Special Assistant to the President

ABOUT US

The Freedom Together Foundation’s mission is to support people who have been denied power to build it, so they can change unjust systems and create a more democratic, inclusive, and sustainable society. We are dedicated to long-lasting, systemic change. Over the last 10 years, Freedom Together has grown to be one of the largest US foundations, awarding over $300 million in grants each year.

THE POSITION

The Freedom Together Foundation seeks nominations and applications for the position of Special Assistant to the President (SA), a member of the Office of the President (OOP) team. Joining the team at an exciting time of strategic development and team growth, the SA will work closely with the President and report to the Senior Manager, OPP. 

The Special Assistant to the President will manage projects, help the President prepare for meetings, provide inbox management support, and manage correspondence. This person will foster external relationships, assisting with relationship management–including tracking engagement efforts with important stakeholders; and cultivating, designing, and implementing strategies to support those relationships.

The ideal candidate brings exceptional organizational skills, ability to proactively develop project plans and execute towards them, and a wide range of strengths including strong written and verbal communications, and great judgment. They will bring at least 7 years of experience working in progressive movements and foundations and a deep commitment to social justice and power building. 

They will be an excellent communicator, solutions and detail-oriented, and enjoy both independent work and a team-oriented collaborative environment. They will be adaptable and flexible and able to thrive in this exciting time of expansion for the foundation.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Communications Management: The SA will manage communications and correspondence,  including 90% of email that the President receives. They will draft communications (including correspondence and social media) on behalf of the President, lift up urgent matters or VIP communications, and seamlessly route messages to team members.  
• Project Management: The SA will translate the President’s goals into specific tasks and provide a daily and weekly breakdown of time allocation to get the tasks done. They will collaborate with the Executive Coordinator and Senior Manager on calendaring. 
• Relationship Management: Track engagement efforts with important external partners and cultivate, design, and implement strategies to support those relationships, including intentional planning around regular personalized outreach. Support the President’s presence and engagement in key internal forums and facilitate internal relationship building.
• Meeting Preparation: The SA will provide substantive preparation for meetings. In order to make strategic judgments about time and needed prep, the SA will investigate who should attend, identify the ‘real’ purpose and agenda, and determine what will optimize the value of attending. They will outline what tasks need to be completed before the meeting and ensure a clear purpose and outcome. They will conduct any needed background research and then set regular reminders to make sure the President has been fully briefed before the meeting. 
• Writing and Research:  The SA will conduct research and formulate background documents as needed, including but not limited to biographies, recent media hits, brief summaries, pulling quotes, overview of programmatic/mission work, and assets research. 
• External Events: The SA will attend most meetings and external events with the President, take detailed notes, and handle all follow-up. Some out-of-state travel is expected, estimated to be a minimum of one time/month.  
• Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS, COMPETENCIES, AND BEHAVIORS

While no one candidate will embody all the qualifications below, the ideal candidate will have many of the following professional and personal abilities, attributes, and experiences:

• Passion for and commitment to Freedom Together’s mission and values.
• Relevant experience working in progressive movements and foundations. Has deep knowledge of those ecosystems.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills with the ability to draft communications on behalf of the President and take meticulous notes.
• High level of emotional intelligence, integrity, and strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to build trusting relationships and manage complex issues. 
• Implementer and excellent project manager who gets results. Skilled at completing projects and tasks. 
• Expert at impeccable follow-up and is detail-oriented in all aspects of the work.
• The proven ability to manage multiple priorities and adapt in a fast-paced and changing environment.
• Low ego; team player and willing to pitch in as needed.
• Enjoys working in both a collaborative environment and independently.
• Resourceful and finds a solution in any situation.
• Sound judgment, discretion, and integrity.
• Proficient with Google Suite and able to learn other programs to support the work.
• Capacity for frequent travel (20%), including overnight stays, required.

SALARY & BENEFITS

The starting salary range for this position is $170,000 - $215,000 annually. Freedom Together offers an extensive and generous benefits package including health insurance (with 100% of the premiums paid for employees, spouses, domestic partners, and qualified family members), paid time off (including last week of the year), 401(k) retirement plan with 12% employer contribution, and access to an inclusive family building reimbursement plan. Freedom Together provides up to $5,000 annually for professional development and the ability to recommend an annual grant to the nonprofit of your choice.

WORKING WITH FREEDOM TOGETHER

We believe that diversity is critical to our mission, and we value an inclusive culture. We strongly encourage applications from people with lived experiences related to our programs and applications from people of color, persons with disabilities, women, and LGBTQ+ individuals. The Freedom Together Foundation is an equal opportunity employer; we do not discriminate in employment based on race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, marital status, sex, gender or gender identity, age or sexual

orientation.

The Freedom Together Foundation is based in Manhattan, NY. Freedom Together staff operates on a hybrid schedule and currently works from the NYC office three days weekly, with the flexibility to work remotely two days weekly.

TO APPLY

The priority deadline to apply for this position is May 12, 2025, though applications will be considered until the position is filled. To apply, please submit a resume and answer the questions. Reach out to Jaclyn Jones at jjones@freedomtogether.org with any questions.