About iMentor

iMentor builds mentoring relationships that empower students in low-income communities to graduate high school, succeed in college, and achieve their ambitions. Students work with their mentors one-on-one, in-person and online, to develop strong personal relationships, nurture a college aspiration, navigate the college application process, and build critical skills that lead to college success. In New York City, Chicago, and the Bay Area, iMentor partners with public schools to ensure every student in the schools receives a mentor. iMentor also provides its curriculum, technology, and best practices to help nonprofits run effective programs in the iMentor model. Since 1999, iMentor has connected more than 25,000 students with mentors and this year, iMentor is serving nearly 9,000 students across the country. 

Entering this next five-year strategic plan, iMentor is focusing on growth and improvement, launching widespread impact strategies, financial sustainability, and deepening its diversity & equity work. Building on its track record of success supporting first-generation college students, iMentor is committed to leveraging its resources and stature to not only deepen impact programmatically, but to challenge the structures that fuel inequity and make this work necessary.

iMentor has been recognized through funding from many of the leading education funders in the country, including the Ballmer Group, the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, the Robin Hood Foundation, the Bezos Family Foundation, New Profit Inc., and the Kresge Foundation. iMentor is one of the nation’s most innovative and quickly growing college success organizations. As a team, we are collaborative, fun, bring passion and joy to our work, and deeply believe in human potential.  iMentor was recently named one of the Best Nonprofits to Work For by The Nonprofit Times.  Read more about our work and values at: http://www.imentor.org.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

We believe that people of all backgrounds deserve equal access to educational opportunities. Recognizing that our country’s history of racism and systemic oppression continues to drive educational disparities for students of color, we give special focus to addressing the economic and racial divides that impact the communities we serve. We are committed to the collective work and intentional investment necessary to consistently move in the direction of educational equity and inclusion.

Position Overview

iMentor is seeking a Special Assistant to the Chief Operating Officer to ensure that the COO is equipped with the time, key information, and ongoing support needed to lead iMentor’s national operations.  By providing critical administrative and project support, the Special Assistant enables the Operations, IT, Human Resources, Finance, Talent & Equity, Research & Evaluation, Organizational Learning, and National Program teams to work more efficiently and effectively in support of iMentor’s ambitious goals.  Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer, the Special Assistant will collaborate across the organization to write and edit, and manage calendars, meeting preparation, travel logistics, and special projects for national operations teams. This is an exciting opportunity to see how an executive-level office functions at a high-impact nonprofit, to learn about strategy development and performance management, and to gain insight into the landscape of education reform and college success.

The ideal candidate will be an exceptional writer with a passion for supporting organizational leaders to do their best work, possess superb organization and communication skills and a “can do” approach when it comes to tackling challenges, and will be able to adapt to a variety of working styles.

Responsibilities

Communications

·       Draft and edit content for internal iMentor newsletters

·       Collect, compile, and edit information for monthly Board of Directors (BOD) updates and quarterly BOD meetings

·       Facilitate communication between COO and direct reports and their teams

·       Ghost-write emails and other internal communications, as necessary

·       Collaborate with the Executive Office on org-wide internal communications work

Performance Management

·       Facilitate retreats and step-back meetings by creating agendas, collecting pre-work, assembling materials, and organizing meeting locations

·       Hold Managing Directors and other direct reports accountable to deadlines and steps in internal processes

·       Draft and publish Service Level Agreements between National Operations teams and Regions, and hold teams accountable to a high level of excellence

 

Project Support

·       Provide miscellaneous support for projects within the COO vertical

·       Draft agendas for COO-led meetings and presentations

·       Represent the COO on cross-team committees and initiatives

·       Support iMentor organization-wide initiatives, requiring occasional evening and/or weekend events
 

Administrative Support

·       Manage COO’s calendar, schedule, and contacts

·       Prepare meeting rooms in advance, including tech setup

·       Reconcile Amex charges monthly

·       Plan and book all COO travel

·       Serve as primary editor for all outgoing COO materials, checking for clarity, grammar, and flow

·       Manage intake of materials, reports, and summaries from the national operations team, and other verticals at iMentor

 

Qualifications

·       5 years + of office experience; preference for experience in nonprofit management, higher education, legal or business fields

·       Proven organization and time management skills to complete a high volume of varied responsibilities in a fast-paced setting and deadline-driven environment

·       Meticulous about details and follow up; subscribes to the belief that no task is too big or too small

·       Excellent relationship builder; able to communicate with firmness and warmth, and to demonstrate a high level of tact, discretion, humility, and diplomacy with all internal and external stakeholders. Must also demonstrate ability to maintain confidential/sensitive information

·       Self-aware with a high EQ; able to navigate a complex organizational culture and manage a diverse set of personalities and professional personas in pursuit of getting the job done

·       Superb communication skills (oral and written) with a confident, concise, clear and compelling style

·       Skilled in all aspects of planning and project management, able to take an idea from concept to completion

·       Self-directed and able to work independently; resourceful, strategic problem-solving ability with a positive attitude and a sense of humor 

·       Flexible and adaptable

·       Intellectually curious; seeks to understand, learn, and grow

·       Demonstrated alignment with iMentor's mission, values, and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

·       Views differences between individuals (race, gender, age, cultural heritage, physical ability, education, beliefs, and lifestyle) as an asset and demonstrates an appreciation of the diversity across the iMentor community.

·       Bachelor’s degree preferred

·       Our organization works in partnership with district public schools across the country. In doing so we must meet all compliance requirements of those districts.

Compensation & Benefits

·       Salary commensurate with experience

·       Up to 100% employer funded comprehensive medical and dental coverage

·       18 days paid annual vacation and 13 paid holidays, and most iMentor functions closed between Christmas and New Year’s Day

·       401K match up to 4%

·       Significant opportunities for professional development and growth

How to Apply

Visit www.imentor.org/jobs to submit a resume and detailed cover letter describing your interest in and qualifications for this position. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.  Sorry, due to the high-volume of applicants for this and other positions here at iMentor, no phone, email, mail, or fax inquiries will receive a response.  

iMentor is an Equal Opportunity Employer