Job Description
PURPOSE STATEMENT:
The Administrative Fellowship is a one-year leadership development opportunity designed for an early-to-mid career professional seeking executive exposure within a large, complex human services agency. The Fellow will rotate across key operational functions and lead cross-functional initiatives tied to strategic priorities, including operational excellence, compliance, quality improvement, and administrative systems.
Reporting to the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), the Fellow will serve as an internal consultant supporting high-impact projects, executive planning, and performance improvement. This role offers visibility into senior decision-making and cross-agency operations, with the potential to transition into a permanent leadership role upon successful completion. Ideal for candidates looking to gain exposure to leading large scale, strategic process improvement initiatives and/or experience operating a large human services agency.
After one year, the Fellow will walk away with the following skills:
Executive exposure and strategic leadership
◦ Direct partnership with senior leadership (Chief Administrative Officer and executive team)
◦ Strong understanding of how executive decisions are made in a large, complex human services agency
◦ Experience translating complex challenges into executive-ready recommendations
Cross-functional project leadership and initiative ownership
Operational excellence and process improvement capabilities
• Lean Six Sigma Training with a Black Belt Operator
◦ Ability to map workflows (current vs. future state) and diagnose operational pain points
◦ Root cause analysis, solution design, and implementation planning
◦ Creation of SOPs, templates, and systems that improve efficiency and consistency
Executive communication and presentation skills
• Ability to write clearly for senior leaders (briefing memos, summaries, stakeholder communications)
• Experience developing decks, executive updates, and board-facing materials
• Strong storytelling and synthesis skills: context → insight → recommendation
• Comfort presenting to diverse internal stakeholders across departments and levels
Enterprise-wide understanding of nonprofit/human services operations
• Deeper knowledge of how large human services agencies operate at scale
• Cross-functional exposure to key administrative domains (fiscal operations, compliance, analytics/technology, client access operations)
• Systems-level understanding of how infrastructure functions support mission delivery
By the end of the Fellowship year, the Fellow will leave with a tangible portfolio of professional work products, which may include:
• Project charters, stakeholder maps, and implementation workplans
• Executive-ready status updates, dashboards, and performance reporting tools
• Process maps (current vs. future state), SOPs, and operational playbooks
• Decision memos and recommendations based on data and stakeholder input
• Executive-level slide decks (10–20 slides) for senior leaders and/or board audiences
• Meeting agendas, facilitation materials, and action trackers that support enterprise-wide execution
KEY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
• Provide project management and coordination support to the CAO across a broad portfolio of enterprise wide strategic and administrative initiatives
• Conduct research and develop presentations and reports for internal and external stakeholders
• Support the execution of executive-level initiatives, including enterprise-wide planning, compliance improvement, and organizational development projects
• Participate in and document executive meetings, identifying action items and supporting timely follow-up
• Draft communications, board materials, and internal policy documents in collaboration with the CAO and other senior leaders
• Engage in special assignments aligned with the fellow’s professional interests and organizational priorities
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with executive leaders and internal departments
• Use Lean Six Sigma and project management tools, methods and concepts to evaluate and improve cross-cutting operations & systems
• Partner with internal departments and programmatic divisions to strategically prioritize multiple complex projects
• Provide executive summaries and report out on status of projects
• Other duties as assigned
CORE COMPETENCIES for this role include:
• Strong project management and prioritization skills
• Exceptional analytical and organizational skills with attention to detail
• Ability to use data to drive decision-making and measure the success of initiatives
• Excellent team building, listening and problem-solving skills
• Solution-focused and collaborative
• Ability to influence decision-makers across departments, to work towards a common goal and resolve all issues in a way that benefits the organization and its objectives
• Strategic thinker who can connect the dots and ask the right questions
• Ability to use project management, lean six sigma and/or other change management tools
• Strong time management skills and ability to complete projects timely
• Excellent written and verbal communication, ability to make presentations to various groups clearly and concisely
• Professionalism, discretion, and the ability to handle sensitive matters with integrity
• Demonstrated interest in healthcare, mental health, social services, public sector strategy, or operational excellence
EDUCATIONAL / TRAINING REQUIRED:
• Bachelor’s degree, recent graduates of MBA, MPA, MPH, or other relevant graduate degree (Required)
• Certification as a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, or as a Project Management Professional (PMP); or demonstration of similar experience, skill and training (Optional)
EXPERIENCE REQUIRED / LANGUAGE PREFERENCE:
• 5+ years of experience in operational excellence/project management
• Demonstrated experience in supporting complex projects / initiatives
• Experience managing projects, teams, deliverables and their timelines; and following up on tasks
• Experience in managing projects that require critical thinking and the ability to understand business issues and processes
• Results-oriented with demonstrated success in strategic & tactical problem solving, collaboration, conflict management and working successfully within a cross-functional team environment
• Proven ability to work with all levels of an organization and foster cross departmental partnerships
• Knowledge of project and change management, methodologies, techniques, processes
• Ability to interpret quantitative and qualitative information
COMPUTER SKILLS REQUIRED:
• Advanced experience with Microsoft technologies: particularly PowerPoint, Word, Excel, Visio Outlook and Teams
• Use of Project Management software
VISUAL AND MANUAL DEXIERITY:
• The candidate should be able to read documents for analytical purposes such as computer information, software, computer graphic design programs, etc.
• Limited applications of manual dexterity and hand-eye coordination.
WORK ENVIRONMENT / PHYSICAL EFFORT:
• The work environment involves no physical risk or hazardous conditions.
• To perform the essential functions of this job, the candidate is routinely required to sit (75% of the time) and stand (25% of the time)
• This role is hybrid and remote eligible, NYC based preferred
We are an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
