EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE CEO 

Organization: Founded in 2005 by Harry Belafonte and led since 2010 by President and CEO Carmen Perez-Jordan, the mission of The Gathering for Justice is to end child incarceration and eliminate the racial inequities that permeate the justice system. The Gathering for Justice has two state-based task forces, Justice League NYC (established in 2013) and Justice League California (established in 2017), both of which bring together juvenile and criminal justice experts, cultural leaders, advocates, artists and individuals who’ve experienced or been impacted by incarceration directly. We believe in an intergenerational organizing model which draws from diverse communities to utilize our combined power to build the agenda for sustained Black and Brown liberation and healing. In the footsteps of our legendary founder’s activism, The Gathering for Justice and its Justice League state task forces utilize Kingian nonviolence as a social application for systemic change and civic engagement.

Since 2013, The Gathering has stepped up our work building justice initiatives and supporting movements on multiple fronts. We’ve led policy initiatives for police accountability, organized as a diverse ‘family coalition’ to build the agenda for sustained Black and Brown liberation, catalyzed policies to stop the school to prison pipeline, end racial profiling, and stop the militarization of police, and shifted narratives about youth and people who are formerly incarcerated. Since organizing and providing the foundation for the 2017 Women’s March, the largest single-day of protest in history at the time, we’ve expanded our work throughout the country, and built the foundation for long-term justice reform in California, New York, and across the country. 

Job Summary: The Gathering for Justice provides a safe environment for policy and model exchange, and dialogue between generations of activists, community members, formerly-incarcerated individuals, gang members and academics from all communities and cultures. We are looking to add a self-motivated, solution-oriented individual to our team to assist our President and CEO, Carmen Perez Jordan. This individual will support all aspects of Carmen Perez-Jordan’s office and act as a buffer to increase efficiency and effectiveness in both her office and the overall organization. The Executive Assistant supports the work of the President & CEO at The Gathering for Justice along with her other initiatives. This position serves as a primary point of contact for all internal and external parties and will report to and work closely with The Gatherings Chief of Staff. A successful Executive Assistant will have strong written and verbal communication, administrative and organization skills, and possess the ability to exercise good judgment in a wide range of situations. They will be polished and service focused while being able to balance multiple priorities and have a collaborative work style. Most importantly, they are able to maintain discretion with confidential matters and possess a strong ability to manage up.

This role has opportunity for growth and is a great way to engage changemakers, activists and influencers, while getting a crash course in social justice organizing.

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage an active and dynamic schedule of appointments, screening phone calls, compiling meeting agendas and materials, and directing inquiries to the proper channels

• Keep the President/CEO and Executive Team well informed of upcoming commitments and responsibilities, following up appropriately. 

• Have a strong sense of on-the-ground work and serve as the CEO/President’s’“eyes and ears”

• Take notes during meetings, email out reviews/next steps, and follow up on next steps accordingly

• Project managing communications and ensure emails go out on a timely basis, with support from the Fund Development Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Director of Communications as needed

• In collaboration with the Chief of Staff, serve as a bridge between external and internal contacts to ensure all of the pieces are moving in the right direction

• Oversee scheduling of board meetings, including sending the board meeting materials promptly (as directed by the Executive Team)

• Arrange all travel logistics, domestic and international for principal and family, and collect receipts for expenses

• Negotiate and oversee all fees and logistics for speaking engagements

• Provide staff support for principal in all board meetings, fundraisers and programming events as needed

• Coordinate and ensure preparation for all media engagements with the Communications team, including social media 

• Prioritize conflicting needs, handle questions expeditiously and proactively, and follow-through on projects to successful completion, often with deadline pressures

• Serve as project coordinator for internal and external projects as needed, and support event logistics where principal is involved

• Execute research projects as the principal sees fit, including collecting and organizing data to inform program development

• As a part of a growing organization, contribute toward the development of standard operating procedures in all areas of influence, and continue to find new ways to improve quality and efficiency

• Other responsibilities as developed and agreed upon, including office management and administration

Intangibles:

• Excel at proactively anticipating what the principal may need next

• Possess the mentality that “no job is too small or unimportant” and “no challenge is too large to tackle.” Whether it’s helping with the CEO’s/President’s children during a speaking engagement or making sure there’s a car seat in the transport, it’s important to excel at the little things and the big things as they all contribute to the overall flow of the day

• Rolling with the punches is key. Plans can change at a moment’s notice. It’s important to keep calm, keep moving, and communicate clearly even in hectic situations

• Being committed to our mission and our movement-building work, and committed to ending mass incarceration of our BIPOC communities.

Requirements:

The Gathering for Justice team is a highly collaborative group of people who take initiative, look for opportunities, and stay accountable to each other and to the communities we serve. This role is good for you if you have/are: 

• Must be able to travel frequently (when safe) with principal and work irregular hours, including evenings and weekends as needed

• At least 5 years experience working in a fast-paced environment, with experience prioritizing multiple work streams and operating with a sense of urgency and strategy to execute deliverables

• Must be flexible and motivated with a strong worth ethic and excellent attention to detail.

• Proficiency in Google Apps, Microsoft Office, Zoom, project management tools, and generally tech savvy

• Experience using Asana 

• Experience in nonprofit and/or social justice setting is preferred

• Experience as an admin or executive assistant, including event or project planning is required

Salary: $60,000 - $75,000, commensurate with experience

Benefits:

• Unlimited Responsible Time Off

• Mental Health and Wellness Days

• 15+ Public and Cultural Holidays Annually

• 12+ Institutional Rest Days Annually

• 100% Employer paid health, dental, vision, ST and LT disability, and life life insurance for employees. Partially paid health, dental, vision, ST and LT disability, and life life insurance for spouses/partners and dependents

• Monthly telecommunications allowance

• Flexible Dependent Account, Dependent Care Account and Health Savings Account options

• Additional Dependent Care financial support

• Annual Staff Development and Wellness Retreat

• Training opportunities

• Commuter and parking benefit options

• 401K options

Location: This is an in-person position based in our New York office with potential for a hybrid work schedule as needed. Our regular hours are Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, and this position requires working occasional evenings and weekends. We have COVID-19 safety protocols in place, and we revisit and update them in accordance with city, state, and federal guidelines.

Applicants in Washington, DC will also be considered and will work in-person with regional staff as needed.

Job Type: Full-time, exempt

Application procedure: Additional information about recruitment will be available on our website - www.gatheringforjustice.org/careers 

If you have questions about the recruitment process, please email recruiting@gatheringforjustice.org and include “Executive Assistant to the CEO” on the email subject line.

Deadline: Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.