Administrative Associate, Global Operations & Strategic Initiatives

Vital Strategies; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 60,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Vital Strategies seeks an Administrative Associate, Global Planning, Operations and Strategic Initiatives, to support the SVP and GEI/International Offices. The role will manage complex schedules, travel logistics, and budget processes while ensuring confidential handling of sensitive information. This is a full-time, hybrid position based in New York with a two-day on-site schedule and competitive compensation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred.

Responsibilities

• Manage SVP calendar and scheduling.
• Coordinate domestic and international travel logistics and briefing materials.
• Support divisional budget processes and expense tracking.
• Maintain divisional knowledge management repositories and SharePoint sites.
• Plan and manage regular divisional meetings, agendas and materials.
• Assist with onboarding, vendor contracts, and procurement processes.
• Provide backup support to senior leadership and cross-divisional initiatives.
• Engage in cross-time-zone collaboration and respond to team needs.
• Take on additional duties as assigned.

Skills

Organizational skills

Time management

Attention to detail

Multitasking

Interpersonal skills

Prioritization

Confidentiality

AI productivity tools

Microsoft Office

Time zone coordination

Global outlook

Diversity & inclusion

Executive liaison

Education

Bachelor’s degree preferred

Tools

Microsoft Office

Microsoft Teams

Monday

Job description

Job Brief

Administrative Associate, Global Operations & Strategic Initiatives

Job Brief

Administrative Associate, Global Operations & Strategic Initiatives

Vital Strategies is a global public health organization. Our programs strengthen public health systems and address the world’s leading causes of illness, injury and death. We currently work in more than 80 countries, supporting data-driven decision-making in government, advancing evidence-based public health policies, and mounting strategic communication campaigns. Vital Strategies’ priorities are driven by the greatest potential to improve and save lives. They include noncommunicable disease prevention, tobacco control, road safety, food policy, overdose prevention, environmental health, and data for health. Our programs are primarily concentrated in low- and middle-income countries in Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Pacific; the Overdose Prevention Program is our first initiative in the U.S. Please visit our website at www.vitalstrategies.org to find out more about our work. Vital Strategies believes our programs are strengthened when they are developed and supported by individuals with diverse life experiences, whose understanding of social and cultural issues can help make our work and workforce more inclusive. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion or creed, gender, national origin, ancestry, actual or perceived age, physical or mental disability, veteran or military status, marital status, sexual orientation or any other basis protected by local, state, or federal laws.

About the Role:

The Administrative Associate provides comprehensive administrative support to the Senior Vice President (SVP), Global Planning, Operations and Strategic Initiatives and the Global Enterprise Integration (GEI) and International Offices Divisions. The Administrative Associate acts as a critical operational anchor, managing complex schedules, handling international travel logistics, facilitating regular divisional meetings, and supporting the fiscal and organizational health of the GEI and International Offices Divisions. The Administrative Associate’s primary priority is supporting the SVP, with secondary administrative support extended to the division’s Vice Presidents (Operations, Strategic Initiatives, and Information Technology) as capacity allows.

This is a full-time position based in our New York office, where a hybrid, 2-day-per-week office schedule is in place. Normal working hours will be from 8am to 4.30 pm to support the SVP’s work schedule. We offer highly competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits. The salary range for this position is $60,000 to $70,000 USD.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Calendar Management -

• Proactively manage, maintain, and optimize the daily calendar of the SVP, Global Planning, Operations and Strategic Initiatives.
• Evaluate the priority of meeting requests, resolve scheduling conflicts smoothly, and safeguard the SVP's time to ensure alignment with strategic priorities.

Travel Planning & Trip Preparation -

• Coordinate comprehensive domestic and international travel logistics, including flights, lodging, local transit, and expense reimbursement requests.
• Develop detailed, seamless itineraries and compile necessary briefing materials, background documentation, and visas prior to departure.

Divisional Budget Management -

• Support management of the budget for the Global Enterprise Integration division and processes related to budgets of International Offices.
• Track expenses, process invoices, monitor monthly variances, and coordinate with the Finance Department to ensure accurate allocation and fiscal responsibility.

Knowledge Management and Document Control -

• Maintain and organize a repository for core divisional documents, reports, and critical milestones, supporting the division's broader knowledge management practices, e.g. maintaining the Divisional sharepoint site.
• Ensure all team deliverables and institutional knowledge are tracked, filed, and easily accessible to relevant internal stakeholders while strictly maintaining the confidentiality of sensitive data.
• Support the ongoing evolution of the division's knowledge management systems and practices, including contributing to initiatives such as Vital Pulse 2.0.

Meeting Planning and Management -

• Lead the coordination of regular divisional meetings, managing room bookings, technical setups, and attendee invites.
• Collaborate with the SVP to draft structured agendas, collate presentation decks, distribute material packs in advance, and log clear action points for post-meeting follow-up.

Team Support -

• Support onboarding logistics for new GEI Division hires, including liaising with HR, welcome scheduling, and system access and equipment coordination.
• Manage and coordinate procurement processes (e.g., consultant contracts, vendor agreements) on behalf of the Division
• Provide ad hoc backup support to the Office of the President, covering essential administrative functions in the Executive Assistant's absence, as coordinated with the Chief of Staff.
• Provide ad hoc administrative support for the Office of Global Innovation.
• Perform other duties as assigned, consistent with the scope and level of this role.

Growth Opportunities:

• Exposure to cross-divisional operational initiatives, including country registration tracking, governance and policy administration, and Board Ad Hoc Committee logistics.
• Rotational exposure to divisional initiatives, such as the Vital Pulse 2.0 knowledge management workstream or the Grants and Contracts incubation, with increasing ownership over time.
• Periodic inclusion in select leadership-level discussions, providing visibility into executive decision-making and division strategy beyond logistics support.
• Regular development check-ins with the SVP focused on skill-building and career goals, separate from standard performance review.
• Direct liaison with country directors and regional staff, building a global network and cross-time-zone coordination experience.

Qualifications:

Education -

• Bachelor’s degree preferred

Skills And Abilities -

• Excellent organizational, time management skills and attention to detail;
• Proven ability to manage multiple ongoing tasks;
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to work with remote members of the team;
• Ability to prioritize tasks and work efficiently;
• Demonstrated sensitivity in handling confidential information;
• Comfort and curiosity in adopting AI and emerging productivity tools to enhance administrative efficiency;
• Excellent computer skills; proficient user of Microsoft Office suite;
• Willingness and ability to work across different time zones;
• A global outlook with a keen interest in current global affairs;
• Demonstrated commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive working and learning environment;
• Comfortable liaising with senior executives, international staff and external vendors on behalf of the division.

Experience:

Required -

• Minimum three years of professional work experience

Preferred -

• At least one year of working experience in public health with an international non-profit;
• Experience working collaboratively and remotely with internal and external team members to provide administrative support in a timely manner;
• Experience working with senior management and with sensitive information;
• Recent experience using platforms such as Monday and Microsoft Teams.

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements:

• Limited work-related travel based on division needs.