Project Assistant

The Project Assistant is a valuable member of the Project Administration team and works directly with the firm’s Senior Project Leaders by providing a valuable support mechanism in the planning, execution, and finalization of project initiatives company wide. Reporting to the Assistant Manager of Project Administration, the Project Assistant uses our best-in-class project management standards, process, and documentation to become a key project implementation resource for Senior Project Leaders.

Qualifications

• Minimum 4 years of experience in a project assistant function required.
• 4-year Degree required.
• Advanced working knowledge of Microsoft Office 365, especially Outlook, Word, and Excel. 

Expectations

Project Administration

Level 3 (Advanced Proficiency)

• Preparation of all proposals and documents for senior project leaders.
• Screen phone calls for multiple Senior Project Leaders of the firm.
• Monitor calendars for multiple Senior Project Leaders of the firm.
• Schedule and coordinate meetings, surveys, and travel arrangements for Senior Project Leaders.
• Assist in the management and upkeep of company ERP.
• Ability to be highly proactive as well as reactive.
• Ability to interact with staff (at all levels) in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong sense of judgment and decision-making ability.
• High level of confidentiality.
• Mentor and develop junior administrative staff.
• Coordinate with other Assistants as necessary.

Core Competencies

Project Management

Level 3 (Advanced Proficiency)

Project Management

• Takes an action-oriented & results-driven approach to project design & execution. Demonstrates high levels of agility to nimbly adapt to changing needs and paradigm shifts. Stays calm & focused under pressure, prioritizes shifting demands & anticipates project’s needs, ensuring stakeholders have what they need in a timely fashion.

Relationship Management

• Establishes a collaborative culture, with ability to work harmoniously with unique & varying project stakeholders toward the attainment of unified goals. Demonstrated ability to coordinate with managers, clients, and team members to set expectations, deliverables, and objectives. Mentors Designers & Junior Designers, and delegates workload assignments when necessary. Develops networks that are diverse in level and function, identifies and initiates new relationships as well as creative alliances to accomplish business objectives. Inspires people with diverse needs to work together for mutual benefit.

Problem Solving

• Views problems as opportunities to grow & demonstrates solution-based thinking by bringing ideas & solutions to the table, fills knowledge gaps through active & proactive research. Assesses issues from different vantage points, thinks "outside the box", & formulates the most effective solution in addressing specific challenges. Takes a "prevent rather than intervene" approach by focusing on quality and due diligence.

Customer Satisfaction

• Focuses on the client experience and keeps the customer perspective in mind. Takes a "customer is always right" approach. Elicits feedback from customers, creates strategies to help the organization serve customers more effectively, considers both short and long-term interests of the customer in making service decisions and takes to serve these interests.

Communication

Level 3 (Advanced Proficiency)

• Keeps all team members & stakeholders informed and consults with them regularly. Applies the appropriate framework to plan and execute communications plans. Uses appropriate forum to get point across and delivers clear messages that effectively advance business aims. Creates complex documents that achieve desired results & expresses complex ideas creatively & effectively. Identifies key decision makers, builds alliances, and enlists third party support & outside resources.

Leadership

Level 3 (Advanced Proficiency)

Performance Management

• Analyzes systems, processes, and performance trends to identify opportunities for improvement, seeks out business opportunities that will create growth, provides others with tools to solve problems, and invests time & resources to learn, develop and teach others. Seeks performance feedback from others, addresses performance problems promptly, gives performance feedback to others, and establishes plans that break complex projects into their component parts, each with its own timeline.  

Conflict Management

• Demonstrates a positive attitude and is a pleasure to engage with. Displays enthusiasm that rubs off on others. Is committed to a happy & productive work environment. Expands areas of agreement and narrows areas of disagreement, facilitates the development of creative solutions to conflict, acknowledges the truth in criticisms, and knows when to compromise and when to take stands. 

Diversity

• Uses cultural understanding to communicate, influence, and manage across cultures as well as to resolve conflict. Helps others increase their awareness and acceptance of cultural differences and assists in the development of policies & procedures that encourage this acceptance.

Accountability

Level 3 (Advanced Proficiency)

Self-Direction & Sense of Urgency

• Is personally invested by feeling that the success of the initiative or project corresponds with own esteem or self-regard. Embraces ownership of work and ensures it aligns with Key results. Takes advantage of opportunities, initiates projects & takes responsibility for their success even when the outcomes & circumstances are not well defined. Acts in the face of obstacles, freshly identifying what must be done. Sets challenging goals and demonstrates a strong sense of urgency & persistence about accomplishing them. Establishes plans that break projects into their component parts, each with its own timeline. Seeks & gives performance feedback to others and addresses performance problems promptly.

Flexibility & Resilience

• Operates well in ambiguous situations, is willing to reconsider strongly held ideas, and maintains work efficiency. Responds positively to a changing environment by coming up with creative ideas. When the picture is unclear and much is unknown, remains calm and comfortable, accurately assessing risks and options, changing direction & reorienting quickly. Acts decisively at the right time.

Integrity

• Maintains confidentiality regardless of pressure from others. Admits mistakes and takes stands based on principles & values despite the potential for negative consequences. Challenge others who are not acting with integrity.

Results-Driven

• Sets the bar high and raises standards; sets challenging goals and develops standards against which to measure behavior & performance. Persists in the face of significant difficulties, takes risks, faces fears, and demonstrates a strong sense of urgency about achieving goals.