Administration Assistant

Organization Description: The Ceiba Foundation for Tropical Conservation is a small Madison-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting threatened tropical ecosystems. Ceiba (pronounced “Say-ba”) has multiple ongoing projects in Ecuador, including habitat conservation, reserve management, and local and international field education programs, as well as rural development and teacher training. Our U.S. office is in Madison, WI but most of our project staff work out of our office in Manabí, Ecuador.  

Ceiba’s Mission: Connecting tropical nature and sustainable livelihoods through habitat conservation and environmental education

Job Description: The role of Ceiba’s Administrative Assistant is to assist with the foundation’s operational tasks associated with office management, Ceiba’s semester and summer study abroad programs, the Seeds of Sustainability grant program, fundraising and engagement, and grant management and opportunities. Responsibilities will include the coordination, promotion, and management of application and enrollment processes of Ceiba’s semester and summer study abroad programs and the Seeds of Sustainability grant program; processing donations; bookkeeping; updating and maintaining databases; and communicating with Ceiba program participants and partners. 

Your new position will include filling in as interim administrator for 6 weeks while the Operations and Engagement Manager is on maternity leave, under supervision from Ceiba’s Vice President. You will receive training in administrative tasks related to program coordination and promotion, fundraising and donor stewardship, grant writing, and public outreach, beginning this summer. You will play a vital role in facilitating our mission to connect tropical nature with sustainable livelihoods through habitat conservation and environmental education, working with our donors, students, alumni, and partners, as well as the general public.

Are you a good fit We are seeking someone proficient in Spanish who shares our heartfelt commitment to environmental conservation and wants to learn how a small nonprofit works. The candidate will apply their communications background to help a small environmental organization grow and succeed. The ideal candidate will have a degree and/or demonstrated background in environmental communications, marketing, graphic design, or journalism, and be creative, self-motivated, professional, detail-oriented, and organized. Strong background in written and graphic communication skills are a must for this position; familiarity with the country of Ecuador and with the work of Ceiba Foundation is a plus. Applicants must have a demonstrated history of managing time efficiently and working independently and reliably with intermittent supervision.

Specific Qualifications: Besides the qualities described above, we seek a Communications Coordinator with background or skills in: 

• Spanish language speaking, reading, and writing skills (intermediate level or higher)
• Familiarity with desktop and online publishing apps, graphic design and video editing applications (Adobe products such as InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Rush, Premiere Pro; Canva, YouTube, Vimeo and others)
• Proficiency managing social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, Threads, LinkedIn, WhatsApp), email marketing platforms (Benchmark), and video conferencing (Zoom, Google Meet).
• Experience with website management (WordPress, basic html, Squarespace, since we will likely move our website over soon)
• Excellent oral and written public communication skills, particularly related to science and the environment, tailored to diverse audiences and stakeholder segments.
• Ability to maintain a high level of productivity when working from home
• Eagerness and ability to quickly learn the communication needs of an environmental non-profit organization and be flexible and adaptive to evolving needs.
• Openness to receiving feedback and making revisions on media and written deliverables.