Job Description
General Description
MISSION
Children need to spend their most critical years with dedicated, educated, trained, and well-compensated individuals in order to thrive. The New York Early Childhood Professional Development Institute leads the work to establish and implement an early childhood workforce system to ensure funding, standards and competencies, career development resources, qualifications and credentials, professional development (training and strengths-based coaching), and program quality assurance and improvement for individuals who work with young children throughout New York. Housed at the City University of New York, the Institute is a fast-paced, dynamic public/private partnership that is committed to the early childhood workforce across New York State.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The Institute is searching for a Special Assistant for Strategy and Development who will report to the Executive Director and will play a key role on the senior leadership team. The Special Assistant will join a passionate staff at the Institute who are committed to support early childhood workforce systems and program quality across New York State. The Special Assistant will have a leadership role in strategy development and implementation for the Executive Director. The Special Assistant will optimize internal team structures to advance the Institute’s overarching vision and impact across New York State and will play an important leadership role in furthering the Institute’s strategic growth and effectiveness.
The Special Assistant will work closely with the Executive Director and the senior leadership team, including the Director of Communications, Senior Policy Advisor, and the Director of Operations, to implement the organization’s strategic vision, lead project management, support fundraising and grant tracking, design and execute events, and act as the senior liaison with external stakeholders.
This role, available immediately, is based in our downtown Brooklyn office and is eligible for telework for up to two days a week. The Special Assistant reports to the Executive Director of the Institute and supervises the Director of Communications.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Administrative Leadership
- Lead internal work to build alignment around strategic plans and translate strategic goals into team and individual work plans, including facilitating team meetings and retreats
- Build and manage key internal and external relationships to increase efficiencies, support clear and efficient decision making, and advance the priorities of Institute teams and the Executive Director
- Create, manage, track and refine the execution of project plans for multiple projects, including coordinating project reporting to funders
- Contribute to development work, including drafting grant reports and proposals, analyzing grant impact, and in some cases managing funder relationships
- As needed, liaise with the Director of Operations on operational matters, including fundraising, finance, and human resources
- Advise on and develop internal and external communications with the Director of Communications and the Institute leadership team
- Prepare policy briefings, talking points, presentations, and proposals in cooperation with the Executive Director, Director of Communications, and senior leadership team as appropriate
- Conduct research and prepare background preparation documents on a variety of topics and projects
Organizational Strategy
- Partner with the Executive Director to support the vision-setting process across the organization and bring that vision to life
- Develop systems and methods for measuring and regularly evaluating the Institute’s impact and progress against goals
- Work closely with the Executive Director and the senior leadership team to develop clear annual and quarterly priorities and ensure that the Executive Director’s time is put toward these priorities
- Collaborate to ensure team alignment on critical organizational outcomes, policies, and processes
- Manage strategic projects that position the organization to continue and grow our leadership within the state around early childhood equity
- Work closely with the Director of Communications to review the Institute-wide communications plan and release calendar. Review scheduled releases and events to ensure alignment across teams and partnerships.
- Plan regular touch points with the Director of Communications to ensure the strategic engagement of stakeholders and partners.
Staff and Team Development
- Collaborate with the Executive Director and Senior Project Associate to foster a learning and growing culture, for individuals and the Institute, by coordinating senior leadership team meetings and other relevant staff professional development opportunities
- Ensure intersectional equity is at the core of our staff leadership and development practices
- Support organizational growth through internal pipeline development and external recruitment
Other Duties
- Perform other duties as assigned by the Executive Director
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications
- Master’s degree in an appropriate field of study (public administration, higher education administration, business, or related field).
- At least 8 years of relevant experience with increasing levels of responsibility, including supervisory experience, with a preference for nonprofit management experience
- Significant familiarity with early childhood education policy in New York State
- Strong leadership capacity with experience in project management, strategic planning, capacity building, evaluation, grant and report writing, and comfort using data to monitor progress and motivate a team.
- Outstanding written and oral communication skills, with demonstrated grants management experience.
- Proven leadership track record, with experience leading systems change, motivating large teams and disparate audiences to achieve a goal.
- Proven ability to develop a strong vision and identify the scope and sequence of project-level activities necessary to achieve success.
- Intellectual strength and experience as evidenced in progressively responsible research/work experience.
- Ability to work on a team as well as independently.
- Ability to integrate a large or complex project with the work of Senior Directors and Project Coordinators in order to resolve conceptual or practical issues and ensure a strategy for overall project success.
Preferred Qualifications
- Previous experience with higher education is considered helpful.
Physical Requirements
- This position operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as personal computers, laptops, tablets, smart phone, photocopiers, filing cabinets and other presentation equipment.
- While performing these duties, the employee is required to perform physical activities such as, but not limited to, lifting items (up to 20 pounds), bending, reaching, sitting for prolonged periods of time. Reasonable accommodations will be made for employees with disabilities or other needs per RFCUNY policies.
- Ability to travel to other sites as needed.
How to Apply
Provide a resume and cover letter specifying your qualifications, experience, and interest relevant to this position.
RFCUNY Benefits
RFCUNY Employee Benefits and AccrualsAbout the Research Foundation
The Research Foundation of The City University of New York (RFCUNY) is a nonprofit educational corporation founded in 1963 to provide post-award fiscal and administrative support for CUNY’s research and sponsored programs. RFCUNY’s services allow CUNY researchers, faculty, and staff to focus on their intellectual curiosity and scientific discoveries, on projects and programs that serve our local and global communities, proposing concrete solutions to society’s most pressing challenges.
RFCUNY serves as a fiscal agent and works closely with all the CUNY campus Grants Offices to perform the core functions of post-award financial management for CUNY research projects and sponsored programs. These functions include legal assessment and signing of agreements where RFCUNY is named as a fiscal agent; setting up award accounts; preparing sub-awards and assisting PIs in monitoring the work of the recipients of sub-awards; supporting project directors with hiring and managing research project and sponsored program staff; supporting the purchasing and paying for goods and services with grant and program funds; managing financial aspects of projects including accounts receivable, financial reporting, invoicing, budget monitoring, and cost compliance with uniform guidance; ensuring that sponsor financial requirements are met; monitoring compliance with applicable project and financial management rules and laws; supporting the management of independent and external audits and financial reviews; and providing data, information, management expertise, and other supports to CUNY’s research and sponsored programs.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
Key Features
Full Time
$95,000.00 - $105,000.00
Feb 27, 2024 (Or Until Filled)