About The Opportunity

Are you a proactive, detail-oriented professional with a knack for organization? We’re seeking an exceptional Executive Assistant to support our dynamic Experience and Education Divisions and help them drive success toward key goals and initiatives.

The Executive Assistant, Experience and Education Divisions performs administrative functions reporting to the Chief Experience Officer (CXO) and Chief of Education and Learning (CoEL) and provides support to the directors and teams within the Experience and Education Divisions. This includes coordinating logistics, tracking data, addressing inquiries, troubleshooting issues, and representing the programs within Experience and Education to internal and/or external audiences.

Organizational Culture

Join a team dedicated to the Academy’s mission, vision and values ! Currently, the Academy has a new strategic plan including three initiatives – Hope for Reefs, Thriving California, and Islands 2030 – that leverage biodiversity science, environmental learning, and collaborative engagement to regenerate fragile ecosystems around the world. Learn more at https://www.calacademy.org/about-us/major-initiatives .

We are committed to ensuring diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion are intrinsic to Academy culture and operations, from recruitment and retention to science and advocacy.

We hope you are inspired by what we do and are excited to contribute to our mission. The mission of the California Academy of Sciences is to regenerate the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration. The Academy is looking for candidates who do great work, and we know they may come from a number of different backgrounds and experiences. We encourage you to apply even if you do not believe you meet every one of the qualifications for the position.

This position is based in San Francisco, California. Staff are currently expected to work from the Academy offices at least 2-3 times per week, which may fluctuate based on business needs. Please do not apply if you are not able to work onsite. Candidates are required to have up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment, absent qualifying exemptions in accordance with applicable laws. Individuals receiving a conditional offer of employment from the California Academy of Sciences will be provided the full text of the vaccination policy. The California Academy of Sciences is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace, to protect its employees, volunteers and guests.

About The Experience And Education Teams

The Experience division’s purpose is to c reate and amplify compelling, highly valued experiences that inspire our audiences to develop deeper connections with science, nature, and each other. The Academy experience consists of the built (aquarium and natural history exhibits), produced (shows, videos), digital (web, social, email, etc.), and people-powered public touchpoints. Together, these touchpoints form a connected journey for our audiences, from awareness to action for our planet.

The Education division serves as a vital catalyzer of the Academy's mission, driving programs that reach a myriad of audiences from a multitude of backgrounds. The Education Division is composed of two departments, one focused on programming with educators, students, schools, and youth; and a second department that delivers programs to museum guests. All of the Education division's programs are designed and implemented to inspire, empower, and provide opportunities for learners of all ages to take action for the natural world.

Key Responsibilities

Leads Division meeting planning, including divisional offsites; assists in agenda setting and operationalizing follow-ups. Arranges staff morale events and division team-building events for Experience and Education divisions. Works with individual directors and staff in calendar scheduling and arranging meeting details, including reserving rooms, arranging audio-visual support, and custodial set-up.
Monitors and manages the Chief Experience Officer and Chief of Education & Learning’s operating budgets. This involves following through on accounting processes related to travel expense reporting, Purchase Orders, as well ensuring contractors and other accounts are processed and paid.
Participates in the design, roll-out, and training for Academy-wide processes and systems, including representing Experience and Education interests on interdepartmental teams.
Drafts reports and presentations for the CXO, CoE, and other directors as requested, using a range of tools, including Google Slides and PowerPoint. For example, assists with grant and proposal financial reports, as well as utilization statistics to measure progress toward goals. Composes correspondence and interdepartmental emails, announcements, etc.
Creates, maintains, and shares the Education Division’s monthly utilization chart, including gathering data from multiple in-person and online sources, ensuring accuracy and monitoring seasonal changes. Also supports the education team with tracking online education resource partners as needed. Manages and maintains the Experience Division’s bi-annual dashboard, tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) for the division.
Approves day-time use for Public Floor calendars and ensures transparency for multiple stakeholders using public floor spaces, including Exhibits, Education, Operations, Events and Experiences, and others. Provides back-up to the Student Education Coordinator to manage and approve usage of Education Programming Space calendars, including Classroom, Education Lab, and Porthole Lab L3-E. Collects and disseminates weekly updates to the public floor to ensure proper communication between programming, exhibits, operations, and guest-facing staff.
Manages back-of-house space, seating, and storage allocation for Experience and Education divisions in cooperation with the Building Operations team and other department representatives.
Acts as a delegate for the CXO and CoE in approving division directors’ time cards and time-off requests.
Acts as a delegate for the CXO and CoE in approving division directors’ credit card expense coding. Supports travel arrangements for members of the Experience and Education divisions.
Acts as front line for inquiries, operational support, and problem-solving for staff, donors, trustees, volunteers, guests, and the public.
Maintains digital filing systems for Education and Experience Divisions; makes sure administrative information is appropriately documented.
Effectively teams with other Executive Assistants in the organization.
Follows all Academy safety regulations and completes all HR-assigned trainings
Other projects and duties as assigned

