WHO WE ARE

FWD.us is a policy organization working to advance better and more politically resilient solutions on criminal justice and immigration. For too long, our harmful criminal justice and immigration systems have held us back and been weaponized in ways that undermine our nation’s promise and democratic ideals. For over a decade, FWD.us has advanced criminal justice and immigration reforms that expanded freedom and opportunities to tens of millions of people in the United States. Working with partners in red, blue, and purple jurisdictions, we have secured legislative and judicial victories and executive actions despite often-challenging political conditions.

FWD.us seeks an Executive Assistant (EA) to support and work closely alongside the President. A successful EA is someone who demonstrates excellent stewardship of everyday administrative functions, is dedicated to the work of immigration and criminal justice reform, and is energized by the challenging and fast-paced work of responding to and shaping the political moment.

This position is located in Washington, D.C., with some travel and flexibility in work hours expected. This position will report to the President and work closely with the Executive Office team, including the Executive Director, Chief of Staff, and Manager. Candidates who have been directly impacted by the immigration and/or criminal justice systems are encouraged to apply.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The Executive Assistant will ensure on a daily basis that the President is well-staffed to carry out the mission of the organization, and play a key role in the Executive Office by holding a portfolio of administrative and project management functions. The primary responsibility of the Executive Assistant will be to support the President in an administrative capacity by scheduling meetings, coordinating communications, and managing processes to track workflow and priorities. The position will include both the opportunity to hone administrative expertise and to work alongside the organization’s President in support of legislative advocacy, press engagement, and other projects.

FWD.us operates nationally and the President is based in our D.C. Headquarter Office. Given the time sensitive nature of our work and the different jurisdictions in which we operate, the person in this role will be asked to support early morning, evening, and weekend meetings and events at times.

What you’ll do:

• Manage the President’s calendar, including scheduling internal and external meetings, working across staff calendars and with outside partners, and looking ahead to flag conflicts and any needed preparation for upcoming meetings.
• Oversee meeting preparation and technical support, including working with staff to compile any needed background information and managing the logistics for Zoom meetings or webinars.
• Support internal document tracking, approvals, and communications for the President, in close coordination with the Executive Office team.
• Draft and track email and other correspondence on behalf of the President.
• Draft memos or other written products for internal or external audiences on behalf of the President and Executive Office team.
• Work alongside the Operations team to support budget and financial approvals.
• Coordinate travel, event and logistical needs, and process expense reports for the President and Executive Director.
• Assist the Executive Office with other needs or special projects as they arise.

What we’re looking for:

• Someone who is detail-oriented, organized, and an expert at working through to-do lists; the EA understands that administrative work is the foundation of any organization, and that the skillful management of tasks and priorities is key to meaningful outcomes.
• Strong communication skills in meetings, e-mails, and other written products.
• Proficiency in Google Suite and Zoom.
• Confidence to manage and figure out tasks on their own and to seek clarification when needed.
• Calm adaptability amidst changing priorities and deadlines – in rapid response political moments the EA solves problems and ensures no balls are dropped even as priorities shift.
• A team player who brings an optimistic and positive attitude and who treats everyone with respect.
• Creativity, initiative and an urgency to be a part of driving meaningful change in our nation’s immigration and criminal justice systems.

Compensation and benefits:

Salary range is $75,000-$90,000 annually. Offered compensation will be commensurate with relevant experience. We offer competitive health, dental, and vision insurance benefits, employer-paid life insurance, 401k match, PTO, professional development opportunities, and a myriad of other support for our staff.

Equal Opportunity Employment/Diversity

We are an organization committed to making the world a better place for all people. Diversity is a source of our strength and allows us to make better decisions, be more impactful, and be better at our jobs day to day. We see our internal commitment to diversity to be reflective of how we view the world and the changes we want to see become reality.

This organization is an equal opportunity employer and does not unlawfully discriminate against employees or applicants for employment on the basis of an individual’s race, race (inclusive of traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles, such as braids, locks and twists), color, religion, creed, citizenship, sex or gender (which includes discrimination and harassment based on gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), reproductive decision-making, political affiliation, medical condition, genetic information, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, marital status, military or veteran status, taking or requesting statutorily protected leave, or any other status protected by under federal or applicable state or local laws, or any other status protected by applicable law. This policy applies to all terms, conditions and privileges of employment, including recruitment and hiring.

The organization understands that too often what are viewed as the traditional credentials are subjective criteria that exclude historically marginalized communities and act as barriers to hiring and recruiting the best candidates. As part of FWD’s best hiring practices, we do not have educational requirements for any of our jobs. Many of our jobs do require specific interpersonal, skill-based, technical, policy or other requirements and applicants for those jobs will be evaluated based on their level of expertise, to include lived experience and work experience - which could have taken place at an educational institution or elsewhere.

FWD.us believes in fair chances and employment opportunities that benefit everyone. Ensuring that people who have had contact with the criminal justice system--including incarceration for serious offenses and substantial periods of time--have the opportunities upon their release to fully succeed and contribute to this country is central to our work and is a value to which we are absolutely committed to uphold in how we operate and who we hire. We do not conduct criminal background checks on applicants, unless required by state or federal law for specific roles.

The company makes reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities to allow such persons to perform the essential functions of their jobs, to the extent required by law. Employees or applicants who would like to request a reasonable accommodation should contact Management. The company will also, where appropriate, provide reasonable accommodations for an employee’s sincerely-held religious beliefs or practices.