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Assistant to the Chief Development Officer


Room to Read seeks to transform the lives of millions of children in developing countries by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education. Working in collaboration with local communities, partner organizations and governments, we develop literacy skills and a habit of reading among primary school children, and support girls to complete secondary school with the relevant life skills to succeed in school and beyond.
We are non-governmental, non-religious and work with many local NGOs and community based organizations to implement our programs. We currently work in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Laos, Nepal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Vietnam, and Zambia – countries with a desperate lack of resources to educate their children. Since our inception, Room to Read’s worldwide team has impacted over 7.8 million children by constructing more than 1,600 schools, establishing over 15,000 libraries, publishing 874 new children’s book titles in 27 local languages, and reaching over 20,000 girls through our Girls’ Education program.
Room to Read has an annual budget of approximately US$43.7 million and our global staff numbers over 600. Our global headquarters is located in San Francisco, and we have smaller fundraising offices in Delhi, New York, Hong Kong, London, Mumbai, Sydney, and Tokyo. We have an Asia Regional Office located in New Delhi and program offices in Colombo, Dar es Salaam, Dhaka, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Kathmandu, Lusaka, New Delhi, Pretoria, Phnom Penh, and Vientiane.

Position Overview:

Room to Read has experienced tremendous growth since our founding in early 2000 and the work schedule of the Development Department (DD) Leadership is challenging. We seek a professional assistant with previous experience serving a senior executive to provide him or her with full-time administrative support.  The primary responsibility for this position is to assure that the Chief Development Officer (CDO) is as productive and efficient as possible. 

Duties & Responsibilities:

  • Proactively assess CDO’s schedule and needs to provide assistance streamlining communication and processes. Help to coordinate the CDO’s schedule to ensure they are able to balance meeting needs with time to handle strategic projects.
  • Represent CDO in internal meetings where one or both cannot be present to take notes and determine what decisions / next steps  are needed
  • Coordinate DD weekly 1 on 1 meetings with direct reports.
  • Coordinate DD Global Meetings and DD Senior Leadership Team (SLT) meetings across multiple international time zones, including setting agendas, note-taking, managing recording and dissemination of meeting using Webex, and managing logistical details
  • Research and coordinate professional development opportunities for senior staff, and for entire department
  • Coordinate onboarding and training for new DD staff, including senior-level staff
  • Plan all travel, both domestic and international for CDO. This includes flights, hotels, inter-city transportation, and all logistics related to events, speeches and other Room to Read activities.
  • Assist with calendar management and with filtering, qualifying and scheduling phone calls and meeting requests.
  • Respond to phone inquiries, decide how best to route questions, and respond to selected email messages at the direction of the CDO. 
  • Work with CDO to research and assess opportunities to develop long-term strategic plan for the DD
  • Support CDO in evaluating internal/external forces on the organization and its their effects on fundraising activities
  • Manage CDO’s speaking engagements, including responding to speaking requests, and coordinating logistics for confirmed events
  • Calculate accurate expense reports and Room to Read credit card statements for CDO. Preliminary analysis on expenses submitted from the SLT to the CDO, flagging irregularities and moving the reports through the approval process.
  • Coordinate visits from visiting DD Remote staff
  • Create and keep updated various PowerPoint presentations on Room to Read’s work to be presented by CDO at various internal and external meetings including comprehensive reporting to the board three times a year, annual Chapter Leadership Conference prep, bi-annual Country Management prep, etc.
  • Carry forward particular aspects of strategic projects and undertake special projects – as directed by the CDO as necessary.
  • Support and help coordinate donor correspondence for CDO, including: personalized acknowledgments, stewardship reports, donor project reports, and other outreach to donors / prospects
  • Perform administrative tasks to support the CDO. For high level donors this includes but not limited to: maintaining accurate management of donor records and information in the Raiser’s Edge database and other donor specific support.
  • Support fundraisers with meeting preparations, including the collection of materials, preparation of PowerPoint materials, setting up meeting rooms, procuring A/V equipment, catering, etc.
  • Provide support as appropriate to Shared Services and Global Development Teams at direction of CDO.

Qualifications:

Required:
  • Bachelor’s degree
  • 1-2 years work experience in a fast-paced, growth-oriented environment
  • History of dedicated volunteer activity and/or commitment to non-profit organizations
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills
  • Adept at using Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Outlook.
  • Detail oriented and flexible
  • Proactive and tenacious troubleshooting skills
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team
  • Results-oriented and strong work ethic
  • Ability to juggle multiple priorities simultaneously and take initiative
Preferred:
  • Previous Assistant experience for a C-level executive, and/or Personal Assistant or Administrative Coordinator experience
  • Experience traveling and/or living internationally or working across cultures
  • Experience in the non-profit fund raising sector is a plus
To be successful as a member of the Room to Read team, you will also:
  • Have a passion for our mission and a strong desire to impact an up-and-coming non-profit organization
  • Be an innovative and creative thinker; you’re not afraid to try something new and inspire others to do so
  • Have a very high level of personal and professional integrity and trustworthiness
  • Have a strong work ethic and require minimal direction
  • Work well independently as well as part of a team
  • Thrive in a fast-paced and fun environment

Compensation:

Room to Read offers a competitive salary with excellent benefits. Benefits include health, dental, vision, long-term disability insurance, and a 401K match. The non-monetary compensation includes a unique opportunity to be part of an innovative, meaningful, fun, and rapidly growing organization that is changing the world through the lifelong gift of education.

Application Procedure:

Please send a cover letter and resume by email, with “CDO Assistant” in the subject line, (no letters, calls, faxes, or drop-ins) to hiring@roomtoread.org.  Due to high applicant volume you may not receive a response from Room to Read.                 
Room to Read is an equal opportunity employer committed to identify and developing the skills and leadership of people from diverse background.