Operations Associate - Global NonProfit at Ashesi University Foundation

Join a team that is making a world of difference!

Our Operations Associate plays a key role on Ashesi University Foundation’s team, which raises philanthropic support for Ashesi University in Ghana. The Foundation connects donors, partners, alumni, and friends with Ashesi’s mission to educate ethical, entrepreneurial leaders who will help build a flourishing Africa. Our team is small and highly collaborative, supporting an ambitious university and a deeply meaningful goal. The Operations Associate helps keep the Foundation running smoothly day to day by working closely with team members in Ghana, Canada, and across the U.S.

Our vision is a flourishing Africa whose leaders make ethical decisions in the best interests of their communities, and where innovation drives economic, cultural, and social growth. We educate leaders who will make this vision a reality, and we collaborate with other institutions to multiply this work. Joining Ashesi means becoming part of a vibrant community dedicated to excellence, innovation, and a transformed Africa.

Among other things, here's what you'll do in this job:

• Process and acknowledge donations in coordination with other staff and vendors.
• Compile and process reimbursements, expense reports, check requests, and other payments.
• Support effective communications with staff, donors, and the community.
• Support the cleanup, maintenance, and effective use of Ashesi’s Salesforce donor database.
• Monitor and respond to general email and phone inquiries, and triaging requests to other staff as needed.
• Coordinate international and domestic travel for Ashesi executives and staff.
• Support office operations, including supplies, records, equipment, and day-to-day administrative needs.
• Coordinate with Ashesi’s IT vendor by submitting and tracking service tickets, supporting troubleshooting, and helping ensure timely follow-up.
• Coordinate staff IT needs, including equipment, tool permissions, and onboarding/offboarding support.
• Provide administrative support to the Vice President and other staff members in support of the overall goals of the Foundation team.
• Support communication and coordination across Ashesi’s global Advancement Team by scheduling regular team meetings, preparing materials as needed, and helping track follow-up items.
• Support team, board and committee meetings through scheduling, materials preparation, meeting logistics, virtual meeting support, and follow-up tracking.
• Coordinate logistics for in-person and remote Foundation events, including purchasing supplies or catering, supporting facility setup, managing RSVPs, coordinating with venues and/or hosts, and supporting virtual meeting platforms.
• Support planning and preparation for the Foundation’s annual trip to Ghana.
• Work as part of the Foundation team on projects to develop, cultivate, and engage the Ashesi community, contributing flexibly where support is needed.

Ideal Qualifications We Seek In a Candidate

• Associates degree or higher, plus experience in a similar support role, or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Interest in Ashesi’s mission and/or experience in nonprofit, education, advancement, or fundraising environments.
• Strong working knowledge of tools and systems (i.e., Office 365, Salesforce or other CRM).

Key Competencies for Success in this Position

• Detail Orientation – Proofs and edits work to find and correct errors; willing to learn new tools and processes; has an eye for troubleshooting and proactively identifying the root cause of an issue; takes pride in delivering high quality, polished results.
• Communication - Exceptional oral and written communication skills; speaks and writes clearly and succinctly in a variety of communication settings and styles, conveys meaning with the desired effect.
• Interpersonal Savvy - Relates well to all kinds of people, up, down, and sideways, inside and outside the organization; builds appropriate rapport; builds constructive and effective relationships; uses diplomacy and tact; respects cultural priorities and differences.
• Organizing - Effectively leverages resources to get things done; can juggle multiple activities at once to accomplish a goal; approaches work efficiently and effectively.
• Autonomy - Works productively and can be relied upon to work well independently.
• Prioritizing - Spends time and the time of others on what’s important.

Other Important Information About This Position

• This position requires onsite presence in our downtown Seattle, WA office 2 - 3 days per week. Other days may be remote.
• This is a full time position that includes a generous benefits package including medical, dental, and vision insurance, 3 weeks' paid vacation to start, paid sick leave, 11 paid holidays plus one personal holiday, 401(k) plan with company contribution, paid parking or transportation benefit, and professional development support.
• We proactively benchmark and review your compensation each year to ensure we pay competitive wages and acknowledge your contributions to our success.
• We offer a supportive culture of ongoing feedback with by midyear and yearend performance discussions.
• This position may require occasional regional and international travel.
• Ashesi is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to building a diverse and inclusive environment in which all team members can excel irrespective of race, national origin, age, gender, faith, sexual orientation or other protected status.

The preceding job description is not intended to describe in detail the multitude of tasks that may be assigned, but rather to provide a general overview of the expectations and responsibilities of this position. As the organization grows and changes, so may the functions of this position. Additional duties and responsibilities may be assigned.