The Public Welfare Foundation, a private, national grantmaking foundation with assets of more than $480 million based in Washington, DC, is seeking a Program Assistant.  As the Program Assistant, you will work closely with staff of all Foundation Programs, which include Criminal Justice, Juvenile Justice, Workers’ Rights, and a special initiative on Civil Legal Aid.

About us:

The Public Welfare Foundation supports efforts to advance justice and opportunity for people in need.  These efforts honor the Foundation’s core values of racial equity, economic well-being and fundamental fairness for all. The Foundation looks for strategic points where its funds can make a significant difference and improve lives through policy and system reform that results in transformative change. In its 70-year history, the Foundation has distributed more than $570 million in grants to more than 4,800 organizations. With current assets of more than $480 million, Public Welfare makes grants nationwide and focuses its grant making in some difficult, and often overlooked, social justice areas where it believes it can serve as a catalyst for reform. Its main programs are Criminal Justice, Juvenile Justice, and Workers’ Rights, with a special initiative on Civil Legal Aid for the poor. For more information, please visit our web site at www.publicwelfare.org.

About the position:

As the Program Assistant, you will provide administrative and management support to the program staff. This work entails drafting correspondence; scheduling meetings and calls; arranging site visits and other travel; staffing meetings and conferences; handling related clerical duties; and coordinating work with other administrative assistants. The Program Assistant supports all Foundation Programs, but reports to the Program Director for Juvenile Justice.

Your primary responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Assisting program staff with coordination, communication and correspondence with outside organizations; scheduling meetings, appointments and calls.
• Returning and answering phone calls as needed on behalf of program staff; providing administrative coverage for program staff on leave.
• Supporting program staff by conducting research on specific queries; maintaining working files and databases; taking notes at meetings; completing travel and other expense reports; and helping track program developments.
• Arranging and preparing for site visits and other travel by program staff; arranging travel for outside persons sponsored by the Foundation; and performing other clerical duties such as photocopying, faxing, and handling mail.
• Assisting Program Directors and other staff in organizing logistics for meetings, conferences, and workshops sponsored by PWF.
• Sharing responsibility with other administrative staff regarding board meeting logistics. Providing back-up coverage for lobby host, answering telephones, and other administrative duties.

Additional skills and qualities we seek in an ideal candidate are:

• Bachelor’s degree required; one to two years administrative experience, preferably with non-profit organizations.
• Experience with travel and meeting arrangements, communicating with external parties, and supporting more than one person.
• Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to work collaboratively as a member of a team.
• Strong organizational and administrative skills; proficient with word processing, spreadsheets and phone systems; some database background desirable.
• Excellent written and oral communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.

We are an equal opportunity employer with competitive salary and excellent benefits. 

Interested candidates may apply by submitting a cover letter and resume to Human Resources, Public Welfare Foundation, 1200 U Street NW, Washington, DC 20009. Applications are to be submitted via email only: [email protected].

The deadline for submitting applications is Wednesday, May 31. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.