About Canvas Institute
Canvas Institute is a Staten Island-based nonprofit that has served over 60,000 youth and residents through school programming and community engagement. Our work spans arts and culture, youth development, civic engagement, and health and wellness, including our Compassionate Systems social-emotional learning programming delivered across more than 30 New York City Public Schools. We are a licensed NYC Public Schools vendor, a Project Pivot Partner, and an NYC Civic Corps (AmeriCorps) host site.
Position Summary
The CEO is looking for a highly organized, technology-savvy, and proactive professional to serve as Executive Assistant to the CEO while also keeping the office and day-to-day operations running smoothly and providing administrative support across the organization’s projects and grants. This is a hands-on, multi-faceted role that blends three areas of work: directly supporting the CEO, managing the office and its administrative systems, and serving as the administrative backbone for the programs, projects, and funded initiatives Canvas Institute takes on.
The right person can anticipate needs, stay several steps ahead, juggle competing priorities, and handle sensitive organizational matters with discretion and follow-through. Canvas Institute is building an AI-first team, and the ideal candidate is fluent with digital tools and knows how to leverage AI to work faster and smarter. We are looking for a problem-solver who takes ownership and gets things done without being asked twice.
Key ResponsibilitiesExecutive Support to the CEO
Schedule and calendar management
- Build and maintain the CEO’s calendar in Google Calendar, including meetings, program visits, community events, and travel
- Protect the CEO’s time by prioritizing requests and resolving scheduling conflicts
- Prepare the CEO for each day with agendas, materials, and reminders
Direct support and correspondence
- Track the CEO’s tasks, deadlines, and follow-ups, and keep everything organized in one place
- Manage correspondence, including drafting, sending, and routing important documents and letters
- Handle time-sensitive matters such as mailing official correspondence
- Coordinate appointments and administrative needs on the CEO’s behalf
- Serve as a dependable point of contact who keeps the CEO’s professional logistics running smoothly
Office Management
- Keep the office running day to day, ensuring it is organized, stocked, and ready for staff, students, and visitors
- Order and manage office supplies, program materials, and equipment, and track what has been purchased
- Serve as the point of contact for vendors, deliveries, building needs, and basic facilities coordination
- Maintain organized files and records across Google Workspace, both digital and physical, and keep shared drives and folders structured and up to date
- Establish and maintain simple office systems and routines that help the whole team stay organized
- Provide general administrative support to staff and help keep internal operations moving
Errands and on-the-ground support
- Run organizational errands on the CEO’s and the office’s behalf, including trips to the post office, bank, and other locations
- Pick up and deliver documents, packages, and materials as needed
- Provide reliable transportation for errands and time-sensitive tasks
Project and Grant Administration
Canvas Institute regularly takes on funded programs, partnerships, and grant-supported projects that require careful paperwork, tracking, and reporting. This role serves as the administrative lead that keeps those projects compliant, documented, and on track behind the scenes.
- Serve as the administrative point person for the organization’s programs, projects, and grants, handling the paperwork and documentation required on behalf of Canvas Institute
- Complete, submit, and file the forms and paperwork tied to funded programs and partnerships, and make sure deadlines are met
- Track participant information for programs such as youth employment and workforce initiatives, including enrollment paperwork, attendance, time and hours, and required documentation
- Support partnership and civic engagement projects by completing required paperwork, coordinating logistics, and documenting trainings and activities
- Maintain complete, well-organized records for each project, ensuring everything is also captured and backed up digitally in the right folders
- Assist with data collection, reporting, and documenting outcomes and processes for projects, grants, and funded programs
- Keep project files audit-ready so that documentation can be produced quickly when funders or partners request it
Required Qualifications
- Valid driver’s license and access to a reliable personal vehicle (required, both are essential to this role)
- Strong technology skills and hands-on experience with Google Calendar and Google Workspace (Gmail, Docs, Drive, Sheets)
- Comfort and familiarity with AI tools, with the ability to leverage AI to complete tasks efficiently (Canvas uses Claude and ChatGPT internally)
- Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities, projects, and deadlines at once
- Attention to detail and accuracy, especially with paperwork, recordkeeping, and documentation
- Excellent written and verbal communication
- High level of discretion, professionalism, and trustworthiness with confidential matters
- Proactive, resourceful, and able to work independently with minimal direction
- Availability for a flexible schedule, including occasional evenings or weekends tied to events
Preferred Qualifications
- Prior experience as an executive assistant, office manager, administrative coordinator, or in a comparable support role
- Experience supporting grant-funded or program-based work, including paperwork, compliance, recordkeeping, or reporting
- Familiarity with nonprofit or community-based organizations
- Experience using AI tools to streamline workflows, draft communications, or manage information
Pay: $35.00 - $45.00 per hour
Work Location: In person
