Job openings/Personal Assistant

From the Wikimedia Foundation

WMF Job Description: Personal Assistant (PA)

Title

Personal Assistant (PA) to the Executive Director & Deputy Director

Summary

The Wikimedia Foundation is the non-profit organization behind Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia and the world's fourth most-popular website. The PA's role is to support the leadership of the Wikimedia Foundation in working towards its goal: a world in which every human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. This position is responsible for supporting the Executive Director and the Deputy Director by proactively creating and maintaining systems to keep them organized and effective. This job requires a high level of precision and a strong orientation towards detail.

Responsibilities

• Manage the calendars of the ED and the DD: issue invitations, book meetings and triage incoming requests in accordance with ED and DD priorities. Redirect requests appropriately inside the organization. Act as first point of contact for speaking invitations.
• Filter ED's incoming calls, e-mails and paper mail.
• Prepare official correspondence such as letters of support, thank yous and invitations.
• Book travel for the ED and DD including preparation of itineraries and post-trip follow-up including expense report preparation, as well as 24/7 availability for problem-solving during trips.
• Greet and settle ED and DD guests.
• Manage ED and DD meetings as requested including preparation and distribution of agendas and other advance materials, set-up of conference rooms, preparation of refreshments, minute-taking.
• Act as the administrative contact for members of the Board of Trustees and Advisory Board; book their travel, minute-taking and correspondence preparation as requested.
• Draft monthly activity and status reports as well as staff announcements and other communications.
• Other duties as required. There is an occasional requirement for evening or weekend work, as well as twice-yearly travel.

Required Qualifications

• Experience in a personal assistant role, including heavy calendaring and booking complex international travel.
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks.
• High-precision communication skills including excellent grammar, spelling and minute-taking ability.
• Must be very comfortable with office software packages and communication technologies including calendaring and travel booking systems, presentation software, instant messaging, mailing lists and wikis. We use OpenOffice, MediaWiki, Google Calendar, Google Spreadsheets and Egencia.
• Experience with open source technologies a plus.
• Non-profit experience including working with donors, foundations and boards of trustees a major plus.
• Discreet, tactful and flexible: able to gracefully support a range of visitors including Wikipedians, government officials, philanthropists, students and journalists.
• The ability to speak multiple languages is a major plus, as is experience living or working outside the United States.
• Must have high standards: must continually strive to fine-tune and improve the systems and processes supporting the Executive Director and Deputy Director, and to complete the PA's own work to a high degree of quality.

About the Wikimedia Foundation

Apply

Please send a CV and cover letter to jobswikimedia.org before February 9, 2009. Please put the position title (Personal Assistant) in your subject line.

Applications that do not include a cover letter will not be considered.

If you have a strong desire to make the world a better place, the ability to flexibly adapt to multiple environments and cultures, and are hyper-organized, detail-oriented and systematic, you may be a fit for this position. Please send us your resume, with a cover letter explaining clearly why you suit the job, and why you want it.

Please copy and paste the text of your CV into the e-mail, in addition to attaching the file.

Due to the volume of applications we receive, we regret that only those selected for an interview will be contacted.