Watershed Advisors | Administrative Assistant

Watershed Advisors is looking for an Administrative Assistant to join our Operations Team. As a fully remote organization, our team is set up to work collaboratively on projects across the country every day. This role can be based anywhere in the United States.

About Watershed Advisors

Building on the deep public sector leadership experience of its team, Watershed Advisors supports governments to design, implement, and scale transformative education plans. We match proven education and workforce ideas, investors seeking social impact, and bold governmental leaders across the country. We then embed teams of experts within government agencies, coordinating multi-year efforts to implement, communicate, finance, and evaluate ideas to impact generations of American learners and job seekers in need of access and opportunity. 

THE OPPORTUNITY

At Watershed, the Administrative Assistant is a core member of the team, who reports to the President and works closely with the Managing Directors (MDs) so that they and the organization are prepared for success.  Primary responsibilities include:

Calendar Support

• Manage the calendars of the Managing Directors in a fast-paced, high-volume, client-service environment
• Prioritize a high volume of requests and time demands, handling matters proactively and expeditiously with complete reliability

Travel and Events

• Schedule and manage all travel details for the Managing Directors, including client meetings, conferences, and internal meetings
• Prepare, reconcile, and submit expense reports for the Managing Directors

Administrative & Strategic Support

• Manage client leads for the Managing Directors, document progress, and schedule follow-ups as needed
• Take on ad hoc strategic projects within the Operations Department
• Take on ad hoc administrative work for the Managing Directors

Building Systems & Processes

• Identify opportunities to improve team workflows by observing how tasks are being handled, spotting what works well, and suggesting new approaches to increase efficiency
• Build and refine repeatable systems for scheduling, communication, and client support, ensuring processes are consistent, reliable, and easy to share across the team.
• Proactively surface best practices and insights from across the Managing Directors, helping to create scalable methods that benefit everyone.

SKILLS AND CHARACTERISTICS

We are looking for people who care deeply about education and its role in society, and who are eager to learn about approaches to improving the United States’ system of public education, from birth to postsecondary to the workforce. At Watershed, we work with a wide variety of clients and are seeking team members with diverse backgrounds and experiences. We encourage people of color, people with disabilities, immigrants, and others with diverse experiences to apply for this role.

The Administrative Assistant must have: 

• Strong organizational skills, including time-management systems and the ability to manage multiple projects and priorities; familiarity with Microsoft Outlook and the ability to manage and maintain the Managing Directors’ busy schedules; familiarity with standard office platforms, such as Microsoft Office and Slack; and accurate record keeping, data management, and data entry skills.
• Communications skills, including the ability to communicate clearly and appropriately with staff and external stakeholders at all levels; excellent written communication for correspondence; strong interpersonal skills; professional and courteous demeanor; effective office and phone etiquette; and the ability to defuse tense situations.
• General professional skills, including accuracy and attention to detail, the ability to work well under pressure and navigate multiple deadlines, a proactive approach to problem-solving and process improvement, experience in developing and refining internal processes, and sound judgment in handling confidential information with discretion and professionalism.
• Relationship-building skills, including the ability to build and maintain positive relationships with individuals at all levels of the organization and with a diverse group of external stakeholders.
• An entrepreneurial mindset that leads to flexibility and creativity in pursuit of goals and resilience in the face of setbacks.
• Independent decision-making skills, including the ability to take initiative within established direction, exercise sound judgment, and make decisions that benefit the group as a whole.
• Collegiality. At Watershed, we work collaboratively, engaging others in decisions, exchanging and challenging one another’s ideas and assumptions, and providing deep feedback on written materials. We expect every member of the team to embrace this approach and to operate with transparency, integrity, and a sense of humor.
• A personal commitment to social justice. At Watershed, we believe that systemic, longstanding bias within our nation’s institutions has too often harmed Black and brown Americans, low-income individuals and families, people with disabilities, and immigrants. Our work aims to build systems that serve all people and that bolster the prosperity and rights of those who have been excluded from educational and economic opportunity. 

EXPERIENCE

This role requires at least two years of experience supporting executive leaders, with demonstrated expertise in office management, scheduling, correspondence, operations, and logistics.

COMPENSATION

The salary for this position is $70,000 - $75,000 and includes a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, short-term disability, life, and AD&D insurance, paid sick and personal leave, and stipends for work-from-home expenses and professional development. All employees are eligible for end-of-year bonus pay. The final salary will be determined based on experience and qualifications.

LOCATION

This position is fully remote. Travel is required for 3-4 staff events per year.

TO APPLY

Please submit your application through our careers page linked here. In addition to submitting your information and resume, please submit brief (no more than 1-2 paragraphs for each question) responses to the questions on the application. Your answers will help us to better understand your interests, experiences, and perspectives in addition to our review of your resume. 

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Watershed is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or disability status.