Executive Coordinator

THE ORGANIZATION

TakeAction Minnesota is a multiracial people’s network that brings democracy alive in communities across our state. We connect individuals and organizations to each other, creating a powerful force that makes change happen where it wasn’t possible before. Since its founding 14 years ago, TakeAction Minnesota has grown its breadth and depth. Our membership has grown 10-fold and touches every legislative district in the state. Our social media presence is robust. Our grassroots leadership is well-trained and shapes and implements the strategy of our various campaigns. As a result, TakeAction Minnesota has a track record of shifting the political landscape, advancing democracy and justice through bold policy campaigns, grassroots organizing, leadership development, movement politics, and strategic communications.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Executive Coordinator will work directly with the Executive Director and other senior staff as assigned in day-to-day activities. Ability to handle confidential material and information with utmost discretion is required. The ideal candidate will be resourceful and able to prioritize multiple tasks, including schedule, travel and event planning, meeting coordination, and drafting and formatting high quality documents in a professional and organized manner. The Executive Coordinator also manages preparation, logistical support and follow up for the Board of Directors.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Essential duties and responsibilities may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Administrative Support (75%)

• Oversee schedule of Executive Director; includes appointments with staff, board, and stakeholders. Respond appropriately with scheduling, delegating or dismissing requests consistent with priorities. Handle requests directly where appropriate.
• Prepare complex, sensitive, and confidential correspondence, documents, agreements, reports, forms, directives, and other communications.
• Provide primary administrative support to Executive Director, including completion and submission of expense reimbursements and timesheets.
• Plan, coordinate, and schedule meetings, conferences, various events and complex travel arrangements.
• Field correspondence. Draft emails and letters. Respond to phone calls.
• Track and support executive priorities including senior level hiring and onboarding, funder visits, and fundraising projects.
• Work with a cross-organizational team to coordinate logistics at organization-wide events, including the Annual Meeting and the Annual People’s Celebration.
• Coordinate senior staff and other internal staff meetings.
• Assist other staff as requested and appropriate to schedule meetings.
• Complete and coordinate special projects and research assignments as needed, as assigned by Executive Director.

Partner Stakeholder Engagement (25%)

• Provide administrative support to the TakeAction Minnesota Board of Directors (c4) and TakeAction Minnesota Education Fund Board of Directors (c3). Coordinate logistics for meetings, communications, and support for board operations.
• Coordinate board and committee meetings and communications. Maintain board records. Organize board elections.
• Develop tools and process to onboard new board members. Maintain board handbook.
• Work with Executive Director to oversee board development. Increase capacity of board to engage with our work more strategically. Develop practices to regularly assess the board and optimize board engagement.
• Coordinate annual leadership retreats. Support board and staff relationship development. Provide administrative support for TakeAction Minnesota’s coalitions and member institution tables. Coordinate logistics for meetings and support ongoing partnership work.

QUALIFICATIONS

Behaviors:

• Detail Oriented – Holds the highest standards of accuracy and precision, is highly organized, meets deadlines and manages multiple tasks in a fast-paced work environment, is articulate with excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Stakeholder Focus – Is dedicated to meeting the expectations of internal and external stakeholders, gets first-hand stakeholder information and uses it for improvements in services, acts with stakeholders in mind, establishes and maintains effective relationships with stakeholders and gains their trust and respect.
• Interpersonal Savvy – Relates well to all kinds of people, up, down and sideways, inside and outside the organization, builds appropriate rapport, builds constructive and effective relationships, uses diplomacy and tact, can diffuse even high-tension situations comfortably, proven ability to be assertive yet approachable.
• Learning Agility – Learns quickly when facing new problems, a relentless and versatile learner, and open to change; analyzes both successes and failures for clues to improvement, experiments and will try anything to find solutions, enjoys the challenge of unfamiliar tasks, quickly grasps the essence and the underlying structure of anything.
• Dealing with Ambiguity – Can effectively cope with change, can shift gears comfortably, can decide and act without having the total picture, isn’t upset when things are up in the air, doesn’t have to finish things before moving on, can comfortably handle risk and uncertainty.

Knowledge and Experience:

• 2 years of experience in general office administrative functions is preferred.
• Proven ability to manage and prioritize multiple competing projects and tasks. 
• Exceptional attention to detail. 
• Strong sense of personal initiative. 
• Excellent personal accountability and follow through. 
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with co-workers, organizational members, community representatives and elected officials.   
• Experience fostering an inclusive environment and appreciation of differences and social justice in the workplace. Display cultural sensitivity, competency, and professionalism when conducting business.
• Strong computer skills including MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook.

OTHER EXPECTATIONS

• A strong commitment to social, racial, and economic justice and progressive political change.
• Enthusiastically promote TakeAction Minnesota’s goals and priorities in compliance with all policies and procedures, and have a deep investment in our shared agenda for change.
• Complete and coordinate special projects as needed.
• Other duties or tasks may be assigned on an as-needed basis.
• Flexibility to work outside normal business hours that include evenings and weekends and work extended hours to accomplish requirements of the position.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT

Work is performed in a standard office environment which requires occasionally lifting such articles as file boxes or heavier materials with help from others and/or lifting and carrying light objects frequently. A job in this category may require walking or standing to a significant degree or may involve sitting most of the time with long periods of computer work and heavy phone usage. Flexibility to work outside normal business hours that include evenings and weekends and work extended hours to accomplish requirements of the position.

SALARY/BENEFITS/OTHER INFORMATION 

• Salary is commensurate with experience and starts at $42,000. Category: Coordinator 2. 
• Full health and dental benefits and retirement package. 
• This position is NOT a member of the Minnesota Newspaper and Communications Guild. 

REPORTS TO & LOCATION

This position reports directly to the Executive Director. Position will be located in our St. Paul office, but may include some travel throughout the state at times. In response to COVID-19, all employees are encouraged and resourced to work from home.

HOW TO APPLY

Send electronic cover letter, resume and three references attention Elianne Farhat, Executive Director, care of workwithus@takeactionminnesota.org with the subject line Executive Coordinator. Application review will begin March 8, 2021 at 9:00 am. Position is open until filled.

NO PHONE CALLS OR EMAIL INQUIRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED.

TakeAction Minnesota is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from people of color, persons with disabilities, LGBT individuals, and women.