Office Manager and Operations Assistant job in Chicago

A doer and jack of all trades who will serve as the backbone of Arabella’s Chicago office.

We seek a detail-oriented, organized, resourceful, and customer-focused individual with experience in office management, workplace services, and/or project management. A vital member of the Operations team, the Office Manager will play an important role in supporting Arabella’s new hybrid workplace strategy, which includes a mix of staff working in offices and from home.

In this role, you will foster a welcoming and efficient work environment by managing the day-to-day operations of the office. You will also play a lead role in helping your colleagues live closely to Arabella’s values through culture activities you design and implement. We are looking for individuals that enjoy face-to-face interactions throughout their day, enjoy bringing people together, can adapt when plans change, and believe no task is too small. This is an excellent opportunity for someone interested in learning more about operations, philanthropy, and the social enterprise sector.

Essential Responsibilities

Office and Facilities Management

Serve as front desk receptionist and office manager by welcoming guests, directing phone calls, receiving and distributing mail, maintaining security system and protocols, and answering staff questions regarding office processes and facilities policies

Coordinate use of facilities to support operations in a hybrid work environment by maintaining flexible space and seating and assisting staff who work both from the office and from home

Oversee procurement of office supplies and lead the selection and supervision of vendors for facilities maintenance

Liaise with building management and external vendors to address facilities issues

Assist with coordination and logistics for client meetings, executive events, firm leadership meetings, and firm-wide meetings and retreats as necessary

Firm Culture

Plan and execute social events, team-building activities, and firmwide culture events throughout the year

Manage calendar for internal events and staff recognition days (i.e., staff anniversaries and birthdays)

Plan and implement the office’s major annual culture events (all-staff summer activity, volunteer day, and year-end holiday party), leading budget management and vendor selection and coordination

Special Initiatives

Contribute to and lead components of firm-wide Operations team projects such as knowledge management initiatives, the procurement and administration of a travel management platform, alignment with B Corp certification standards, and evaluations of vendors’ alignment with Arabella’s DEI commitment and values

Manage additional projects as assigned

To Be Successful in This Role, You’ll Need:

2-3 years of professional experience

Ability to work onsite from Arabella’s Chicago office four to five days per week

Outstanding organizational skills and strong attention to detail

Exceptional customer-service and interpersonal skills such as tact and diplomacy; ability to efficiently and independently address routine service matters, to suggest effective client-centered solutions when elevating challenges or concerns, and to understand how the team can operate to maintain high-quality service

Proficiency in Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and comfort with technology

The ability to communicate clearly, concisely, and professionally verbally and in writing, including the ability to adapt style, tone, and content to various audiences; and to collaborate with others to produce strong written deliverables

Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment and understand how those projects impact the office, team, and/or firm’s objectives

The ability to understand stakeholders’ perspectives and circumstances, and to build and manage strong relationships that reflect that understanding.

The ability to work cooperatively and inclusively with others to achieve shared goals, including knowing when and how to compromise, being willing to proactively help colleagues, and sharing knowledge in various mediums

An enthusiasm for taking on stretch and development opportunities, including the ability to accept feedback and use it to improve performance

The ability to take ownership and be creative and solutions-oriented when encountering challenges that don’t have obvious answers, including knowing when to elevate challenges along with possible solutions

Demonstrated ability to bring an understanding of how privilege and marginalization affect interactions and work with others

Other Highly Preferred Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

Prior work in an office management role

Experience working with vendors and contract development

Experience with SharePoint

Event planning experience and an interest in creating inclusive and engaging programming

High level of technological proficiency, particularly in Microsoft Office

A light-hearted and flexible approach to work

About Arabella Advisors

Arabella Advisors helps foundations, philanthropists and investors who are serious about impact achieve the greatest good with their resources. We work together across geographies 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.

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.

Total Rewards (compensation and benefits)

This is a full-time position. We offer a competitive and holistic total rewards package that includes salary, bonus, and benefits. Our base salaries are based on a blend of similar sized organizations from different sectors, including nonprofits, foundations, and professional service firms. They are also based on local market rates and differentiated by geography.

All full-time staff are eligible for our generous benefits package on their first day of employment:

Health insurance- On average Arabella pays 86% of the medical premium, 80% of the dental premium, and 100% of the vision premium
Paid time off- 16 days’ vacation, 10 personal days, 11 company holidays (7 federal and 4 more from a list of inclusive cultural and religious holidays and your birthday), 20 hours’ volunteer leave, 8 weeks’ parental leave
401(k) retirement plan- We offer a 4% employer match on a dollar-per-dollar basis, and there is no waiting or vesting period; all funds contributed by you and Arabella are yours to keep on day 1
Reimbursements for your personal cell phone plan and fitness
Pre-tax withholding for transportation and parking
Bonus incentive opportunities
Access to professional development opportunities

Working with Us

While this position must be based in Chicago, IL, please note that due to COVID-19, all Arabella Advisors' offices are closed, and we continue to temporarily work in a remote environment.

When we reopen -- currently anticipated in early 2022 -- we will be returning to work with a hybrid workplace strategy to ensure continued flexibility for our staff, while deepening our strong culture rooted in collaboration and in-person interactions between colleagues. It is our expectation that once we reopen, Arabellans will generally work 2-4 days per week from the office and 2-4 days at home/remotely. We will make reasonable accommodations under the guidelines of the Americans With Disabilities Act.

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, and all applicants must already be legally eligible to work in the United States at the time of application to be considered for this position.

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