Administrative Assistant To The CEO

DEPARTMENT: Admin/Community Outreach

REPORTS TO: CEO

LOCATION: Sebastopol HQ and Remote

FLSA STATUS: Regular, Part-Time, Non-Exempt

HOURS: 30 per week

POSITION SUMMARY

This role works directly with the Chief Executive Officer providing general administrative support and coordinating key areas of work including the National Affiliate Program and the Board of Directors. This role also works in partnership with the CEO to lead and coordinate Ceres’ policy work including the Staff Policy Work Group, relationships with elected officials, and helping to represent Ceres on various multistakeholder collaboratives

The ideal candidate can interact in a professional way through email, phone and in-person with a wide range of people; maintain confidentially about sensitive issues; work in a rapidly changing environment with multiple priorities; communicate effectively in person and in writing; and display initiative, personal tact, integrity and good judgement.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

CEO Administrative & Board Liaison (55%)

• Assist in managing CEO’s schedule and email; schedule
• Support a variety of in-house meetings with agenda preparation, note taking and distribution, and follow-up on action items.
• Develop and manage CEO’s LinkedIn account with at least two to three posts per week.
• Work with the CEO and board co-chairs to support the effective functioning of the Board of Directors, including but not limited to:
  • Managing the onboarding of new board members
  • Providing support and technical assistance for board and committee meetings
• Perform special projects and other duties as assigned.
• Provide a wide variety of general administrative support as needed, including using excel, Salesforce and PowerPoint.
• Maintain a high level of confidentiality in completing projects involving other employees, clients and/or funders. Projects may include copying or scanning personal and confidential documents, as well as preparing documents that include confidential and protected
• Provide coordination and support to the Women’s Leadership Collaborative as needed throughout the year (Ceres is the admin lead for the CFSC grant):

  • Organize annual retreat including contract with Bodega Bay Lodge

  • Setting up meeting schedule (in-person and zoom)

  • Managing lunch orders and tracking and reimbursement of expenses

  • Other admin support as needed.

Policy Coordination (30%)

• Lead and coordinate the work of the Policy Staff Work Group (PSWG) including developing and managing annual goals and setting the monthly agenda and facilitating meetings.
• Help plan and lead trainings about Ceres’ policy work with staff, youth, adult volunteers, the board and other stakeholders.
• Follow and track policy work of key partners; communicate important external work to CEO and SPWG; identify and act on opportunities for Ceres to support, comment on, promote and educate about policy
• Manage relationships with elected officials, ensuring we have accurate contact information for key staffers, that we keep electees updated on key areas of Ceres’ work and that we reach out for an in-person meeting at least once a year including for holiday meal delivery.
• Represent Ceres both with and in place of CEO at various public health and policy meetings and webinars, capturing important items and reporting

Develop and manage social media efforts to promote and advance Ceres’ policy agenda and standing, including writing some of the Nourishing Discourse series

National Affiliate Program Coordination (15%)

• Provide overall coordination of Ceres’ National Affiliate Program to support participation in the program and success of our affiliates.

  • Receive, respond to, track and manage inquiries related to the National Affiliate Program and training.

  • With relevant staff, establish and manage the schedule for technical assistance calls related to the Client Program, Youth Program, Culinary Program and Volunteer Program. With staff leads, facilitate calls, take and report notes, and manage follow-up items.

  • Take notes for the monthly CEO/ED call and manage follow-up items.

  • Help plan and coordinate an annual Affiliate Convening.

  • Conduct annual survey to gather collective data.

  • Ensure affiliates are invoiced for and pay annual dues.

  • Schedule, coordinate and provide support for trainings.

Qualifications

• A commitment to Ceres Community Project’s Mission and Operating

• Ability to manage and follow-through on multiple tasks on timeline.

• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.

• Excellent written and verbal communications skills and the ability to communicate warmly and clearly.

• Experience writing about policy issues a plus.

• Ability to maintain confidentiality.

• Proficient in MS Office including excel and power point.

• Experience with using Salesforce or other CRM databases a plus, including running basic

• Ability and desire to be in a work environment that values working as a team, relationships, and giving and receiving honest feedback.

• Has a good awareness of self.

• Ability to problem solve and ask for help when needed

• BA or BS in public health or public policy a plus.

Physical Demands/Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a staff member to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand or sit at a workstation; use hands and fingers to operate a computer keyboard and mouse; talk and hear to communicate with coworkers.
• Light to moderate lifting of up to 20 pounds, bending, stooping and climbing a ladder is occasionally required.
• The work environment is primarily indoors with the majority of time spent sitting at a desk, on the phone or a computer, with moderate noise (office equipment, conversation from adjacent coworkers) in the background.
• Must be able to sit or stand at a computer terminal for an extended period of time.

COVID-19

Ceres is following the guidance and requirements of the health departments of Sonoma and Marin counties and the state of California. We have protocols in place for prevention of and response to COVID-19 and all new staff will be briefed on these in their onboarding. We need a commitment from all staff that they will abide by these protocols.

Operating Principles

• Heart Centered & Love Guided - We are committed to expressing love, trust, respect and integrity in our lives, work, and organization.

• Everything Matters - Nothing is left out. We work to have every action and choice lead to the greatest positive impact.

• Young People are the Future - Young People are intelligent, responsible, capable, creative, and caring, and must be central participants in shaping our collective future.

• Equitable, Diverse, and Inclusive - We commit to championing policies and practices of social equity that build a diverse, inclusive, and healthy workplace and food system.

Ceres Organization

Founded in 2007, Ceres Community Project works to build healthy communities by restoring whole, organic and locally grown food to its place as the foundation of health, empowering youth, and connecting people in heart-centered ways to others and the earth.

Ceres Community Project's main program, Healing Meals for Healthy Communities, provides free and low-cost nourishing organic meals, nutrition education and caring support to people facing serious illness. All of the meals are prepared by teens that learn about growing, cooking and eating healthy whole foods and the connection between diet and health, develop life and work-ready skills, and discover their power to make a difference. The Healing Meals Program improves healthy eating behaviors among clients, teens and adult volunteers and educates the whole community about the link between healthy eating and the health of both people and planet. It also strengthens the social fabric of the community, another factor that is at the root of health. In times of disaster, Ceres is an emergency nutrition provider for our community.

In addition to operating three program sites in Marin and Sonoma counties, Ceres has trained 13 communities nationally to replicate our model. We are also active at the state and national level in advocating for policies that support equitable access to healthy food and health care, including reimbursement for medically tailored meals by insurers. For more information, please visit www.ceresproject.org.

Ceres Community Project is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All employment decisions at Ceres are made without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin/ancestry, age, disability, marital & veteran status or any other status protected by laws or regulations.