Job Title: Operations Assistant
Classification: C4
Department: Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy
Updated: September 2025

Job Summary

The Operations Assistant provides high-level administrative support to the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy’s (Johnson Center) leadership and staff, including the Executive Director and program directors, ensuring smooth daily operations and effective coordination across teams. This role manages complex calendars, schedules meetings, prepares correspondence and contracts, and coordinates travel and events. In addition to supporting the Executive Director, this position assists program directors with administrative needs, project coordination, and tracking deliverables, enabling them to focus on strategic initiatives and program outcomes. This position serves as a primary point of contact for internal and external stakeholders, handles confidential information with discretion, and ensures timely follow-up on priorities. Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, a high level of discretion, and the ability to anticipate needs are essential for success in this role.

Essential Functions

• Performs administrative work of a confidential nature for the Executive Director and Johnson Center program directors. This support includes scheduling and managing calendars, writing correspondence, coordinating meeting agendas and notes, editing and proofreading correspondence and reports, and fulfilling office operational responsibilities.
• Develops, prepares, and/or composes responses to memos and correspondence requiring research, judgment, and discretion; routinely writes, edits and submits materials for internal/external communications.
• Tracks deadlines, action items, and project timelines for self and others to ensure follow- through on priorities for proposals, contracts, grants, projects, and meetings.
• Provides administrative support for Johnson Center programs.
• Assists with logistical aspects of special events and programs including food, facilities, materials, media services, marketing and external contracts.
• Provides pre-call and in-call coordination and support for Zoom meetings and online courses.
• Maintains the Johnson Center’s client relationship management software (Salesforce) as a “Super User.” Working with the project management team, develops internal system standards and processes for client management within Salesforce, and keeps the system updated for accuracy. Tracks, manages, and reports funding prospects and projects by opportunity in Salesforce. Trains staff in using Salesforce.
• Assists in managing the department hiring processes to ensure timely recruitment and hiring for the Johnson Center’s positions by serving as the search chair assistant for all Johnson Center searches. Schedules interviews, manages the internal hiring system (Workday), and participates in administrative onboarding of new staff.
• Conducts on a recurring basis self-initiated or program director-initiated reports and projects for analysis. Reports may include time tracking, budgets, and status updates. Proactively investigates any unusual items in the reports.
• Makes travel arrangements for department staff within stated budgets and timeframes.
• Works directly with program directors to prepare proposals and contracts for external clients for both long-term and short-term projects.
• Maintains, processes and manipulates data on a personal computer using word processing, database, and spreadsheet applications. Learns and uses new technologies to improve processes.
• Other related duties as assigned.

Non-Essential Functions

Not Applicable.

Required Qualifications

• High school graduate or equivalent.
• Minimum of four years of relevant work experience.
• Demonstrated administrative and organizational skills.
• Experience with various computer software applications such as Microsoft Office and/or equivalent.
• Data entry experience.
• Typing and spelling competency with grammar and proofreading skills.
• Possess strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated experience to successfully provide quality customer service.
• Demonstrated experience to successfully work independently, organize own work and coordinate work activities of others.
• Demonstrated experience to successfully coordinate large projects.
• Demonstrated experience to successfully handle multiple demands efficiently.
• Demonstrated experience to successfully organize and prioritize workload.
• Demonstrated experience to successfully navigate challenging situations in the workplace, while using good judgement.
• Demonstrated experience to successfully work under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Demonstrated experience to successfully maintain satisfactory work performance and attendance records.
• Ability to successfully maintain positive intercultural and interpersonal relationships.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Possesses the necessary knowledge and skills to carry out the essential functions of the position.
• Five or more years of administrative work experience with progressive responsibility.
• Excellent organizational, research, writing, and communications skills to develop relationships with internal and external customers and to understand and recognize their support requirements.
• Organized, detail-oriented, and able to work independently, establish priorities, organize work, and maintain performance under pressure and with multiple conflicting deadlines.
• Ability to speak comfortably in public settings, both in person and on online platforms such as Zoom.
• Demonstrated commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, and access, including experience working with people from diverse backgrounds and identities.
• Understanding of the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors.
• Experience of customer relationship management systems such as Salesforce.
• Experience with project management systems such as Asana.

Supervision Received

Receives minimal supervision from a designated supervisor. Much of the work is self-initiated.  Person is expected to function with considerable independence and apply appropriate policies and procedures within the assigned area of responsibility.

Supervision Exercised

Hire, train, schedule and coordinate the work of student employees and may act as lead worker to PSS staff members within the department/unit/division. 

Physical Demands

• To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. Must have the physical stamina to work long hours and/or more than 5 days per week. The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• The information contained in this job description is for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (A.D.A) and is not an exhaustive list of the duties performed for this position. Additional duties are performed by the individuals currently holding this position and additional duties may be assigned.

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