Cities Executive Assistant

This position will be hybrid requiring a few days per week in the WRI Washington DC office. Existing work authorization is required at the time of application submission. WRI is unable to sponsor any visa work sponsorship for this position.

About the Program:

The WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities (Cities Program) helps to transform cities into compact, connected, and resilient spaces that provide healthy, accessible, and prosperous living environments for their residents. We coordinate the Cities Program’s extensive technical and practical expertise through eight integrated solution areas: Integrated Transport Systems, Vision Zero, Zero Carbon Buildings, Livable Neighbourhood’s, Electric Mobility, Water/Heat Resilience, Air Quality and Inclusive Climate & Energy Action Planning. Data and Urban Finance are cross-cutting themes that inform all our solution offerings. We implement our solutions by working deeply with multiple stakeholders over long periods of time to demonstrate possibilities in rapidly transforming cities. We expand our impact to other cities by leveraging these demonstrated possibilities to convene multiple cross-sectoral stakeholders and partnering with city networks. Our research and projects in cities and in national policies connect environmental sustainability, health, safety, equity, and quality of life.

Job Highlight:

Reporting to the Operations and Finance Manager, you will enhance the effectiveness of WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities by providing administrative support to top management of the Ross Center. You will serve as a point of contact for on-site special events and large meetings for the Program and identify opportunities and execute actions to improve operational efficiency. You will work with the Global Director Administrative Coordinator, Program Operations, and Senior Management by anticipating needs, proactively resolving issues, and ensuring timely preparation for upcoming events and commitments. You will independently address the administrative needs of the Senior Management. This will include administrative responsibilities with an emphasis on preparation and monitoring of expense reports and arrangement of domestic and international travel plans. You may support internal and external events and help in the coordination of special projects for the operations team. This position works 55% Core Functions, 20% for the Urban Mobility workstream, and 25% for the Urban Development workstream, with the possibility to assist ad hoc with other core function teams.

What will you do:

Senior Management Assistance (55%):

• Provide daily administrative support to Senior Management including scheduling and agenda-setting in Outlook
• Use Concur and Corporate Traveler to arrange international and domestic travel itineraries for Senior Management, including flights/train tickets, hotels, visa assistance and emergency itinerary troubleshooting
• Prepare and monitor expense reports in Concur for Senior Management to ensure proper financial objectives are met, including corporate credit card reconciliation, per-diem and reimbursements
• Provide timesheet assistance to Senior Management, including backup approval as necessary
• Coordinate team retreats and special in the Global Office for workstreams, which may include material preparation, room set-up, A/V management, catering coordination and event budget management

Advisory Group and Global Office Administration (30%):

• Schedule and coordinate the Program’s monthly Cities Global Staff Meeting, including the agenda, presentation slides, key participant speakers and follow-up internal communications using ContactMonkey
• Assist in coordination for the Advisory Group meeting and other special events or large meetings for the Program, which may include venue contracts and communication, material preparation, room set-up, A/V management, catering coordination and event budget management
• Support the Operations Manager in office space management, to include ensuring a tidy office space, ordering and maintaining office supplies, responding to staff inquiries

Operations Assistance (15%):

• Assist operations in onboarding and offboarding of Program staff by supporting the Operations Manager in welcome presentations and operation training
• Maintain the Global Program’s listserve for Cities staff meeting calendar notifications and critical Program emails. Specific teams may request listserve support as needed
• Record Program new hires and departures and update the Global office staff count on a quarterly basis

What will you need:

• Education: You have completed a bachelor’s degree in the related field
• Experience: You have minimum of 3 years of relevant experience working as a business personal assistant, special assistant, or executive assistant (or similar role)
• Superior organization skills and attention to detail
• Ability to be flexible and shift priorities as needed depending on the changing Senior Management needs
• Have the initiative to work independently when needed, as well as closely with team members
• Able to anticipate challenges and ensure productivity
• Set priorities and solves a range of general problems independently
• Ability to maintain confidentiality
• Professional demeanor and superior people skills
• Excellent computer skills in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, Power Point, SharePoint, Microsoft PowerApps, etc.)
• IT skills in remote virtual meeting rooms (Microsoft Teams, Zoom etc.)
• Ability to learn and use software applications that are used by WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities (Concur, DelTek, ECM system, ContactMonkey, Asana etc.)
• Excellent oral and written communication skills; multiple languages a plus
• Commitment to WRI’s mission and values and interest in environmental issues
• Languages: Verbal and written English proficiency
• Requirements: Existing work authorization is required where this position. WRI is unable to authorize visa work authorization

Potential Salary: Salary range is between 69,000 and 73,000 USD. Salary is commensurate with experience and other compensable factors.

How to Apply: Please submit a resume with cover letter by the date of 8 March 2024. Your application cannot be considered without a cover letter. You must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered.

What we offer:

• Access to the WRI global network with the opportunity to exchange with and learn from passionate colleagues working at the cutting edge of their fields across Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the US
• The chance to have an impact and to develop your career within a mission driven organization with access to varied learning and training opportunities
• A workplace that strives to put diversity and inclusion at the heart of our work
• The opportunity to join and get involved in different working groups and affinity groups to shape the future of WRI
• Commitment to hybrid working model with flexible working hours
• Generous leave days that increase with tenure

About Us:

Founded in 1982, World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent, nonprofit global research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity, and human well-being. We are working to address seven critical challenges that the world must overcome this decade to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, sustainable cities, and the ocean. WRI has a global staff of over 1,800 people with work spanning 60 countries. We have offices in Africa, Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Colombia and the United States, as well as a growing presence in other countries and regions.

The foundation of our work is delivering high-quality research, data, maps, and analysis to solve the world’s greatest environment and international development challenges and improve people’s lives. We work with leaders in government, business, and civil society to drive ambitious action and create change on the ground. Equally important, we bring together partners to develop breakthrough ideas and scale-up solutions for far-reaching, enduring impact.

Our mission and values:

WRI’s mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth’s environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.

Our values are shared ideals that bind us together: Integrity, Innovation, Urgency, Independence and Respect.

Our culture:

WRI is committed to advancing gender and social equity for human well-being in our mission and applies this principle to our organizational and programmatic practices. We are committed to providing equal opportunities in employment; we embrace all diversity and encourage women, the LGBTQ+ community, persons with disabilities, Afro-descendants, and Indigenous people to apply. Recognizing our strong commitment to gender equality, WRI has also been awarded EDGE certification.

Our team in Human Resources carefully reviews all applications.