Associate, Advisory Services job in Chicago

You are mission driven and action oriented. You love to get involved, and work as part of a team to accomplish something great. Any job is your job if it helps the team succeed, and you thrive on variety. Today, you’re looking for a role where you can use those traits to make a real difference in the world by advancing the most important social issues facing humanity today.

If that sounds like you, Arabella Advisors can’t wait to meet you.

Associates play an essential role in supporting delivery of excellent client service – including: research and analysis, communications and deliverable development, program management, and project support, including logistics coordination and administration – as well as internal projects. Associates will work on a portfolio of strategy, grants management, program management, and evaluation projects across multiple issue areas.

Essential Responsibilities
Client Service (~80-90%)
Project Support:

• Support the regular administrative needs of a portfolio of client projects, including frequent email communication with internal and external stakeholders using Outlook, scheduling interviews, meetings, webinars, and focus groups, note-taking for internal and client meetings, knowledge management in SharePoint, and project administration in Arabella’s Salesforce interface, Manifest
• Provide additional administrative support as necessary

Grant Making and Program Management:

• Support the implementation of grant application processes and communications to applicants
• Conduct review and analysis of grant applications and potential grantee organizations on behalf of funders
• Contribute to designing and executing strategic programs and initiatives, including grantee learning networks, newly created organizations, and donor collaboratives
• Contribute to meeting and conference planning on behalf of clients, including agenda development, speaker preparation, and participant management

Research and Analysis:

• Conduct, compile, and maintain background research for client projects (e.g. global health issues, education reform, etc.)
• Transcribe, synthesize, and analyze notes from interviews with subject matter experts, identifying key takeaways and communicating those to team membersSupport survey administration, data management, and analysis
• Conduct qualitative data analysis and quantitative data analysis using Excel, SPSS or other relevant tools, as necessary

Communications & Deliverable Development:

• Support the drafting, revising, and formatting of client reports, presentations, memos, and correspondence using email, Word, PowerPoint and Excel
• Produce visual representations of research findings, such as Excel charts, PowerPoint slide decks, and infographics

Internal Projects (~10-20%)

Internal Strategy & Team Objectives: Contribute to team- or firm-wide strategic initiatives

• Training and Professional Development: Participate in ongoing training throughout the year and contribute to trainings to support new colleagues
• Support firm-wide internal projects

To be successful in this role you’ll need:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field
• At minimum of two years of work experience
• A strong interest in the field of philanthropy
• Extremely strong attention to detail and a strong sense of personal responsibility for one’s work
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously and in a timely and proactive manner
• Excellent organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills
• Excellent research and writing skills
• Excellent analytical and critical thinking skills
• Program and event management experience
• Team-oriented, professional, with a positive attitude and sense of humor
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Ability to be resourceful and adapt quickly to change
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel and PowerPoint

Our Core Competencies:

• Ability to provide excellent, including the 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
• The ability to complete complex tasks, to use a work plan to undertake projects, and to understand how those projects impact the client, 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 communicate clearly, concisely, and professionally, including the ability to adapt style, tone, and content to various audiences; to make technical information assessible to broader audiences; and to collaborate with others to produce strong written deliverables
• 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

About Arabella Advisors

Arabella Advisors helps foundations, philanthropists, corporations, 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 Advisory Team

The Advisory team is a collegial, client-focused, and impact-driven community that provides a range of strategic consulting services to institutional foundations, family foundations, corporate foundations, impact investors, and philanthropic individuals. Our team helps clients develop grant-making and impact investment strategies, implement programs and grant initiatives, conduct diligence, evaluate impact, and collaborate effectively with other donors and investors. Together, we work with many of the nation’s leading philanthropists, helping them achieve impact in education, health, international development, conservation, and more.

Working with Us

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

To encourage work/life balance we offer flexible work options. Our office is an open space with cubicles and standing desks and informal work areas. 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. We also provide funds for professional development, a fitness benefit, and cover part of your personal cell phone plan.

How to apply

Submit a resume and a one-page cover online. The cover letter should address why you’re excited to work at Arabella and why you’re qualified for this specific job.

We value diversity and inclusion and encourage all qualified people to apply. If we can make this easier through accommodation in the recruitment process, please let us know.

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.