Program Team Assistant – Arts and Culture

The Kresge Foundation; Troy (MI); Hybrid; USD 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

The Kresge Foundation, based in the United States, seeks an experienced Program Team Assistant to support the Arts & Culture Program and Managing Director. This role emphasizes professional communication with grantees, vendors, and staff, and requires strong calendar and travel coordination abilities.

The position offers a hybrid schedule with remote work up to 3 days weekly, and involves budget tracking, document management, and collaborative project support.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or Associates degree and coursework in business communications, office and project management.
• Minimum of three years' professional administrative office experience.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Proven experience with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
• Ability to manage calendars, travel, and proofreading with discretion.
• Commitment to the foundation’s vision and values.
• Proactive, detail-oriented, and able to work independently.

Responsibilities

• Organizes and maintains the team’s calendar, including monthly meetings, retreats and program-related conferences.
• Schedules internal and external meetings and convenings: coordinates calendars, assembles meeting materials, reserves meeting rooms, makes meal arrangements, and confirms logistics and appointments for the team.
• Coordinates business travel, airfare bookings, accommodation arrangements, car services, and Outlook itineraries for the Managing Director and other team members as assigned.
• Assembles Board and/or Workgroup materials with Managing Director to post to appropriate locations adhering to the processes and deadlines set by the Executive Office.
• Prepares correspondence, proofreads memos, and manages up-to-date grantee and partner 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.
• Responds to or distributes initial general grant inquiries to assigned team members.
• Drafts and prepares consulting contract internal forms for approvals and distributes executed documents to external consultants and Finance.
• Processes invoices and maintains master file of current consultants for the team.
• Prepares mailings and shipments of materials; opens and distributes department mail.
• Assists Managing Director with administrative budget tracking. Researches, assembles, and tracks various team-related information and data accurately.
• Represents the foundation (orally and in writing) in a highly professional and customer service focused manner.
• Responsible for effective filing and document management.
• Provides secondary back-up for telephone support and receptionist activities.
• Requires some local off-site work and light travel for the purpose of meeting preparations.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Skills

Calendar management

Travel arrangements

Proofreading

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

Outlook

Interpersonal communication

Discretion

Attention to detail

Education

High school diploma or Associate degree

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

Outlook

Job description

Program Team Assistant – Arts and Culture

Posted on October 17, 2022

The Kresge Foundation is one of the top 20 private philanthropic foundations in the United States and the only one focused exclusively on expanding opportunities for people with low income in American cities. With a $4.2 billion endowment and a staff of over 100 employees, the foundation deploys grants and social investments across arts and culture, education, environment, health, human services and community development. The foundation’s state-of-the-art headquarters maintains an array of energy-efficient, water-conserving and health-promoting systems. The foundation also operates an office in Detroit’s Midtown district.

ABOUT THE POSITION

About the position

The Program Team Assistant provides administrative support essential to the functioning of the Arts & Culture Program team and its execution of the Foundation’s mission. The Program Team Assistant supports the Managing Director, and other team members as assigned, with program team operations and administrative responsibilities. The Program Team Assistant produces high quality work while displaying a collaborative work style. This position requires highly professional, customer-service focused interaction (orally and in writing) with grantees, consultants, the general public, and representatives within the Foundation.

Primary responsibilities

• Organizes and maintains the team’s calendar, including monthly meetings, retreats and program-related conferences.
• Schedules internal and external meetings and convenings: coordinates calendars, assembles meeting materials, reserves meeting rooms, makes meal arrangements, and confirms logistics and appointments for the team.
• Coordinates business travel, airfare bookings, accommodation arrangements, car services, and Outlook itineraries for the Managing Director and other team members as assigned.
• Assembles Board and/or Workgroup materials with Managing Director to post to appropriate locations adhering to the processes and deadlines set by the Executive Office.
• Prepares correspondence, proofreads memos, and manages up-to-date grantee and partner 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.
• Responds to or distributes initial general grant inquiries to assigned team members.
• Drafts and prepares consulting contract internal forms for approvals and distributes executed documents to external consultants and Finance.
• Processes invoices and maintains master file of current consultants for the team.
• Prepares mailings and shipments of materials; opens and distributes department mail.
• Assists Managing Director with administrative budget tracking. Researches, assembles, and tracks various team-related information and data accurately.
• Represents the foundation (orally and in writing) in a highly professional and customer service focused manner.
• Responsible for effective filing and document management.
• Provides secondary back-up for telephone support and receptionist activities.
• Requires some local off-site work and light travel for the purpose of meeting preparations.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or Associates degree, including course work in business communications, office and project management, and related areas.
• A minimum of three years of professional administrative office experience.
• 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.
• The proven ability to maintain confidentiality and practice discretion.
• Strong commitment to the foundation’s vision and values with the ability to demonstrate that commitment in daily interactions.
• Demonstrated ability to be proactive and self-directed.
• Ability to apply high attention to details.
• Demonstrated sound judgment in decision making.
• Demonstrated ability to produce high-quality work.
• Displays a consistently collaborative and cooperative work style.

The application deadline for this position is Midnight EST on November 14, 2022.

This position currently has a hybrid schedule with remote work from home up to 3 days per week.

Kresge is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from people of color, persons with disabilities, women, and LGBTQ+ applicants. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability or other applicable legally protected characteristics.