Qualifications: A successful candidate will have the following:

Required

Experience and/or Education:

- Bachelor’s degree (BA) or equivalent
- Minimum of three years of experience as an Executive Assistant supporting a C-level executive or team.
- Experience initiating and managing both short and long-term projects to completion.
- Demonstrated experience in data management to produce informational reports.

Preferred

- Experience working in a large, multi-tiered organization preferred
- Experience working with Board members, donors, and interacting with the public helpful
- 2 years experience proofing or editing grant proposals or reports preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

Required and Preferred:

- Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills; must have a “can-do” attitude and maintain equanimity at all times with staff, donors, and volunteers
- Prioritizes responsibilities and deadlines; anticipates workflow and knows when to escalate emergent issues to senior members of their teams.
- Solves problems independently or cooperatively with other Executive Assistants as appropriate, documents and reports action to supervisors.
- Ability to interact professionally with Board members, business executives, scientists, and Academy co-workers
- Advanced knowledge and experience with Google Workspace. Interest and ability to quickly learn and acquire proficiency with analytical and reporting software tools (for example, Google Analytics 4, Fusion, PaymentNet, Workday Adaptive Planning, etc).
- Excellent organizational skills and proactivity as it relates to decision making. Exceptional decision-making skills and ability to be flexible and resilient. Efficient, proactive, resourceful and well organized
- Able to maintain strict confidentiality and comfort with being privy to sensitive information

Physical Environment

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand, sit, walk, and reach with hands and arms and talk or hear. Incumbent must be able to lift twenty (20) pounds. Incumbent must be able to perform repetitive motions ninety percent (90%) of the time.

Compensation And Benefits

The salary range for this position is $43.26/hr - $48.07/hr . Actual compensation will be commensurate with experience, skills/knowledge set, and internal equity. We believe in fair and equitable compensation practices and are committed to providing competitive salaries within the industry and market standards. The Academy offers a total compensation package that emphasizes both base salary and comprehensive benefits based on the hours per week worked. Further details regarding compensation and benefits will be discussed during the interview process.

Please scroll down to "Other details" for this position's hiring range.

Schedule : Full Time, 40 hrs/wk

Application Deadline

Review of applications will begin on August 23, 2024, and will continue until the position is filled.

Application Process

Please upload your resume and complete the brief online application

The California Academy of Sciences will give full consideration for employment to all qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance (SF Police Code, Article 49).

We are committed to ensuring that all employees and applicants shall receive equal consideration and treatment. All terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to, recruitment, hiring, placements, transfers, promotions, compensation, benefits, terminations, training, and social and recreational programs, will be on the basis of qualifications of the individual for the positions being filled. The Academy does not discriminate against qualified applicants or employees with respect to any terms or conditions of employment on account of any characteristic protected by state or federal law or local ordinance. Read our full Equal Opportunity Statement here .

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California Academy of Sciences jobs

Executive Assistant, Experience and Education Divisions