Administrative Assistant

Catch Up & Read; Dallas (TX); On-site; USD 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

Catch Up & Read is seeking an Administrative Assistant to support Operations, Programs and Development, including CEO assistance. The role is in-office in Dallas, with local travel for events and coordination with teachers and partners.

You will manage calendars, prepare reports, handle confidential information, and assist with donor databases. The position requires strong communication, organization, and tech skills in a nonprofit setting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent; nonprofit admin experience preferred.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage calendars, meetings, and donor records.
• Discretion with confidential information and data.

Responsibilities

• Admin support for Operations, Programs, Development, and CEO offices.
• Reception duties and main phone line handling; visitor coordination.
• Maintain filing systems and prepare reports and correspondence.
• Process invoices, assist with HR records, and support donor database tasks.
• Coordinate events and donor communications.

Skills

Friendly demeanor

Written communication

Verbal communication

Time management

Team collaboration

Tech proficiency

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft 365

Google Suite

Donor Perfect

QuickBooks

Job description

Job Description

Administrative Assistant

Department: Operations / Development / Programs

Job Status: Full-Time, 40 hours

Reports To: Director of Operations

Amount of Travel Required: Occasional local travel within the Dallas-Fort Worth area

Job Type: Regular, In office (not remote)

Positions Supervised: None

Work Schedule: M-F, generally 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., with adjustments based on seasonal needs.

Catch Up & Read is an education nonprofit on a mission to equip children to read on grade level by the end of 3rd grade so they can graduate from high school and break the generational cycle of poverty. Our focus is to empower teachers with evidence-based literacy practices that give 1st-3rd grade children from under-resourced communities the reading foundation they need to succeed in school and life. Since 2009, Catch Up & Read has worked in Title I elementary schools in North Texas, training 600+ teachers and improving reading outcomes for over 50,000 students.

We are different because of our investment in teachers—we give deep professional development throughout the year and coach-in-the-moment while teachers deliver reading intervention to students who need it the most. Catch Up & Read offers both afterschool and in-school programming in both English and Spanish. We believe in the power of literacy to transform lives and communities.

Our Values

• Commitment to Excellence. Together, with all our students, parents and teachers, we are committed to working hard to achieve the highest standards in reading and teaching excellence.
• Continuous Learning. We are always seeking to know and deliver best practices in our field.
• Confidence. We strive for our children to become strong readers, our teachers to become strong teachers, and for their confidence to radiate.
• Collaboration. We work as a diverse team alongside best-in-class educators to grow all our students.
• Celebration. We celebrate small wins and big accomplishments.

Position Summary

The Administrative Assistant (AA) is responsible for providing administrative support to ensure efficient operations of the office. AA will support the Catch Up & Read (CAR) staff through a variety of tasks related to organization and communication. AA will work directly to support the Operations, Programs, and Development teams, as well as the President & CEO. AA serves as the office receptionist and must effectively communicate via phone, written correspondence, and email.

The Administrative Assistant reports to the Director of Operations, who serves as the employee's supervisor. The position provides cross-functional support to Operations, Programs, Development, and the Office of the President & CEO. The Director of Operations will work with department leaders to establish priority when competing needs arise.

Reasonable Accommodations Statement

To accomplish this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation, each essential function satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to help enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Responsibilities

Administration Across Departments

• Organize, schedule, manage meetings, appointments and general staff calendar.
• Produce and distribute correspondence, memos, letters, emails and forms.
• Assist in the preparation of regularly scheduled reports.
• Develop and maintain a physical and computer filing system.
• Receive, sort and distribute the mail.
• Handle sensitive information in a confidential manner.
• Welcome and support visitors as receptionist and by answering the main phone line.
• Develop and update administrative systems to make them more efficient and effective.

Financial and HR Support

• Establish and maintain trusting relationships internally and externally, including working closely with all levels of staff, board and advisors, school partners, external experts and vendors.
• Manage and maintain relationships with vendors, prepare and monitor invoices, and ensure they are paid in a timely manner.
• Support Director of Operations with confidential human resources and financial matters, such as employee files, time sheets, and financial statements.
• Assist with maintaining accurate supporting documentation for invoices, expenses, contracts, and other financial or operational records.
• Experience with QuickBooks or similar accounting software is a plus.

