Administrative Assistant, Chilean Patagonia

The Environment Portfolio at The Pew Charitable Trusts 

For more than 30 years, Pew has been a major force in engaging the public and policy makers about the causes, consequences, and solutions to some of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges. Our environment work spans all seven continents with more than 250 professionals working at the local, national, and international levels to reduce the scope and severity of global environmental problems, such as the erosion of large natural ecosystems that contain a great part of the world’s remaining biodiversity, and the destruction of the marine environment. Pew’s global environmental program focuses on science-based, nonpartisan, and sustainable solutions to help protect the planet and people. We work in partnership with governments, Indigenous rights holders, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, local stakeholders, scientists, and other researchers to advance public policy so that nature and communities can thrive. 

Since 1990, Pew has worked in North America, South America and Australia to protect large and critically important terrestrial ecosystems, including rivers and other freshwater resources, coastal temperate rainforests, interior mountain ranges, the northern boreal forests, Australia’s Outback, and Chilean Patagonia. We work to ensure these natural systems remain bountiful, functioning, and resilient, providing essential ecological services such as clean air and clean water, sustenance and food security for local communities and more broadly for the welfare of current and future generations. Our work relies on the sciences of conservation, sociology, biology, and economics to advocate for practical and durable solutions to the loss of biodiversity.   

In the sea, reforms to how our oceans are managed are essential to address overfishing, pollution, and loss of habitat. Pew began its oceans program in the United States, focusing on ending overfishing and protecting fragile marine habitat. Starting in 2005, Pew’s ocean conservation program expanded around the world and played a significant role in reforming marine fisheries management in the European Union and on the high seas and creating large scale marine reserves around the world. Our work is grounded in the best available science and pursues domestic and international conservation measures that are long-term and provide permanent, durable protections for marine ecosystems. We also work to address systemic threats to the ocean, including from plastics, over-and-illegal fishing, seabed mining, and climate change. 

Project Description
Chile’s Patagonia is one of the last remaining intact wilderness areas of the world, yet today it is both under-recognized and under-protected. Pew and its partners are working to change that by promoting this region’s unique value in the world and developing and implementing policies to secure the long-term protection of this remarkable landscape. 

Chilean Patagonia is on the west coast of the southern cone of South America, where the continent tapers toward the Antarctic Ocean. While many of Chile’s natural lands all have important ecological values, Patagonia is special because of its high degree of intactness, endemism and exceptional land and sea interconnectedness. 

Approximately 80 percent of this area remains unspoiled, therefore making it similar in ecological condition to Australia’s Outback and Canada’s Boreal, other places where Pew works. Although it is approximately one-fifth the size of the continental-scale Boreal in Canada and Outback, Chile’s Patagonia stretches over several hundred miles of important wilderness that features unique geography, oceanography and ecological productivity, including a lush temperate rainforest, glacier-carved valleys, windy grasslands, inland shorelines, and countless fjords and islands. 

In partnership with a network of non-governmental organizations, academia, government agencies and local governments and communities in Chile, Pew will work to improve and enhance the protection of this landscape through the country’s park and reserve system, while also promoting public-private partnerships for new conservation efforts in terrestrial, marine and freshwater habitats.

Position Overview
The administrative assistant is responsible for scheduling and coordinating virtual and in-office meetings, calendar management, travel planning, expense reimbursement, invoice management, and office management.  The administrative assistant will support their Project Director, Chilean Patagonia, and other colleagues, to ensure efficient communication, information sharing and effective use of systems for organizing, tracking, and meeting deadlines. The administrative assistant will participate in regular project meetings to develop a general understanding of the operations of Pew’s environment teams.

This position is based in Pew’s Santiago office and will participate in Pew’s core in-office days on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, with the flexibility to work from home the remainder of each week.  Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the country for which they are seeking employment without visa sponsorship.

Responsibilities

General program and administrative functions

• Foster a work environment that is diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible and in line with Pew and the project’s related goals.
• Develop and maintain a basic knowledge of the environment portfolio and its structure to understand and support the organization’s work.
• Provide administrative support to project leadership (and teams as needed) to include calendar management and meeting planning.
• Handle key administrative functions for project team including proofreading and editing documents, coordinating, and preparing physical and electronic mailings, updating, and maintaining databases, scheduling, and preparing for virtual and in-office meetings, tracking meetings in Salesforce, copying and printing.
• Contribute to and participate in tasks and special projects as requested.

Meetings and convenings

• Schedule virtual and in-office meetings, appointments, and conferences with internal and external attendees.
• Work closely with the project leader and other project colleagues to provide logistical and operations support for internal, portfolio-wide events and convenings.
• Work with project leader and environment colleagues to prepare briefing materials and meeting notes for portfolio events.
• Support events, including preparing name badges, collaborating with conference and events services, and coordinating meeting logistics.

Task tracking and calendar management

• Work in close coordination with fellow team members to track tasks and deadlines; compile daily task list and schedule; support prioritization and flow of work.
• Conduct proactive calendar management and support the smooth functioning of the project directors’ schedule by ensuring that meetings begin and end punctually, and that calendars are arranged in order to maintain a balance between necessary meetings and time for the project director to complete work.

Travel and expense management

• Prepare and submit expense reports, third-party reimbursements, invoices, and credit card coding reports. Track payments, as requested.
• Handle travel arrangements, international and domestic for program activities and assist, as needed, with staff and third-party travel reservations and planning.

Office management

• Ensure proper functioning of Pew’s Santiago office, including restocking materials, ensuring internet connection, and coordinating with necessary third parties such as building management and service providers.

Requirements

• Bilingual in English and Spanish.
• General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE), or equivalent is required, college degree is preferred.
• Five years of administrative experience in a fast-paced, dynamic environment. 
• Strong oral communication skills, including a polished telephone manner and experience taking detailed and thorough messages.
• Strong written communication skills, including proofreading and editing skills.
• Experience with meeting deadlines.
• Sound judgment and discretion in handling confidential information, as well as a practice conducting oneself in a highly professional manner. 
• Flexibility to work as part of a team or independently to meet goals in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment. Self-directed to act and resolve issues.
• Keen attention to detail. Monitors and double checks work and information for accuracy and quality.
• Skilled at coordinating meetings and travel arrangements.
• Understanding of organizational structure and working through administrative systems, including complying with process requirements. 
• Always maintains a customer service demeanor.
• Demonstrated proficiency in Office applications and electronic calendars (Windows, Microsoft Word, Teams, Excel, PowerPoint, Canvas and Outlook).

Travel
Occasional domestic travel may be required.

Total Rewards

This position offers a competitive salary.

Total Rewards

This position offers a competitive salary and benefit program.

The Pew Charitable Trusts is an equal opportunity employer, committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. Pew considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to age, sex, ethnicity, religion, disability, marital status, sexual orientation or gender identity, military/veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.