Description

Book Harvest—an award-winning nonprofit dedicated to providing books for every child, support for every parent, and literacy for every community—is seeking a team member to provide direct administrative and research support to the CEO and COO and to those they collaborate with as needed.

This is a full-time non-exempt position based in Durham, North Carolina 

Salary and Benefits: Starting salary of $41,280 - $44,613 commensurate with qualifications and experience. Benefits include 100% employer-sponsored, gold-level health care and short-term disability insurance, elective dental and vision insurance, 401(k) with 3% contribution, generous PTO, wellness and professional development funds, paid family leave, a flexible work schedule, purposeful workplace culture, and more.

To Apply: Apply online. The hiring process includes written application questions, reference checks, a brief work sample, and 1-3 live interviews.

Priority Deadline: 5/26/2024 Applications received after this date are not guaranteed review.

Target Start Date: 7/29/2024

We believe those who are affected most by literacy injustice must be centered in the work that we do, inside and out. We prioritize applications from individuals who have lived experiences of our programs or who come from the communities we serve, and we strongly encourage applications from candidates who identify as Black, Latinx, Indigenous or as a Person of Color; people with lived experience of poverty; LGBTQ individuals; people with disabilities; and others who may not have seen themselves reflected in books and stories as a child.

Organization Overview 

Book Harvest is internationally recognized for its work to transform children's literacy. Since 2011, Book Harvest has provided more than 2 million books to families in North Carolina, ensuring that parents have the tools and power to ignite and strengthen their children's literacy. With programs that are grounded in evidence, Book Harvest believes that literacy starts at birth, in the home, powered by parents, and nourished by books. 

With Durham, North Carolina as our flagship location, we are actively replicating and expanding our work throughout North Carolina and across our country. Our vision is of a world in which reading, learning, and access to information are considered rights, not privileges, so that all children thrive. We hold an unshakable commitment to justice, equity, and equal opportunity for all people. To progress towards this vision, we strategically structure our programs and operations in service to Diversity, Equity, Belonging, Inclusion, anti-racism, and challenging the status quo.

Position Overview 

The Executive Assistant is an integral part of our Book Harvest team who provides direct administrative and research support to the CEO and COO and to those they collaborate with as needed.

The Executive Assistant is a superbly organized individual who communicates clearly, collaborates well, leads with professionalism, demonstrates meticulous attention to detail, and consistently represents the culture and core values of Book Harvest to our community. They must be technologically savvy and familiar with various management systems, Adobe, Microsoft Office, Zoom, and Google Suite.

The Executive Assistant is based out of the Book Harvest national office at 2501 University Dr. in Durham, NC. They report to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and work closely with other members of senior leadership. Typical work hours span Monday-Friday, fully on-site. Will require some occasional evenings, Saturdays, and travel within and outside of Durham. 

Responsibilities 

The responsibilities for this position include, but are not limited to, the following activities: 

Administrative Support (30%)

• Track CEO and COO commitments, goals, projects, tasks, and deadlines through to successful completion.
• Coordinate and maintain CEO and COO schedules, make appropriate meeting arrangements including agenda preparation, and assist with travel arrangements as necessary.
• Attend select meetings, take notes, capture action items, and assist the CEO and COO in prioritizing, tracking, and delegating action items. 
• Assist senior leadership in preparing for select internal and external meetings, including gathering content, research, and preparing reports, and as needed preparing new materials, policy briefings, talking points, and/or presentations.
• Manage an organization-wide conference schedule; track staff attendance, presentations, and exhibits; assist with registration and correspondence with conference organizers; assist with the assembling of materials for conferences, as needed.
• Maintain systems for managing large amounts of information (electronic and paper), organizational record keeping, and reporting; this includes the organization of files often needed and used by the CEO and COO.
• Assist in managing and updating the Book Harvest website as needed. 
• Produce a weekly internal e-newsletter for staff summarizing updates and events.
• Assist the CEO, COO, and their teams with simple administrative tasks.
• Keep impeccable and timely meeting notes and records.

Research Support (20%)

• Support the CEO and COO by conducting and sharing research on a variety of topics, including early literacy studies and findings; webinars; demographics; and overviews of locations under consideration for expansion. 
• Summarize research findings and provide recommendations and briefings to the CEO, COO, and other members of the team as appropriate. 

