The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) is seeking a Program Assistant/Office Administrator in our Richmond, VA office. The Program Assistant/Office Administrator will join our administrative team and report to the Virginia Office Manager. This individual will orchestrate administrative functions for our Richmond office and support Virginia program staff. This is an excellent opportunity to join a highly successful, nationally recognized organization that is effectively addressing some of the most pressing and challenging environmental issues throughout the South and the nation.

Due to the nature of the work, this is an in-person position, not a hybrid in-office/remote position. It is also full-time and non-exempt (eligible for overtime).

Primary Responsibilities:

• Be the first point of contact for visitors and individuals reaching out to the Richmond office including welcoming and assisting guests, answering phones, resolving general office inquiries, and supporting SELC staff visiting from other offices.
• Understand and maintain all aspects of Richmond office logistics, proactively anticipating and resolving needs within the office. This could range from ensuring adequate office supplies to troubleshooting and facilitating solutions to IT issues.
• Serve as the primary point of contact with the landlord, maintenance staff, and business vendors, including identifying and reporting facilities issues, coordinating maintenance and repairs, tracking follow up, communicating updates to staff, and exercising judgment about when to escalate or seek additional support.
• Maintain the office calendar and assist with relaying information about new policies, procedures, guidelines, and technology to staff.
• Participate in onboarding and offboarding for staff by following established organizational processes, including preparing workspaces, coordinating suite access and parking, scheduling required meetings, and liaising with relevant internal teams to support a smooth transition.
• Provide significant support for office buildout and relocation during the first year, including coordinating communications with internal staff and the design and construction team, overseeing packing and moving logistics, and buying furniture.
• Provide general administrative support, including printing, copying, scanning, mailing, document formatting, materials production, and more.
• Help plan and execute meeting logistics, including catering and conference room technology.
• Arrange travel and assist with accurate expense coding and submission.
• Pay office bills and submit and track invoices for payment.
• Draft the annual office budget and track quarterly spending in coordination with the Office Manager and Office Director.
• Provide administrative and research support to members of SELCs program staff. Tasks may include monitoring relevant regulatory, legislative and local government meetings; taking meeting notes and distributing summaries; researching emerging environmental issues; distributing materials to government offices; and more.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelors degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum of 5 years’ work experience in office administration, operations, or other administrative roles.
• Demonstrated interest in, and understanding of, environmental issues, politics and government.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively, convey information clearly, and build positive working relationships.
• Excellent time management skills and sound judgment in prioritizing tasks, knowing when to work independently and when to seek guidance or clarification.
• Professional experience in an office setting.
• Strong organizational skills; ability to self-manage and maintain a sustainable task-oriented workflow.
• Willing to take initiative and seek opportunities to add value by taking on new projects, assisting staff, or prompting collaboration to solve a problem.
• Strong working knowledge and practical experience in utilizing digital tools, including Microsoft applications (Teams, Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) and other specialized platforms.

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience providing administrative support to positions of leadership a plus.
• A genuine interest in and commitment to helping SELC create and foster an equitable and inclusive workplace that welcomes people from across the rich racial and cultural diversity of our region.

About SELC:

The Southern Environmental Law Center is one of the nations most powerful defenders of the environment, rooted in the South. With a long track record, SELC takes on the toughest environmental challenges in court, in government, and in our communities to protect our regions air, water, climate, wildlife, lands, and people. Nonprofit and nonpartisan, the organization has a staff of over 250, including more than 160 legal and policy experts and advocates. Headquartered in Charlottesville, VA, SELC has offices in Asheville, Atlanta, Birmingham, Chapel Hill, Charleston, Nashville, Richmond, and Washington, DC.

At our core, we are place-based, rooted in our region, and connected wi…