Position Summary

Reporting to the Chief of Staff to the Founding Director, the Senior Administrative Manager will be responsible for providing high-level support to the Founding Director as well as implementing and managing a specific portfolio of critical work in support of the mission of the Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP) at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. Furthermore, they will serve as a central point and resource for coordination between the Founding Director’s office and senior-level staff across CGEP, and manage important partnerships with administrative offices of key partners (e.g., high-level government officials, CEOs, etc.) for the Founding Director. The Senior Administrative Manager will also oversee all administrative matters related to the Founding Director’s office, including generating reports, managing processes, and facilitating coordination meetings. The responsibilities of this role encompass essential organizational and administrative functions, including project management and execution, strategic planning support, and implementation for key organizational initiatives.

A particular focus for the organization is the impact of issues of racism, environmental justice, gender equality, and inclusion in our energy system. The Center supports a culturally diverse, inclusive, and equitable work environment, reflected across our staffing, leadership, scholarship and operations.

Responsibilities

The Senior Administrative Manager will:

• Hold ultimate responsibility for all the organizational and scheduling needs of the Founding Director, working closely with the Chief of Staff to the Founding Director to maximize the best use of their time.
• Provide recommendations to the Chief of Staff for aligning the Founding Director’s time with identified priorities; serve as a primary coordination point and workflow manager/router for scheduling. Proactively flag major conflicts and risks related to time allocation and misalignments.
• Working as a leader amongst Founding Director’s office staff, ensure appropriate staffing is assigned for the Founding Director, under the direction of the Chief of Staff and with advisement from special assistants.
• Scope out preparation and decision-making timelines aligned to major meetings, engagements, and deliverables for the Founding Director in order to ensure adequate resourcing and planning.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for addressing the Founding Director’s immediate needs; communicate and coordinate across the Founding Director’s office team and the CGEP leadership team to ensure the Founding Director is appropriately prepared and positioned to best represent the work of CGEP.
• Oversee and/or perform administrative support activities duties related to the Founding Director’s Office and CGEP.
• Coordinate performance evaluations for the leadership team, under the direction of the Chief of Staff and Founding Director.
• Maintain and manage relationships with administrative/front offices of high-level government officials, foundation and business CEOs, donors, and other important stakeholders; independently draft thoughtful, clear, and diplomatic communications, assessing contextual and political factors accurately.
• Interface with CGEP’s senior staff and their teams on meeting and meeting preparation with the Founding Director.
• Research and conduct background on engagement opportunities for the Founding Director.
• Advise the Chief of Staff on key priorities and decision points for the Founding Director and his office; follow up on action items on behalf of the Founding Director and Chief of Staff.
• Supervise an Executive Assistant to ensure that the Founding Director is prepared for travel (e.g., travel, accommodations, technology, business cards) and that the Founding Director’s physical briefing and travel books are complete.
• Directly manage an Executive Assistant who is responsible for day-to-day scheduling and travel arrangements, monthly travel and expense reconciliation, and other administrative functions for CGEP’s research scholar(s); oversee, ensure, and be accountable for timely reconciliation.
• Manage sensitive matters with a high level of confidentiality and discretion.
• Organize documents and briefing memos as needed for the Director’s meetings.
• Support the execution of special projects as directed.
• Support the Center’s strategic planning process, working closely with the Chief Strategy Officer, Research Director, and Executive Director, and their teams.
• Support and foster an inclusive workplace where diversity and individual differences are valued and leveraged to achieve the vision and mission of the organization.
• Participate in other ad-hoc initiatives/projects as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Minimum of four years of related experience.
• The ability to handle complex situations and multiple responsibilities that mix long-term deadlines with immediate demands.
• The ability to deal with highly confidential information and act as a liaison between key stakeholders, both internal and external.
• The skills to collaborate with and achieve actionable results in partnership with others.
• The ability to build strong and sustainable relationships.
• The capability to interact effectively with all levels of an organization.
• Excellent communication skills—written and verbal
• Computer fluency and proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and G-Suite.
• Interest in the Center’s mission and areas of focus.
• Some night and weekend availability is essential.
• Ability to foster an inclusive workplace where diversity and individual differences are valued and leveraged to achieve the vision and mission of the organization.

Preferred Qualifications

• 10+ years of related experience.
• Master’s degree.
• Experience in an academic setting.
• Experience with an organization focused on energy and climate issues.
• Familiarity and functional competency with Salesforce, Concur, Google Workspace, Project Management Tools (e.g., Monday.com, Asana), and Zoom.