Research Department Administrative Assistant

*Note: The following is an opportunity for flexible, part-time, volunteer work. Please DO NOT APPLY if you are only looking for paid employment. All positions are remote/ work-from-home.

Are you passionate about making a difference? Would you find it exciting to work with smart and talented individuals committed to producing great journalism in the public interest? Can you commit (a minimum of) 10 hours a week to our mission, working remotely on your own schedule with our far-flung, diverse team?

WhoWhatWhy is seeking a volunteer, part-time Research Department Administrative Staff Assistant to support research studies. Administrative Assistants juggle multiple projects, handle day-to-day tasks and support their team in any way they can. It is an incredible opportunity to learn rapidly, challenge your creative problem-solving skills, and gain exposure to all aspects of a rapidly growing nonprofit.

You may need to work on a flexible schedule and on a short deadline. We are looking for someone who has some availability during business hours to complete assignments by deadline.

Join a remarkable news organization and community that is making a difference, setting a new standard, and innovating on every front. A nonprofit that accepts no advertising, WhoWhatWhy is staffed largely with skilled volunteers dedicated to elevating public awareness and fostering a more vigorous democracy.

We have a very accommodating work culture. As long as you can devote enough time in a given week to seriously tackle this challenge, you’ll be able to do so on your own schedule. This is a fully remote position.

Join us!

Qualifications

• Team player who is willing to do whatever the team needs to succeed
• Interest in and knowledge of current affairs and news
• Excellent written communication and oral presentation abilities
• Accuracy, confidence, focus, high level of organizational capability, self-motivation, curiosity
• Minimum commitment of 10 hours per week
• Familiarity with Google Drive, Notion and Slack are all pluses!
• Ability to read, write, and speak English.

Responsibilities

• Write and distribute email, correspondence memos, letters, forms, etc.
• Develop and maintain a filing system
• Update and maintain department policies and procedures manuals
• Act as the point of contact between departments
• Coordinates, schedules, and attends meetings
• Prepares and sends out notices of meetings
• Compiles and prepares agenda items and other required information for meetings
• Takes, transcribes, and distributes meeting notes to the team
• Acquires recording from meeting to distribute to the team
• Supports research studies related to subject matters assigned
• Performs communication services in support of the department
• Effectively uses databases, such as Google Docs, Google Spreadsheets, Google Drive and Notion
• Design and develop products/procedures to create higher reliability
• Control the quality of the items you are working on/have worked on

Expectations

You MUST be able to attend your department’s recurring meetings (either weekly or biweekly).

Beyond these meetings, you will work on your own schedule. We ask for a minimum commitment of 6 months for at least 10 hours a week. Because our team is spread throughout the world, we rely on a combination of social networking aspects, including Slack, email, and Zoom. Team members will be expected to download their Slack, email, and Zoom applications to their personal devices to be able to respond to other team members in a timely manner.

To Apply

We will not review applications that appear to be mass submissions. To apply, send your resume and a customized cover letter, making clear you are familiar with our mission and work. You should confirm your understanding that this is a volunteer position. If there is no option to attach a cover letter, please send a cover letter to [email protected].

Please note that response emails from us sometimes end up in spam folders; don’t forget to check them. Thank you!