Special Assistant, Client Development

Special Assistant, Client Development, San Francisco

You are mission driven and action oriented. You love to get involved, and work as part of a team to accomplish something great. Any job is your job if it helps the team succeed, and you thrive on variety. Today, you’re looking for a role where you can use those traits to make a real difference in the world by advancing the most important social issues facing humanity today.

If that sounds like you, Arabella Advisors can’t wait to meet you.

We’re looking for a resourceful, detail-oriented, organized, high-performing individual to serve as a special assistant to our West Business Development team lead. You will have unparalleled access to mentorship from senior leaders at Arabella, and the chance to interact daily with the nation’s most impactful changemakers and philanthropists. This role is an ideal launchpad for a career in philanthropy or the social sector.

Essential Responsibilities

• Provide primary administrative and special project support to West Business Development team lead.
• Handle all requests for meetings, appointments, and scheduling
• Manage travel logistics, timesheets, and expense reports
• Oversee entry and maintenance of all West BD team lead contacts, including prospects and clients
• Use Salesforce reporting to track, update, and manage revenue pipelines
• Coordinate logistics for internal and external meetings and speaking engagements, including event logistics, set up, clean up, and run of show
• Conduct research on foundations and nonprofits in preparation for meetings and events
• Attend and participate in meetings on an as needed basis
• Oversee special projects and autonomous assignments as required

To be successful in this role you’ll need:

• Demonstrated experience anticipating the needs of a senior leader and planning time and materials appropriately
• High degree of organization and attention to detail and ability to manage and make progress on multiple projects simultaneously
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and ability to draft high quality written materials and correspondence
• Strong work ethic, positive attitude, and a willingness to be flexible and do whatever it takes to get the job done
• Sound judgment, maturity, and the ability to handle sensitive information with discretion and poise
• Proficiency in Microsoft Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel and experience with Salesforce
• Flexibility, initiative, and entrepreneurial spirit
• Ability to work cooperatively and across teams

Our Core Competencies:

• [Service Excellence] Ability to provide excellent, including the ability to efficiently and independently address routine service matters, to suggest effective client-centered solutions when elevating challenges or concerns, and to understand how the team can operate to maintain high-quality service.
• [Project and Task Management] The ability to complete complex tasks, to use a work plan to undertake projects, and to understand how those projects impact the client, team, and/or firm’s objectives
• [Stakeholder Management] The ability to understand stakeholders’ perspectives and circumstances, and to build and manage strong relationships that reflect that understanding.
• [Communication] The ability to communicate clearly, concisely, and professionally, including the ability to adapt style, tone, and content to various audiences; to make technical information accessible to broader audiences; and to collaborate with others to produce strong written deliverables
• [Collaboration] The ability to work cooperatively and inclusively with others to achieve shared goals, including knowing when and how to compromise, being willing to proactively help colleagues, and sharing knowledge in various mediums
• [Continuous Learning] An enthusiasm for taking on stretch and development opportunities, including the ability to accept feedback and use it to improve performance
• [Resourcefulness] The ability to take ownership and be creative and solutions-oriented when encountering challenges that don’t have obvious answers, including knowing when to elevate challenges along with possible solutions
• [DEI] Demonstrate the ability to bring an understanding of how privilege and marginalization affect their interactions and work with others

About Arabella Advisors

Arabella Advisors helps foundations, philanthropists and investors who are serious about impact achieve the greatest good with their resources. We work on issues ranging from the social and economic advancement of women and girls, and conservation of our climate and planet, to reducing poverty and inequity in the United States and around the world. Our staff members are mission-driven and action-oriented, and have a unique combination of experience in philanthropy, business, nonprofits, government, finance, law, and other fields. We combine creative, strategic thinking with knowledge and networks developed through decades of hands-on experience. The fastest-growing philanthropic advisory firm in the nation, Arabella is also a certified B Corporation.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
Advancing DEI within our firm and in our work with partners is critical to our mission. To be effective partners to philanthropists, nonprofits, and communities impacted by philanthropic dollars, we need to have a highly diverse staff, a workplace where individuals are encouraged to retain their uniqueness and can feel a sense of belonging, and a nuanced understanding of the racial, ethnic, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, and other disparities that undergird the issues we engage in and the interactions we have with one another. For us, equity means that our staff members, our clients, and the people they serve can experience the same level of success, no matter their starting place. We expect all our employees to share this commitment, and always seek ways to improve how well we live these values. Click here to learn more about DEI at Arabella and read our official DEI statement.

Working with Us

While this position must be based in San Francisco, please note that due to COVID-19, all Arabella Advisors' offices are closed, and we remain a remote-first organization until further notice. We have a strong firm culture rooted in collaboration and in-person interactions between colleagues. To that end, once our offices reopen it is our expectation that all staff will generally work from the office according to a schedule agreed upon with their supervisor.

We offer a competitive and holistic total rewards package that includes salary, bonus, and benefits. Our base salaries are based on a blend of similar sized organizations from different sectors, including nonprofits, foundations, and professional service firms. They are also based on local market rates and differentiated by geography. You’ll start with 16 days of vacation, 10 days of personal time, and 20 hours of paid time to volunteer at an organization of your choice. In addition to seven federal holidays, you get to pick four more from a list of inclusive cultural and religious holidays and your birthday. Our competitive health package includes medical, vision, dental, and prescription insurance, and our retirement package includes a 401(k) plan that is fully vested from day one. We also provide funds for professional development, a fitness benefit, and cover part of your personal cell phone plan.

We are committed to having a passion-driven, inclusive, transparent, collaborative, healthy, and fun culture. We invite you to visit our careers page to learn more.

How to apply

Submit a resume and a one-page cover letter online. The cover letter should address why you’re excited to work at Arabella and why you’re qualified for this specific job.

Arabella Advisors is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to racial equity. If we can make the application process easier through accommodation in the recruitment process, please let us know.

We encourage you to read (or listen to) our DEI statement prior to applying. We make a particular effort to recruit people of color and members of marginalized groups to apply for open positions. Once you have applied, we welcome your feedback on how you have experienced our values around DEI in the recruitment process.

While Arabella is open to individuals from various locations applying to join our team, please note that we generally are unable to pay for relocation expenses.

We will review applications as they are received and look forward to hearing from you.

Job Type: Full-time