Education Executive Assistant & Office Manager (Part-Time)

About The Kennedy Center

“I am certain that after the dust of centuries has passed over our cities, we, too, will be remembered not for victories or defeats in battle or in politics, but for our contribution to the human spirit.” – President John F. Kennedy

The Kennedy Center is the nation’s cultural center and living memorial to President John F. Kennedy. Located on the banks of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., the Center presents performances across all genres, and is also home to artistic affiliates Washington National Opera and National Symphony Orchestra. 

At the Kennedy Center, we strive to foster belonging and empowerment at work. We are able to advance our mission because of our committed and passionate employees. We are fortunate to be able to leverage their diverse perspectives, life experiences and skills to inform how our workplace can be a safe, transparent, and replenishing community. The Kennedy Center is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant based on race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy or related condition, or any other basis protected by law. 

Mission Statement: As the nation's performing arts center, and a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy, we are a leader for the arts across America and around the world, reaching and connecting with artists, inspiring and educating communities. We welcome all to create, experience, learn about, and engage with the arts. 

Why Join Us

We offer a comprehensive range of benefits to all employees including: 

• Staff offers for discount tickets
• We like to have fun! Check out the Kennedy Center National Dance Day 2022 staff video!

Job Description

The schedule is 24-28 hours per week; at least 6 of those hours will be required onsite work.  

This position handles a wide range of administrative, office management, and executive support for the Vice President of Education.  The applicant needs to work independently with minimal supervision.  This person must be exceedingly well organized, flexible, and enjoy general office work.  

The candidate needs to interact with multiple levels of staff, artists, arts leaders, business leaders and patrons, sometimes under pressure, remaining flexible, proactive, pleasant, resourceful and efficient, with a high level of professionalism.  Confidentiality is crucial to this role.  Excellent written and verbal communication skills, strong decision-making ability, and attention to detail are equally important.   

Key Responsibilities

• General Office Management:  Coordinate office space assignments; coordinate office locations for new staff, including facility and technology needs; maintain decorum of main education offices especially public areas; coordinate training of new staff; coordinate office moves within the Center and between Center and the Watergate offices; order department supplies as needed; maintain office equipment; coordinate general office volunteers; provide hospitality to visitors and escort visitors to and from meetings with the VP; manage record retention for the Education Division documents in coordination with KC archives
• Schedule/Appointments/Meetings/Travel:  Maintain Vice President of Education calendar; ascertain priority and length of requested meetings and scheduleappropriately; allow decisiontime, work (prep) time, travel time to and from prior to the meetings, anticipate needs of Vice President for meeting preparation. Arrange travel (flight, hotel, ground transport) for VP; prepare itinerary, prepare briefing/travel packet and needed documents and supplies; complete expense report after trip; reconcile credit card invoices with receipts
• Special Projects Management: track, usher, and organize special projects, as assigned by the VP of Education; communicate deadlines, organize meetings, support progress along the way; report status and successes
• Assigned Meetings:  Prepare materials, attend meetings, transcribe and prepare notes for distribution to attendees (e.g. Education Committee of the KC Board of Trustees, quarterly staff meetings).
• Communication: Review correspondence and reports for VP signature; arrange essential mail in priority action order for VP; check deadlines on incoming requests and put preliminary work in play; process replies on own initiative or from VP’s notes; respond to general inquiries for information about the education division and establish and maintain good working relationship with staff in other decisions/departments throughout the Kennedy Center, specifically with Facilities and IT/IS
• Phone: Handle general education inquiries and respond or route as appropriate; obtain and make necessary arrangements for conference calls and virtual meetings, including distributing materials needed.
• Maintain files on Education programs and activities related to the work of the Vice President; maintain Education budgets; create and process contracts and vendor purchase orders; maintain files on Education staff.
• Other duties as assigned.

Key Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree or equivalent knowledge and experience, plus working at least four years in an administrative or executive assistant position
• The incumbent should possess excellent interpersonal skills.  A pleasant demeanor and excellent written, verbal, proofreading, and organizational skills, as well as excellent calendar management skills, with strong knowledge of MS Office, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook are required. Project management, through platforms such as Asana, preferred.
• Strong desire to work in the arts and culture space with bias for inclusivity, equity, and joy.
• Candidate must be local or willing to relocate to the DMV area.