The Society of Family Planning advances a vision of just and equitable abortion and contraception, informed by science. By leveraging the powerful tools of science and medicine, we aim to ensure that abortion and contraception practices and policies are grounded in science and center people whose access to care is constrained by systems of oppression, and that all people have access to evidence-informed and person-centered abortion and contraception. To achieve our vision and desired impacts, we focus on the following strategies, as described in our 2023-2028 strategic plan:
Convening a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and multidisciplinary community of all engaged in the science and medicine of abortion and contraception
Supporting the production and resourcing of research primed for impact
Organizing and leveraging research primed for impact
Ensuring clinical care is evidence-informed and person-centered through guidance, medical education, and other activities
Developing and supporting leaders in abortion and contraception to transform healthcare systems, and
Aligning the organization’s governance, operations, and overall resources to be in service of the strategies designed to bring our collective vision to life.
We seek a service-oriented Assistant to the Executive Director with superb organizational skills to support the Executive Director, the Board of Directors, and the operational needs of a remote organization. The person in this position serves as a key support to the Executive Director and the board, and is essential to supporting the overall organization. This is a remote position and open to candidates living in the US. It is anticipated that the person in this position will travel approximately 15% of the time.
Specific responsibilities
Activities include, but are not limited to, those described below.
Support the Executive Director — 40%
Manage the Executive Director’s calendar and meetings, and coordinate travel arrangements
Prepare and edit communications, reports, and presentations
Organize and maintain files and records, ensuring easy retrieval and confidentiality
Prepare reimbursement requests for the Executive Director
Coordinate travel arrangements for the Executive Director
Schedule and coordinate meetings, including preparing agendas, taking minutes, and following up on action items
Assist with special projects and initiatives as directed by the Executive Director
Track project progress, deadlines, and deliverables, providing regular updates
Support the Board of Directors — 40%
Schedule and manage all meetings with the board, and board-level committees, including in-person, web, and phone-based meetings
Accurately recording minutes from all board and committee meetings
Disseminate and file all meeting notes
Track and communicate the priorities of the board and committees, keeping the Executive Director and committee leads abreast of these priorities
Manage the IT and logistics of all in-person board meetings, including supporting all audiovisual needs and handling food and beverage requests
Manage the board Box and ensuring all board documents are accessible
Manage board and committee selection process, including the collection of applications, tracking of applications, and communication to applicants
Track participation in board, committees, and subcommittees; and communicate with the Executive Director and Committee Chairs about participation
Draft and track board and committee meeting agendas
Draft the Executive Director’s reports to the board, and prepare any supporting materials for board meetings
Manage updates to board bylaws and policies as needed
Support board members’ travel and reimbursements for travel
Support organizational operations — 20%
Coordinate and support (as needed) staff meetings, manager’s meetings, or other meetings with the Executive Director in attendance
Respond to routine organizational inquiries via mail and email
Ensure office supplies are stocked and distributed
Coordinate with vendors and service providers as necessary`
Manage stored materials and distribute them
Manage the organizational PO Box, mail forwarding, and distribution of mail
Support procurement and delivery of supplies for meetings
Contribute to implementing our Annual Meeting
Bring a learning mindset to all work, and look for opportunities to identify which activities were most impactful and most used, and what strategies would improve impact and use
Qualifications Highly-qualified applicants will meet many of the qualifications below, and have clarity on areas where growth and support would be helpful to fulfilling the essential functions of the role.
Experience as an Executive Assistant, Administrative Assistant, or similar role
Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information with discretion
Excellent organizational skills with a keen eye for detail and strong time-management skills
Exemplary interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills
Self-aware and able to acknowledge and learn from mistakes
Comfortable asking questions and incorporating the wisdom of others
High level of computer literacy, including confidence using (or learning to use) Microsoft and Google suite, Asana, Box, Slack, and other digital tools
Willingness to pitch in as needed as we are a small nonprofit and everyone contributes to necessary administrative work
Commitment to the Society’s vision, mission, and programs
Salary and benefits The salary range for this position is $50,000-60,000. The benefits package is:
24 days a year of paid time off, which increase with tenure
16 paid holidays
Abbreviated Friday schedule in July
At least four weeks of fully paid family leave and six weeks of partially paid family leave
401K plan with up to 3.5% employer matching contribution
$1,500/year professional development funds
$300 remote work stipend at hire
$150 remote work stipend after first year
$100/year for expedited travel clearance programs
Up to $50 monthly internet reimbursement
Medical FSA and dependent care FSA
Application process
Interested candidates should upload a resume or CV and statement of interest here. In the statement of interest, we ask candidates to eschew the traditional cover letter format and instead answer the following in one page:
Imagine the Executive Director has a work trip planned next week. What one or two things would you want to make sure they had in their inbox before they left?
What is one idea you have for ensuring you accurately represent the Executive Director’s voice and priorities in your communications with the Board of Directors?
Share a time when you had to handle a sensitive matter. How did you ensure its confidentiality?
Application materials should be submitted in one PDF here by September 13, 2024. Applicants are encouraged to submit applications as early as possible and will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Informational interviews or advance discussion via email are not offered to ensure equity in the application process.
The Society of Family Planning (the Society) strives for just and equitable abortion and contraception, informed by science. We achieve our vision by serving as the source for science on abortion and contraception and providing support for abortion and contraception research. Our accomplishments include building a community of approximately 1,400 scholars and partners, serving as the academic home for subspecialists in complex family planning, producing 24 well-regarded clinical practice guidelines, and convening the premier scientific conference on abortion and contraception. We are also committed to funding research on abortion and contraception, and leveraging that research for impact.