Communications and Administrative Coordinator

(Board Liaison)

Salary Range: $50,000-$60,000

Location: Anchorage, AK

 

The Communications and Administrative Coordinator position is designed for a highly organized, detail-oriented, adept communicator who finds joy in supporting programs and operations. The position will play a vital role in ensuring our staff, board, and office have the resources, systems and support to advance our mission and thrive.

 

About the Alaska Humanities Forum (AKHF)

The Alaska Humanities Forum connects Alaskans through stories, ideas and experiences that inspire understanding and strengthen community. We believe many of the challenges facing our communities are rooted in a lack of connection, understanding, and communication. Using the humanities - literature and storytelling, history, art, music, philosophy, our shared cultural heritage - we design and facilitate experiences that help Alaskans better understand themselves, one another, and the world around them. 

 

We offer different programming to meet our mission: Community Conversations gather Alaskans with diverse perspectives to talk about challenging issues and build trust; Cultural Competency programs help educators and other people-serving professionals develop culturally responsive practices; Leadership Development programs cultivate agency and empathetic leadership among community-minded Alaskans; Storytelling programs uplift storytellers and amplify stories that deepen our understanding of ourselves and our state; Youth Empowerment programs support young people in building confident identities, cultural grounding, and supportive networks; and Grants invest in Alaskans’ efforts to strengthen our communities. 

Founded in 1972, the Alaska Humanities Forum is one of 56 state and territorial councils supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities. 

 

Position Description

The Communications and Administrative Coordinator will provide operational, programmatic, and communications support to the Forum under Supervision of the Director of Development and Communications. 

 

Major Areas of Responsibility

Communication

• Enter and update information into our donor database management system;

• Execute donor communications, including thank you letters;

• Assist with social media and online communications;

• Assist programs with external communications (event promotion, recruitment);

• Help organize and coordinate key external stakeholder meetings.

• Attend and provide on-site administration for annual organization fundraisers. 

 

Administration 

   Office & Operations Support

• Greet and direct visitors and guests when they come to the office;

• Ensure the office and main phone line is staffed during regular office hours;

• Manage organization of office systems;

• Oversee maintenance of office equipment and procurement of office & kitchen supplies;

• Act as primary contact with facilities management and distribute related employee resources including key cards, parking passes, etc.;

• Act as the point of contact with IT providers; 

• File physical and electronic contract and financial records;

• Manage mail, including distribution and oversight of mailing lists;

• Upload accounts payable on a weekly basis and perform check runs and deposits;

• Develop vendor relationships and coordinate vendors for organization activities;

• Assist CEO and VPs with administrative tasks as needed, including travel planning; 

• Assist with scheduling office activities including staff meetings, trainings and retreats;

• Manage an internal calendar of organization activities;

• Communicate with staff about routine requirements e.g. timesheets and forms;

• Assist with on-boarding and off-boarding of employees;

 

    Program Support

• Assist with promotion, logistics, and on-site administration of workshops and events;

• Book participant and staff travel to/from rural Alaska 

• Coordinate event registration tracking and support;

• Coordinate catering and provide set-up and clean-up for workshops and events;

• Provide administrative support for annual awards programs and regrants.

 

Board Liaison

• Assist CEO in scheduling, organizing and supporting four quarterly Board meetings: document distribution, communications, logistics; travel; notes/recording minutes; 

• Attend designated monthly Board committee meetings and Board orientation;

• Prepare, maintain, and file board records and documents;

• Communicate with board members regarding board materials, scheduling, and logistics.

 

Keys to Success

A successful candidate for this position will have the following mindset and approaches to the job:

• Relationship-building: Your job requires you to engage and support people from different backgrounds, perspectives, and approaches. This includes all staff, board, and external stakeholders. You aspire to make connections with people, build trust and understanding, and approach the smallest and largest of tasks with a team-oriented mindset.

• Attention to detail: You aim to leave things better than you found them. As the owner of office systems and tools,  and a writer and reviewer of written communications, you notice and fix errors that others might overlook. When mistakes happen, you address them quickly and look for ways to prevent similar errors. 

• Adaptability and problem solving: You are always ready to take advantage of unexpected opportunities and address obstacles. You look for the root of both simple and complex problems, so you can seek solutions. You approach work with a spirit of “yes” and adapt as things change. You’re ready to learn new tools required for your job, quickly. 

• High volume, high efficiency: We’re a dynamic organization with lots of activity! Your job is to make it easy for our team members to do their jobs. You maintain systems for keeping tasks from slipping through the cracks. You can juggle competing demands and prioritize without sacrificing quality. You complete routine tasks efficiently and effectively. You get back to people in a timely manner and take pride in providing clear, helpful information. 

Position Requirements 

• Must support and believe in the mission of the Alaska Humanities Forum; 

• Must be committed to supporting an equitable and inclusive organizational culture;

• Demonstrated administrative and operations experience (e.g. data entry; document review and organization, travel logistics, familiarity with office systems and equipment, board support and logistics);

• Demonstrated communications experience (e.g. customer service; engaging diverse audiences; written and oral communications)

• Must have own transportation and reliable personal vehicle to support transporting supplies and travel to bank;

• Must be able to pass state and federal background checks;

• Must have a valid driver’s license;

• Ability to lift 35 lbs;

• Ability to participate in virtual meetings for up to four hours with short breaks;

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, G-Suite, Zoom. Familiarity with Quickbooks preferred.

 

Conditions of Employment

The annual salary range for this position is between $50,000-$60,000  depending on experience. The position is an exempt, full-time position, with a regular weekday work schedule of 40 hours per week. This position will involve occasional evening and weekend work with advance notice.  

 

Benefits include medical, vision and dental insurance, ten paid holidays per year, nine earned paid time off hours each pay period, a 403(b)-retirement plan with match (after 6 months), and up to six weeks per year of paid parental leave. All staff receive annual professional development support and there are opportunities for growth in this position. The position is based at the Alaska Humanities Forum offices in Anchorage, with the possibility of working remotely occasionally.

 

Application and Hire Date: To be considered for this position visit https://alaskahumanitiesforum.bamboohr.com/careers First review of applications will occur on Monday, May 6th.

Equal Opportunity Statement:

At the Alaska Humanities Forum, we are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), national origin, age, physical and mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information (including characteristics and testing), military and veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We believe that diversity and inclusion among our employees is critical to our success, and we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. 

 

Contact for Questions

For questions about this position, contact Amanda Dale at adale@akhf.org or 202-329-0062.