Special Assistant to the Co-Founder (The Democracy Collaborative; Washington D.C.)

86 views
Skip to first unread message

tmh...@democracycollaborative.org

unread,
Jul 1, 2016, 7:28:23 PM7/1/16
to GAIN Jobs via JobsthatareLEFT

Democracy Collaborative Job Opening

Special Assistant to the Co-Founder (Gar Alperovitz, www.garalperovitz.com; The Democracy Collaborative: http://democracycollaborative.org/)
Adams Morgan, Washington D.C.  

 

The Democracy Collaborative, a national research institute dedicated to the development of innovative strategies for the democratization of wealth, seeks a skilled administrative and research assistant to help us advance our mission.

 

Application Deadline: July 29, 2016

Salary: $37,000-$45,000, depending on work and academic experience and qualifications. Job includes a generous benefits package including health care, three weeks of paid vacation per year, cell phone subsidy, and an employer contribution to a 403(b) retirement plan.

 

Length of position: Two-year commitment (contingent on satisfactory 90-day and annual review) necessary to insure continuity of support. Position can extend beyond two years by mutual agreement.

 

Start date: August 5, 2016. Later start date will be considered, but strongly prefer to start no later than August 12, 2016.

 

To Apply: Send résumé/CV with references, a detailed cover letter regarding your interest in and desire to make a contribution to the kind of work being done by  The Democracy Collaborative and our co-founder Dr. Gar Alperovitz, and a relevant writing sample to jo...@democracycollaborative.org including “Special Assistant Job” in the subject line.  Please note that due to the volume of applications we receive, we cannot respond to every applicant. No phone calls please. We will contact all candidates who qualify for first-round interviews.

 

Basic Function

Provides administrative and partial research assistance in support of progressive political-economist and historian Gar Alperovitz, co-founder of The Democracy Collaborative and author of What Then Must We Do? [Chelsea Green 2013], America Beyond Capitalism [Wiley 2005], Unjust Deserts [New Press, 2008], Making a Place for Community [Routledge 2003], The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb [Knopf 1995] and many other books, articles, and reports. Assists with scheduling, calendar, and travel requirements, provides office administrative support, and undertakes independent research assignments under the supervision of the Co-founder and the Research Director. Also occasionally assists with research and media projects in support of broader work for The Democracy Collaborative.

 

Must be comfortable working almost exclusively in a support role. Must be pleasant and personable on a daily basis. Must be extremely reliable and present in our Washington D.C. satellite office on a full time basis (5 days a week, regular office hours). Must interact with the public in an open and pleasant manner. The job also involves spending a great deal of time working alone in an office separate from others, so must also be comfortable working in an environment with limited daily face-to-face interaction.

 

 

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

 

 

75% Administrative and Support

Makes travel arrangements, coordinates speaking and media engagements, provides reminders of calls and appointments, transcribes dictations, provides first-level “trouble shooting” assistance with computer network, answers phones and takes messages, sends emails, faxes, and packages, copies and scans material, processes receipts, reimbursements, and bills, ensures magazine subscriptions are up to date, orders office supplies, receives visitors, and coordinates meetings. 

 

 

25% Research Assistance

At the request of Gar Alperovitz and the Research Director, researches and collects documents and information from various sources (government agencies, universities, libraries, Internet, non-profit research organizations, etc.) for short and long-term research projects on a broad range of topics including, but not limited to, social security; health care reform; tax policy; income distribution; public and nonprofit forms of business ownership; energy and climate change; systemic change; economic and political theory; and other issues in American politics and economics. Collects and prepares data from various sources for qualitative (and occasionally quantitative) analysis. Compiles, reads, abstracts, synthesizes, analyzes, and organizes written and electronic material into summarized form. Analyzes and produces written summaries of quantitative data. Provides editing assistance for research products in preparation for publication. Provides general research on a variety of short-term projects.

 

 

Education/Experience Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a social science or history is required. Master’s degree and/or equivalent work experience (e.g., policy work, research experience, and/or administrative work) is preferred. Evidence of previous work demonstrating reliability, a very high degree of accuracy, and attention to detail is critical.

 

Knowledge Requirements

Familiarity with and knowledge of and interest in left/progressive American politics, economics, and history broadly defined is required. Familiarity with the work of Gar Alperovitz and or The Democracy Collaborative is a plus. At a minimum, must be proficient working in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Must have a knowledge of library and online research resources with capacity to conduct independent research desired. Must have a basic knowledge of computers, computer networks, and computer troubleshooting. Must be highly organized with an attention to detail, especially with regards to dates, times, and schedules. Must have strong interpersonal skills. Must have an exceptional ability to synthesize information and write clearly and precisely without supervision. Must be able to pay attention to detail; precision is critical. Knowledge of bookkeeping and accounting is a plus.

 

 

The Democracy Collaborative is an Equal Opportunity Employer—people of color, people with disabilities, women, and LGBT candidates are strongly encouraged to apply; we are committed to a diverse workplace, and to supporting our staff with ongoing career development opportunities. 

Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages