manipulate and analyze large data sets
o Proficiency in Salesforce, SharePoint, and other Cloud-based systems
o Experience managing multiple stakeholders

Our Core Competencies:
• The ability to provide excellent, reliable service, including the ability to effectively recognize and elevate potential challenges, gather the information necessary to create and carry out solutions, and support those solutions with clear communications and thorough follow up.
• The ability to manage time, resources, and priorities to complete tasks on time with high-quality results
• The ability to be a positive and professional liaison for stakeholders such as clients, team members, and senior leaders, including understanding how the role relates to those stakeholders and how to gather information and resources from them in order to achieve certain goals
• The ability to communicate clearly, concisely, and professionally to various audiences over various mediums.
• The ability to effectively collaborate, including a willingness to go above and beyond to help the team achieve goals, solicit others’ perspectives, share knowledge, and participate in activities that support diversity and inclusion
• A demonstrated eagerness to learn and take on new challenges, including an openness to direction and feedback and a willingness to ask questions
• The ability to take ownership and be creative and solutions-oriented when encountering challenges that don’t have obvious answers, and to be resilient when things become difficult

About Arabella Advisors
Arabella Advisors helps foundations, philanthropists and investors who are serious about impact achieve the greatest good with their resources. We work on issues ranging from the social and economic advancement of women and girls, and conservation of our climate and planet, to reducing poverty and inequity in the United States and around the world. Our staff members are mission-driven and action-oriented, and have a unique combination of experience in philanthropy, business, nonprofits, government, finance, law, and other fields. We combine creative, strategic thinking with knowledge and networks developed through decades of hands-on experience. The fastest-growing philanthropic advisory firm in the nation, Arabella is also a certified B Corporation.

About Arabella’s Managed Organizations Team
Arabella Advisors provides operations and management support to multiple nonprofit organizations, including the New Venture Fund, the Windward Fund, and the Hopewell Fund—all 501(c)(3) public charities—and the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a 501(c)(4). These managed organizations house new and innovative public interest projects and nonprofits, as well as coordinate collaborative initiatives between donors and administer grants programs. This type of structure is commonly referred to as fiscal sponsorship, and candidates are highly encouraged to research fiscal sponsorship prior to a first interview. The managed organizations provide support to a diverse range of projects, including many focused on conservation, global health and civic engagement.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
Advancing DEI within our firm and in our work with partners is critical to our mission. To be effective partners to philanthropists, nonprofits, and communities impacted by philanthropic dollars, we need to have a highly diverse staff, a workplace where individuals are encouraged to retain their uniqueness and can feel a sense of belonging, and a nuanced understanding of the racial, ethnic, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, and other disparities that undergird the issues we engage in and the interactions we have with one another. For us, equity means that our staff members, our clients, and the people they serve can experience the same level of success, no matter their starting place. We expect all our employees to share this commitment, and always seek ways to improve how well we live these values. Click here to learn more about DEI at Arabella and read our official DEI statement.

Working with Us
While this position is based in Durham, NC due to COVID-19, Arabella Advisors remains a remote-first organization for the foreseeable future and until further notice. At this time there are zero requirements for in-office presence. To encourage work/life balance, we offer flexible work options.

Our salaries are closer to the range of a nonprofit and our benefits are excellent. You’ll start with three weeks of vacation, 80 hours of personal time, and 20 hours of paid time to volunteer at an organization of your choice. In addition to seven federal holidays, you get to pick four more from a list of inclusive religious holidays and your birthday. We have a competitive health package that includes medical, vision, dental, and prescription insurance, and a 401(k) plan that is fully vested from day one. We also provide funds for professional development, a fitness benefit, and cover part of your personal cell phone plan.

We are committed to having a passion-driven, inclusive, transparent, collaborative, healthy, and fun culture. We invite you to visit our careers page to learn more.

How to Apply
Submit a resume and a one-page cover letter online. The cover letter should address why you’re excited to work at Arabella and why you’re qualified for this specific job.
Arabella Advisors is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to racial equity. If we can make the application process easier through accommodation in the recruitment process, please let us know.

We encourage you to read (or listen to) our DEI statement prior to applying. We make a particular effort to recruit people of color and members of marginalized groups to apply for open positions. Once you have applied, we welcome your feedback on how you have experienced our values around DEI in the recruitment process.

While Arabella is open to individuals from various locations applying to join our team, please note that we generally are unable to pay for relocation expenses.

We will review applications as they are received and look forward to hearing from you.