Development Assistance and External Support (25%)

• In collaboration with the Department of External Relations and its staff, support and contribute to all aspects of twice-yearly fundraising appeals, including preparing and addressing envelopes, coordinating lists, and assembling mailings.
• Assist in mailing annual impact reports to several hundred key stakeholders each year. 
• In collaboration with the CEO and Director of Development, conduct and/or compile research on funder prospects.
• Assist as needed in preparing grant reports and reports to funders. 
• Assist in creating content to share with funders and in delivering it, typically in highly personal ways coordinating individual notes from the CEO and customized emails). 
• Assist with occasional events to engage with funders and with events for board and staff, including arranging for invitations, ordering food, and securing space. 
• Share our mission and vision with the larger community in an enthusiastic and knowledgeable way. 

Board of Directors Administration (10%)

• Assist the CEO in preparing pre-reading materials and agendas for quarterly board meetings. 
• Schedule board and board committee meetings in coordination with the CEO and Board members.
• Prepare all logistics for virtual and/or in-person board meetings; work with venues and assist board members with travel arrangements as needed. 
• Ensure advance distribution of materials before meetings and collection of any requested materials from board members, such as annual conflict of interest forms. 
• Take board meeting notes and assist with the preparation and dissemination of official meeting minutes. 

General Administration (15%)

• As part of a learning team, participate in regular Book Harvest staff meetings, one-on-one supervisory meetings, and departmental meetings; 
• Sustained contribution to organizational diversity, equity, belonging, and inclusion (DEBI) efforts;
• Participate in recruiting and hiring processes across the organization; 
• Contribute to the preservation and development of institutional knowledge; 
• Professional development opportunities as provided and recommended annually.

Requirements

Qualifications

The ideal candidate demonstrates experience in all of the following areas. However, we recognize that talent comes from many backgrounds and experiences, we consider candidates on a case-by-case basis, and we encourage you to apply whether or not you meet all the qualifications:

• U.S. work authorization; 
• Access to a personal vehicle, maintaining a valid driver’s license;
• Competence in Google Suite (Docs, Sheets), Microsoft Office (Word, Excel), and Adobe Acrobat.
• Strong organizational skills with excellent attention to detail;
• Clear and compelling written and spoken communication skills;
• Highly collaborative; talented in forging relationships with diverse individuals;
• Eagerness for personal growth and capacity in giving and receiving feedback; can proactively ask for help and anticipate problems;
• Demonstrated commitment to integrity and honesty, with the ability to manage sensitive and confidential information appropriately; 
• Dedication to the mission and culture of Book Harvest;
• Cultural competence and understanding of the systemic nature of inequity; 
• Lived experience of literacy injustice (direct experience with Book Harvest programs is a plus!);
• Fully vaccinated against COVID-19, with booster shots up to date (this is a requirement subject to reasonable accommodations for medical or religious reasons, and/or as otherwise required by applicable law).

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. Book Harvest is committed to creating an inclusive work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity, certified Living Wage, and certified Family Forward employer.

Book Harvest complies with federal and state disability laws, including all applicable provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”). Book Harvest will not discriminate against any qualified employee or applicant with regard to any terms or conditions of employment because of such individual’s disability or perceived disability. Book Harvest will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities, as defined by the ADA, or another medical condition who has made Book Harvest aware of their limitation, provided that such accommodation does not constitute an undue hardship for Book Harvest. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact careers@bookharvest.org.

Book Harvest is committed to protecting children through its child safeguarding policies. All offers of employment at Book Harvest are contingent upon acceptable results of a thorough background check. Staff are held to high standards of child protection. 

To protect the health and well-being of our colleagues and maintain the safety of the communities where we operate, we follow CDC, federal and local guidance to help minimize the spread of COVID-19. Book Harvest requires that all employees be fully vaccinated and bivalent boosted against COVID-19, except as required by law. Any employment offer will be contingent upon satisfactory proof that you are fully vaccinated from COVID-19, subject to reasonable accommodations for medical or religious reasons, and/or as otherwise required by applicable law.