About The Kresge Foundation

The Kresge Foundation is metro Detroit's largest private, national foundation, with more than $3.5 billion in its endowment, a growing staff of nearly 100 employees and a mission to expand opportunities in America's cities for low-income people. We do this through grant making and social investing nationally in arts & culture, education, environment, health, human services, as well as community development in Detroit.

The foundation’s state-of-the-art headquarters is located in Metro Detroit.  The modern facility is anchored by a 19^th century farmhouse and a new expansion that houses both a cafeteria and a convening center. Kresge also operates an office in Detroit’s Midtown district.

The Kresge Foundation offers a competitive total compensation package including health, employer-paid dental and vision, basic life insurance, short- and long-term disability, generous paid time off, and an attractive 401k plan with employer match and a 10% employer contribution.  We also provide breakfast, lunch, and snacks daily for a nominal charge, robust professional development opportunities and tuition reimbursement.  Kresge promotes and supports a healthy and green work environment and encourages intellectual curiosity as we embrace and live out our values of creativity, respect, opportunity, partnership, and stewardship.

Available Position: Program Team Assistant – Detroit Program/American Cities Practice

The Program Team Assistant serves as the support and information nucleus of the American Cities Practice and the Detroit Program while providing administrative and project based assistance to the Managing Directors, Program Officer(s), and other team members as assigned. The two teams work collaboratively to execute on the Foundation’s mission principally in Detroit, but also in Memphis, and New Orleans.

This position requires highly professional, customer service focused interaction (orally and in writing) with grantees, consultants, the general public, and representatives within the Foundation. This person is required to be familiar with and engaged in the team strategy and initiatives. The Assistant requires the ability to be proactive and self-directed and must possess the sound judgment and the initiative to work through multi-part, nuanced and often complex assignments with high attention to detail. This position also requires a commitment to producing high quality work and support while displaying a consistently collaborative and cooperative attitude. 

Primary Responsibilities Include:

• Schedules internal and external meetings and convenings: coordinates calendars, assembles meeting materials, makes meal arrangements, and confirms appointments for the department and visitors to the foundation.
• Coordinates business travel, airfare bookings, accommodation arrangements, car services, and Outlook itineraries for team members as assigned.
• Assembles Board and/or Workgroup materials: finalizes documents and posts to appropriate locations adhering to the processes and deadlines set by the Executive Office. 
• Prepares correspondence, proofreads memos, drafts decline letters, creates charts and excel spreadsheets, and manages contacts and distribution lists.
• Responsible for processing department expenses, preparing expense reports, and resolving discrepancies with Finance.
• Serves as a first point of contact to internal stakeholders relating to documents and information for the team.
• Responsible for receiving and preparing letters of inquiry (LOIs) for review and distributing to appropriate team member.
• Responds to or distributes initial email and verbal general grant inquiries for assigned team as needed.
• Completes consulting contract internal forms, routes for approvals and distributes executed documents to external consultants and Finance. Maintains master file of current consultants for the team.
• Prepares mailings and shipments of materials; opens and distributes department mail.
• Assists program staff with administrative budget tracking. Researches, assembles and tracks various department information and data accurately.
• Represents the foundation externally (orally and in writing) in a highly professional and customer service focused manner.
• Responsible for filing, document management and preparation of special projects as requested by program team members.
• Provides secondary back-up for telephone support and receptionist activities.
• This position requires presence in both Kresge offices located in Troy and Detroit, some local off-site work, and light travel for the purpose of meeting preparations.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Strong commitment to the foundation's vision and values with the ability to demonstrate that commitment in daily interactions.  

Qualifications

• High school diploma or Associates degree, but Bachelor’s preferred, including course work in business communications, office management, and related areas.
• Knowledge of, passion for, and commitment to the city of Detroit.
• A minimum of three to five years of professional administrative office experience recommended, but not required.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills necessary to interact as a team member and with Foundation colleagues.
• Proven experience with advanced Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and other software is essential to accomplishing the work of this position.
• Proven experience and skill with calendar management, travel arrangements, and proofreading.
• Highly collaborative approach to working in a team-based environment.
• Demonstrated high work quality in a highly detail-oriented role.
• The proven ability to maintain confidentiality and practice discretion.

Please submit a cover letter and updated resume by February 13, 2017 to [email protected]  

The Kresge Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from people of color, persons with disabilities, women and LGBT applicants.