Programs and Development Support

• Support Development & Programs teams in inputting data, doing research, filing information, and preparing for meetings with principals, donors, and other stakeholders.
• Manage donor database and gift acknowledgment, as well as regular donor mailings.
• Support reconciliation and data-quality processes between the donor database, finance records, and development reporting.
• Maintain strict confidentiality of donor, financial, and organizational information.
• Understand and collaborate with others on the interdependence of cross-functional projects and stakeholders and the need to balance special projects with the daily work of the nonprofit.
• Coordinate administrative details and logistics for educator, donor, board, volunteer, and staff events. Major events include, but not limited to, the annual Reading Rallies, North Texas Giving Day, Pickleball Tournament.

CEO Support

• Ensure the CEO is prepared for all engagements, anticipating needs before they arise.
• Provide administrative support for CEO and board-related communications, meetings, scheduling, materials, records, and special projects as assigned.

Other Duties

• Other duties as assigned by the Director of Operations, Director of Programs, Director of Development and President & CEO.
• The Director of Operations serves as the primary supervisor and will help establish priorities when requests from multiple departments compete for time or resources.

Position Qualifications

Competency Statement(s)

• Friendly– Consistently demonstrates a cheerful demeanor toward others.
• Communication, Written and Oral– Articulate communicator and good listener. Ability to synthesize complex information and communicate clearly in writing, spoken word, and presentations.
• Change Proficient– Experienced with organizational and personal change and ability to deal positively with life's ups and downs as well as model and coach positive change management for others.
• Process-Oriented/Organized– Ability to maintain data, reports and information in logical, streamlined ways as well as scheduling and running meetings in an organized fashion.
• Technically Proficient– Works with ease across Microsoft, Google and other software. Eager to learn emerging technologies and able to train others in implementation.
• Analytical– Ability to create, maintain, analyze and synthesize multiple sources of data and spreadsheets to support decision making.
• Ethical– Ability to act with high integrity.
• Teachable– Willing to continue to learn and grow professionally, maintain a growth mindset and actively seek continual improvement.
• Flexible– Willing to change direction quickly, manage multiple priorities, shift hours/schedule, and work fluidly depending on the demand of the job.
• Teamwork– High level of emotional intelligence, ability to understand organizational dynamics, deal with conflict when it arises, and work with a variety of people and personalities.
• Optimistic Problem Solver– Optimistic, constructive and confident in finding solutions.
• Sense of Humor– Laughs every day! Takes mission seriously but doesn't take self too seriously!

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience. Three to five years of administrative, nonprofit, development, operations, executive-support, or related experience preferred.
• Knowledge of office management systems and procedures.
• Time management skills and ability to multi-task and prioritize work.
• Written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organizational and planning skills.
• Team and mission-oriented professional.
• Flexible, adaptive, organized.
• English/Spanish bilingual skills preferred but not required.
• Project management certification appreciated.

Skills and Abilities

Computer Skills

Strong proficiency in Microsoft 365 and Google applications and willing and able to learn new software, databases, and productivity tools. Ability and willingness to learn and appropriately use emerging productivity and artificial-intelligence tools in accordance with organizational policies regarding confidentiality, security, and accuracy.

• Proficient in Adobe, Google Suite, PowerPoint, Teams, Zoom, Sign Up Genius, Doodle Poll, Evite and SharePoint, and the ability to quickly learn organizational technology systems.
• Experience with Donor Perfect or another nonprofit CRM/donor-management system preferred.
• Experience with QuickBooks or similar accounting software is a plus

Other

• Knowledge/experience with content creation, writing and general communications.
• Ability to multi-task and work in a fast-paced environment.
• Employment is contingent upon successful completion of applicable background screening, including any school-district or partner-campus screening requirements and due to the position’s financial responsibilities, a credit check.
• Must maintain a valid driver's license, appropriate automobile insurance, and reliable transportation when driving is required for assigned job duties.
• Ability to influence improvements that create efficiency and better internal and external experience.
• Advanced project management skills, with the ability to juggle multiple fast-paced initiatives while maintaining a focus on results.
• A high level of professionalism and integrity, with the ability to manage sensitive information in a fast-moving environment.
• Ability to learn on the job and be a self-starter.
• Excellent organization and interpersonal skills.

Physical Demands

• Lift/Carry10 lbs
• Push/Pull12 lbs