Administrative Assistant

Organization

The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust (“Helmsley”) is a global philanthropy driven by a vision of building better futures for people by increasing access to healthcare, advancing new research and ideas, and improving the quality of everyday life. Helmsley strives to make a meaningful impact in its focus areas, matching its significant financial assets with a rigorous and results-oriented approach. Helmsley is committed to close and productive partnerships with its grantees, as well as with other funders and impact players in government, academia, and the private sector who share its interests and goals. Above all, Helmsley endeavors to be forward-thinking in every aspect of its work and will take risks that others cannot or will not take when the risk/reward trade-off warrants.

Since 2008, when Helmsley began its active grantmaking, it has committed more than $4.5 billion. For more information on Helmsley, please visit https://helmsleytrust.org/.

The Vulnerable Children in Sub-Saharan Africa Program (VCSSA Program)

The Helmsley Charitable Trust funds holistic programs to help ensure the well-being of children and families in remote communities in sub-Saharan Africa. We learn from the communities themselves what they need to thrive. Building resilience is at the core of our grantmaking. We work with rural communities in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Zambia.

Our work falls under two overarching pillars. The first, increasing access to quality healthcare, focuses on maternal and infant health outcomes, fighting neglected tropical diseases and strengthening healthcare ecosystems. Under our second pillar, we aim to build rural health infrastructure and strengthen economic development.

Position Summary

The Helmsley Charitable Trust seeks an Administrative Assistant to directly support the Vulnerable Children in Sub-Saharan Africa program, staff and operations. Responsibilities include managing phone calls, managing calendars, making meeting and travel arrangements, completing expense reports, and other duties as assigned.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Maintain calendars, schedule meetings and calls, create and submit expense reports, and make travel arrangements (international and domestic), including ground transportation, flights and hotel arrangements for VCSSA program staff.
• Coordinate logistics for on- and off-site meetings, including but not limited to booking venues, scheduling, catering / hospitality, travel arrangements, virtual meeting organization and set-up, gathering and distributing meeting materials, and technical support.
• Work closely with other colleagues and partner with Trustee Executive Assistant to coordinate joint meetings and travel planning as needed.
• Provide international travel information to and coordinate logistics and security protocols with relevant Helmsley operations personnel and contractors as needed.
• Work closely with NYC office operations to register guests, coordinate IT, A/V and hospitality needs for team and be overall point of contact for program staff.
• Facilitate and monitor Helmsley’s signature process via DocuSign ensuring appropriate signatures from senior staff on necessary documents.
• Serve as the main point of contact for general inquiries regarding the VCSSA program.
• Coordinate with accounting to ensure timely processing of invoices, contracts, and other time sensitive documents.
• Support the VCSSA team to organize and maintain grantee and proposal files, concept notes and inquiries; assist in keeping central files and call logs current.
• Assist in program research and data gathering related to travel logistics and security considerations.
• Assist other staff members on an ad-hoc basis during peak seasons and perform other duties as required.

Desired Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience
• Minimum 3 years’ experience as an administrative assistant
• Demonstrated experience planning and coordinating domestic and international travel, meetings/events, and hospitality required (experience planning travel within Sub-Saharan Africa preferred)
• Strong attention to detail
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills and strong collaborative spirit
• Able to maintain confidentiality of information
• Strong grammar, writing, proofreading, and editing skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel), Concur and NetSuite expense management systems and Zoom
• Familiarity with the nonprofit and philanthropy sectors is a plus

Salary, Health, Well-being, and Living Our Mission

Helmsley is dedicated to creating stronger, healthier futures for communities in the U.S. and around the world. Our staff are subject matter experts from a range of backgrounds in basic science, global health, and precision medicine, as well as the private sector and public policy.

Helmsley colleagues are intelligent, creative, forward thinking, and strongly committed to working productively with our grantee partners. Each was drawn to Helmsley by the same opportunity: to help build this young organization into a leading global charitable institution that will drive meaningful and measurable positive change in lives throughout the U.S. and around the world for years to come.

Helmsley is committed to offering competitive and equitable compensation commensurate with experience. The targeted starting salary range for this position is $71,000-$79,000.

Comprehensive benefits currently offered to employees (subject to change) include:

• Employer-paid medical, dental, and vision for employees and their families
• Generous 401(k) employer contribution
• Hybrid work schedule (up to two remote days a week)
• 23+ paid vacation and sick days
• 13+ paid holidays
• End of year office closure
• Summer Fridays
• Tuition reimbursement
• Personal and team professional development opportunities

Application Information

To apply for this position, please submit a cover letter and resume (in Word or PDF format) to the posting listed on the Helmsley Career Page. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application process, please contact HR@helmsleytrust.org.

The position is based at Helmsley’s main office in New York City. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.

All persons hired must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for employment-based visa sponsorship now or in the future. Helmsley will not sponsor applicants for U.S. work visa status for this opportunity (no sponsorship is available for H-1B, L-1, TN, O-1, E-3, H-1B1, F-1, J-1, OPT, CPT or any other employment-based visa).

Except when working remotely as permitted by Helmsley’s temporary hybrid work policy, the ability to work and collaborate in person with colleagues at Helmsley’s office is an essential function of this job.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the incumbent(s) of this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and activities required for the position. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

Helmsley provides equal employment and promotional opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment based upon individual capabilities and qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, pregnancy, sexual orientation, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic as established under law.