The Ford Foundation seeks a Special Assistant to serve as the primary point of contact for scheduling, travel, and logistical support for the Foundation's Board of Trustees, while also providing calendar and administrative support to the Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary (CLO). Reporting to the Director, Board & Legal Operations, this role sits at the intersection of board operations and executive support, working closely with the Legal Services and Grants Compliance teams.
Responsibilities:
- Board & Trustee Support: own heavy scheduling for Board, Committee and other Trustee-related meetings; coordinate Trustee travel to New York and off-site Board meetings; serve as day-to-day contact for Trustees and their assistants; collect materials and post them to the board portal; coordinate with AV and events teams; review Trustee expense reports and vendor invoices for accuracy and policy compliance; handle confidential, sensitive Board material with discretion.
- Support of the CLO: facilitate daily planning and processes for the office; manage Google calendars and scheduling commitments; plan logistics for on-site and off-site meetings; prepare and manage domestic and international travel itineraries; initiate, submit and track expense documentation; prepare meeting materials; manage and respond to inquiries on the CLO's behalf; liaise with facilities, IT/AV, catering and other departments.
- Team and Operations: develop a deep understanding of Foundation operations; maintain operational records, including confidential documents and record retention; coordinate within the administrative/EA cohort and support onboarding of new administrative staff.
Requirements:
- 4+ years of experience supporting senior executives, ideally including exposure to board or governance operations.
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent relevant experience.
- High attention to detail, exceptional judgment and discretion with confidential legal and governance material.
- Ability to manage complex, competing calendars and priorities across multiple principals.
- Extensive experience developing and managing domestic and international travel itineraries; experience with expense processing, vendor invoice review and budget tracking.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Experience with GSuite, Microsoft Office and workflow/collaboration tools; AI productivity experience is a plus.
The position is based in the New York office with a hybrid model (three days per week in office). Starting salary: $103,000. Permanent, full-time. Not eligible for visa sponsorship; candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States.
Closing date: 2026-11-10
HOW TO APPLY:
Submit both a resume and cover letter via the Ford Foundation Workday careers page. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis; early application is encouraged.
https://fordfoundation.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/FordFoundationCareerPage/job/New-York-USA/Special-Assistant--Board-and-Legal-Operations_R1305/apply