Special Assistant to the President, Philadelphia Youth Network

Posted by on December 03, 2012

Special Assistant to the President, Philadelphia Youth Network
Posted on: November 21, 2012

The Special Assistant to the President (SA) is responsible for performing a variety of confidential, technical and complex administrative and project management duties. The SA will act as a liaison with staff, outside stakeholders and the general public to ensure the efficient operation of the office of the President.

About PYN:

Philadelphia Youth Network (PYN) is a nationally-recognized, intermediary organization dedicated to improving the education outcomes of Philadelphia’s youth. PYN organizes its work around four core functions. The first function involves leveraging, coordinating and managing the public and private investments directed at youth education and workforce development in the Philadelphia region. PYN’s second core function is convening and leading cross-sector partnerships and initiatives that enhance opportunities available to Philadelphia youth. PYN is also responsible for designing, managing and replicating effective program models that prepare Philadelphia youth for the future workforce, focusing particularly on youth that live in poverty, have dropped out, or are at risk of dropping out of school and/or are involved with public care systems. Lastly, PYN organizes these program models into coordinated service and delivery systems.

Essential Functions:

External Liaison

• Act as a confidential point person in the office of the President, managing calendars and schedules, screening callers, and arranging appointments, meetings and conferences, as directed.
• Respond to inquiries on the telephone and in person with visitors to the executive department. Provide information and assistance to the public in a courteous manner and with sensitivity to the diversity of the population we serve.
• Support the Board of Directors by attending meetings, taking minutes and providing appropriate, adequate and timely information to the Board.
• Planning and engaging in meetings for stakeholders, including but not limited to: creating briefing sheets for people the President is going to meet, developing talking points for meetings, mapping critical system transitions and appropriate PYN-level responses.
• Attend meetings with or on behalf of the President and providing either oral or written meeting/event briefings.

Internal Liaison

• Schedule and organize meetings for the Executive Team, including, preparing agendas, facilitating meetings, and tracking follow-up items from meetings.
• Plan the all staff meeting, including writing President’s talking points, and ensuring that agenda and messages are aligned and the meeting follow-up is timely.

Communications

• Summarize important documents and prepare appropriate responses.
• Craft organizational messages when there is a message-out moment or opportunity.
• Work closely with the communications & marketing department to ensure the President is present in the right conversations and prepared to share PYN message and system agenda with key stakeholders.
• Correspond with high level contacts and partners on behalf of President.
• Manage social media presence.

Project Manager

• Act as Project Manager on special non-recurring and ongoing projects. Responsibilities may include planning and coordinating presentations and disseminating information.

General

• Handle confidential and non-routine information.
• Review relevant research to keep the President current.
• Other duties as assigned.

Education, Experience & Skills Required:

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Minimum seven years relevant experience.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including visual presentation of information and high level command of grammar, spelling and word usage. Ability to deliver an impromptu presentation.
• Ability to interact and communicate with individuals at all levels of the organization.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure and handle multiple simultaneous tasks and demands.
• Ability to adapt to changes in corporate structure, work environment, and work demands due to delays and unexpected events.
• Ability to balance decisiveness and assertiveness with sensitivity.
• Demonstrated poise, tact, and diplomacy.
• High level proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is required.
• Extremely well-organized, with attention to accuracy and detail.
• Ability to understand and interpret program and financial data and make basic statistical calculations
• Interest in workforce development, youth development, and/or urban education issues.
• Demonstrated success managing tasks with minimal supervision.
• Successful completion of an FBI clearance, criminal background check, and child abuse clearances (required of all PYN employees).

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