21st-century executive assistant and operations manager | Social Signal

UPDATE: Deadline extended to December 5, 2008.

Social Signal is offering a great opportunity to be part of a team of smart, creative people who are making a difference in the world. If you have top-notch skills at getting things done and keeping them organized, you can put those skills to work on projects that speak to your passion for social change. And you’ll find that the joy of working with kindred spirits can be matched by the thrill of helping our team do its best work and our business to thrive.

WHO WE ARE: Social Signal puts the web to work for sustainability and social change, helping businesses, non-profits and governments turn online communities into a powerful force for progress. We’ve built a large network of local, national and international colleagues and clients that you’ll work with on a regular basis.

Maintaining a healthy balance with our lives outside the workplace lets us give our clients and their projects our very best. And our pride in the team we’ve built means we work hard to recognize the contribution each person makes to our efforts—and to support and acknowledge their commitments outside the company, too.

WHO WE NEED: We’re looking for an organized, get-it-done person who shares our commitment to social change and is comfortable with the online world.  As the seventh member of our team, you’ll work closely with our CEO, Alexandra Samuel, to provide excellent client service and support day-to-day business operations. You'll manage scheduling and communications, track deadlines and priorities, assist in the creation of contracts and documents, do our financial record-keeping, and ensure our office runs smoothly. You’ll be the first point of contact for Social Signal and manage the behind-the-scenes details that help us all put our best feet forward.

You need to be a clear communicator, detail-oriented, self-motivated, and someone who gets a lot of satisfaction from helping other people do their best work. As a small team we all spend lots of time working independently, so you need to thrive both in close collaboration and on stretches of solo work. You get a lot done in the course of a day, and your colleagues enjoy working with you.

You don't need to be a hard-core techie, but you do need to be the kind of person who likes to keep your work organized on a computer, since we do all of our scheduling, project management and much of our communication online. So long as you like learning how to work with new software tools, we can help you learn the tech skills you need to be a 21st-century E.A.

If you enjoy working in a stimulating environment with creative, warm people, you'll find that that our bustling pace is balanced by our sense of playfulness and our friendly working relationships -- which we hope will include a particularly productive and warm working relationship between you and our CEO. We’re looking for that beautiful mind-meld that happens when you believe in the mission you’re supporting, and get the full appreciation your contribution deserves.

WHAT YOU'LL DO: You’ll work closely with Social Signal’s team of strategists to ensure excellence in client service, timeliness in all our communications, productive use of our resources, and smooth internal operations.

As the executive assistant to Alexandra Samuel, you'll be intimately involved in all aspects of our work. Alex is a high-energy, creative person who appreciates the people who help her make the best use of her time and deliver the best results. 

In this capacity you’ll:

• manage Alex's schedule, including scheduling work priorities against pending deadlines
• review incoming mail and e-mail, responding or referring for action
• liaise with clients and address or refer questions and requests
• assist in preparing contracts and deliverable documents
• respond to inquiries about Social Signal
• organize events
• book travel and accommodation
• tackle a wide range of business and personal projects, from organizing business cards to making dental appointments

As the operations manager you’ll be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the business. Your work will include:

• financial record-keeping
• invoicing and billing
• organizing files and documents both on- and offline
• keeping the office organized and supplied
• producing documents for distribution to clients
  

WHO YOU ARE: You’re reliable, well-organized and detail-oriented. You enjoy working as part of a team, but you are also able to work independently and identify tasks for yourself. You like knowing that the work you’ve done each day has made a real difference – to your colleagues and the world. You are comfortable learning how to use new pieces of software and excited (or at least intrigued) by the idea of working with a tech-savvy team.

This is a full-time, mid-level position for someone who is looking for a job with long-run potential. Compensation will be commensurate with skills and experience.

HOW TO APPLY: Please e-mail a résumé, cover letter and salary expectations to hiring@socialsignal.com by December 5, 2008. We will consider applications as we receive them, so please submit as soon as possible. Tell us why you’d like to work for Social Signal, and please describe your relevant skills and professional or volunteer experiences. We want to hear about your community, advocacy or arts experiences as much as about your work experience and administrative skills. We’re particularly interested in hearing about your:

• interpersonal skills (working well with a range of people)
  
• organizational and time management skills
• tech skills (Mac/Windows/Linux, software programs you know, web sites or services you use)
• solid writing and communication skills

• administrative, support, office management or assistant work
• situations where you’ve been responsible for financial record-keeping, invoicing or billing
• work or volunteer experience with community organizations, socially-oriented businesses or government agencies
• situations where you have demonstrated great organizational skills or managed details (e.g. event planning, project management)
• situations where you’ve worked independently with minimal supervision
• situations where you’ve gone the extra mile to get the job done
• professional or personal projects that have required you to learn a new software tool or technical skill
• situations where you’ve managed or written correspondence (including e-mail)

• community groups, creative projects or issues you’re involved in

• bookkeeping skills or experience
• writing experience (including blogging) or writing samples
  
• experience creating PowerPoint presentations or slideshows
• experience creating or designing documents (e.g. using styles and tables in Word)
• knowledge of specialized or advanced software tools (e.g. PhotoShop, InDesign, Flickr, Basecamp)

We look forward to hearing from you!