Job Summary: 

World Wildlife Fund (WWF), one of the world’s leading conservation organizations, seeks a Senior Administrative Assistant to support the Vice President, Native Nations Conservation and Food Systems and the Vice President, Great Plains, and Great Plains team within the WWF Conservation Department/Wildlife Program.

These two teams focus heavily on states in the Great Plains region – Montana and South Dakota in particular. The teams work closely with cattle and buffalo ranchers and with Tribal Nations. Their work and travel are often to remote and challenging locations.

This position would perform a variety of standard and occasionally complex administrative duties and responsibilities for supervisors to ensure the smooth functioning of office, department, or program using demonstrated administrative and organizational skills, and a basic knowledge of the organization and its programs and policies.

Salary: The expected compensation range for this position is $45,600 to $57,100.

Key Competencies

1. Organizational Skills. Must be able to keep track of multiple tasks, requests, calendars, and deadlines for the VP and team, without need for reminders.
2. Diplomatic Interpersonal Communication Skills: This position requires the use of high emotional intelligence and organization savvy with multiple stakeholders including Tribal nations and ranchers.
3. Attention to Detail and Accuracy. It is expected to help identify and implement processes to increase the VP and team organization. Meticulous attention to detail is required at all times.
4. Problem Solving and Initiative. Helps solve problems and figures out how to move situations forward based on VP, team and organization prioritizations.
5. Collaboration and Team Support. This position engages with all levels within the WWF organization for and on behalf of VP and team to advance team and organizational goals and initiatives.

Required Skills and Experience

• Support team travel – This team’s work is often out in the field and requires significant travel. This position would support the team’s travel arrangements in accordance with departmental and organizational policies and practices.
• Scheduling – Both primary Principals have demanding and complex schedules. This position would be responsible for managing and scheduling the full schedules of two Principals, senior staff, and occasionally larger staff/office scheduling.
• Coordinates meetings and conferences – A significant aspect of our work includes outreach with partners, ranchers, Tribal leaders, and others. This position would assist with the complex logistics and planning of conferences, special events, including attendee coordination, space and equipment rental, AV needs, catering, and material preparation.

• General office duties – s Produces and distributes documents, reports and other materials; performs miscellaneous office tasks.

• Financial support – Reviews and processes monthly payments for credit cards transactions and invoices, inputs proper coding into financial system, prepares check and/or wire requests, manages new vendor set up, and serves as the liaison with accounting to track payments. Compiles and reviews expense reports submitted by others. Assists operations team with developing preliminary data and background information for budget preparation process.

• Recordkeeping – Collects information and maintains logs, records and lists as required using Microsoft Word, Excel, or specialized databases such as SharePoint and customer relationship management (CRM) software. Reviews, validates and inputs data collected or provided by others. Identifies any problems with the data and coordinates with others to resolve problems as needed.

• Communication – Answers and routes emails and handles a variety of internal and external requests. Answers complex inquiries requiring detailed knowledge of departmental procedures, program, structure and goals.

• Collaborates with staff – Works with staff from across the organization to drive results; participates in organizational and departmental events.

• Document review and preparation – Regularly composes correspondence for self and senior staff. May help prepare proposals and contracts. Keeps electronic and physical files of documents and collateral.

• Report preparation – Prepares reports for internal staff, as well as members, donors and government staff by creating tables and charts, calculating statistics, interpreting data and assisting in writing results. May assist with compiling input for proposals and preparing for presentations.

• Performs other duties as assigned.

• 5+ years of experience with administrative or support roles
• Demonstrated ability to use computer and spreadsheet software packages – Microsoft Office Suite – to create documents, reports and logs
• Excellent organizational, analytical, grammar and proof-reading skills needed to proof and edit documents; effective writing ability necessary to prepare own correspondence.
• Ability to take initiative, prioritize, meet deadlines and complete work with minimal supervision
• Proven ability to work independently as well as collaboratively
• Ability to operate with independence, under pressure, and to meet deadlines and commitments and produce high-quality work under time constraints
• Excellent interpersonal skills requiring knowing when to use courtesy, tact and/or diplomacy to effectively communicate with all constituents

• Committed to building and strengthening a culture of inclusion within and across teams.
• Identifies and aligns with WWF’s core values:
  • COURAGE – We demonstrate courage through our actions, we work for change where it’s needed, and we inspire people and institutions to tackle the greatest threats to nature and the future of the planet, which is our home.
  • INTEGRITY – We live the principles we call on others to meet. We act with integrity, accountability and transparency, and we rely on facts and science to guide us and to ensure that we learn and evolve.
  • RESPECT – We honor the voices and knowledge of people and communities that we serve, and we work to secure their rights to a sustainable future.
  • COLLABORATION – We deliver impact at the scale of the challenges we face through the power of collective action and innovation.

Position Preferences:

• Preferred candidate will be living in Montana or South Dakota.
• Preference for candidate within driving distance from Rapid City, South Dakota or Bozeman, Montana.
• Preference for candidate with experience with rural communities in general, and ranching in particular.
• Preference for candidate with significant personal and professional experience with Tribal Nations.
• Preference for candidates with interest in wildlife conservation and buffalo restoration.