Program Assistant

Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund; New York (NY); On-site; USD 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

The Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund is seeking a Program Assistant to support coordination, grants management, communications, and administrative tasks across Arts Access, Civic Engagement, Jewish Life, Arts in Health, and Play to Thrive.

This early-career role emphasizes strong organization, proactive generalism, and equity-driven work within a multi-program philanthropy environment. The role serves as the operational hub, ensuring deadlines are met, stakeholders receive timely support, and

Qualifications

• Early-career candidate with strong organizational skills and a proactive generalist mindset.
• Interest in philanthropy, equity-driven work, and multi-program environments.
• Ability to manage overlapping timelines and coordinate across teams.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate program activities, timelines, and deliverables across multiple grantmaking initiatives.
• Provide administrative support and assist with grants management and communications.
• Serve as a front-line point of contact for program inquiries and route requests appropriately.
• Escalate issues and help maintain smooth operations and deadlines.
• Support cross-team collaboration and maintain systems for program operations.

Job description

The Program Assistant plays an integral role in supporting the coordination, implementation, and ongoing operations of the Illumination Fund’s grantmaking and initiatives across all program areas, including Arts Access, Civic Engagement, Jewish Life, Arts in Health, and Play to Thrive (sports-based youth development). This role serves as the operational hub for program activity, providing front-line coordination, triage, and oversight to ensure programs run smoothly, deadlines are met, and stakeholders receive timely, accurate support. The Program Assistant is often the first point of contact for program-related inquiries and is responsible for exercising judgment in routing requests, prioritizing deadlines, and escalating issues appropriately.

The role combines program coordination, grants management, communications, and administrative support, with particular emphasis on managing overlapping timelines, maintaining strong systems, and supporting cross-team coordination. This is an early-career position well suited to a highly organized, proactive generalist interested in philanthropy, equity-driven work, and complex, multi-program environments.

The Illumination Fund is partnering with Temporary Staffing + Search (TSS) to support this search. This is a direct-hire position with the Illumination Fund.