Associate

The Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group (NPAG), an executive search and consulting firm dedicated to serving the nonprofit and mission-driven community, is seeking nominations and applications for the position of Associate.  Over the last two years, NPAG has experienced unprecedented growth and success in its work for the nonprofit community necessitating new hires at every level. Now an organization with four principals leading search and consulting projects, NPAG is seeking thoughtful and talented associates to assist in project activities. Applicants must minimally hold a college degree and be highly self-motivated, strongly detail-oriented, intellectually agile and quick-thinking, and demonstrate exceptionally strong oral and written communication skills.  The ideal applicant will additionally have: a minimum of three to five years work experience, highly-developed analytical skills, comfort working flexible hours as needed, and a strong personal commitment to serving the nonprofit community. 

History and Mission of the Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group

The Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group is one of the fastest growing executive search firms serving the nonprofit sector.  Only five years old, the firm has established itself nationally and internationally, serving mission-driven organizations across the globe.  Its website was recently named by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as one of the “best resources on the web” for nonprofit job seekers.  Yet what is most unique about NPAG is that it is a business developed and managed virtually, optimizing the expansion of its networks through consultant offices in New York, Washington, DC, Boston, and Moscow, Russia.  NPAG’s virtual infrastructure enables it to leverage new technologies and to unbundle highly sought after and once “exclusive-to-the-well-heeled” retained search services to provide its clients higher quality, lower cost, and fully flexible services while also offering its employees a creative, energetic, and family-friendly work place.  Also distinguishing NPAG among its competitors is its willingness to provide clients training in executive search so that they may retain the ability to recruit talent to their organization long into the future.   

Laura Gassner Otting founded Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group in 2002.  Prior to founding NPAG, Laura had a combined career in search and nonprofit leadership, serving as Senior Vice President of ExecSearches.com, a leading web-based search firm for nonprofits, as Vice President at Isaacson, Miller, one of the largest search firms dedicated to the mission-driven sector in the country, as a presidential appointee for the White House Office of National Service, and as a Program Officer for the Corporation for National Service.  Struggling with her seemingly competing desire to attend to her growing family and to serve a burgeoning portfolio of both new and loyal clients, Laura decided to combine her talents in search, technology, and nonprofit leadership to design a modern search firm with a new, innovative, and fully virtual infrastructure that could offer clients higher-quality, lower cost service while offering employees and herself more flexibility and a better work/life balance. 

NPAG’s team of three exceptional Vice Presidents is also essential to its success.  The team stems from the nonprofit, academic, and search sectors and, like their clients, NPAG’s Vice Presidents understand that high quality work, service-centeredness, and a creative, energetic workplace must come first.  NPAG’s Vice Presidents bring their formidable combined experience to bear in their day-to-day work and both understand and invest in their clients’ concerns during critical times of leadership transition. 

Opportunities and Challenges for New Associates

New Associates will join NPAG during a period of rapid growth.  Individuals must have highly refined critical thinking skills, a natural service-orientation, and the ability to learn quickly and problem-solve effectively in a fast moving environment.  Associates will receive formal and on-the-job training in all aspects of executive search and will be encouraged to grow and develop their careers within NPAG.  The main tasks associates will be charged to complete include: 

• Establishing strong relationships with Vice Presidents to ensure internal-external communication is seamless at all times;

• Developing and writing client materials including draft position descriptions which capture the excitement and opportunity inherent in each search and candidate summary materials which detail the unique and compelling qualities in each candidate’s application;

• Screening candidate applications for appropriateness to the position and sharing key qualities of appropriate candidates with Vice Presidents and clients;

• Conducting preliminary candidate telephone interviews to more deeply understand candidates’ careers and to assess suitability of fit to the client organization;

• Reference checking candidates thoroughly and systematically, and working with the Vice Presidents to ensure clients’ questions and concerns are addressed in a manner befitting the importance NPAG places on highly skillful referencing;

• Participating in company-wide meetings and discussion about client and candidate development and ongoing quality improvement to ensure NPAG benefits from the collective wisdom of all its team members.

Qualities of the Ideal Candidate

While no person is likely to contain all of the qualities sought for the Associate position, successful candidates will, first and foremost, combine incisive gut-level instincts with the intellectual rigor to discover the deeper story about candidates, clients, and the positions we fill.  S/he will not be shy, yet will know how to diplomatically and swiftly lead candidates and references through a series of fact-gathering questions and relationship-building conversations.  S/he will work in a flexible consulting arrangement which necessitates energy, self-motivation, and discipline to meet or exceed internal and external deadlines.  Additionally, the ideal candidate will have: 

• A minimum of a college degree and three years’ work experience in the nonprofit, academic, or otherwise mission-driven community;
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills including superb grammar, writing, proofreading and editing ability;
• The ability to work independently and to problem-solve effectively balanced with the wisdom to know when to seek guidance;
• A strong detail-orientation and an unfailing commitment to and pride in quality work;
• Fluency and facility with web-based technology such as search engines, shared calendars, instant messaging, and databases, and both comfort and ability working effectively in a virtual environment;
• High emotional intelligence with the discipline to reinforce gut-level information with fact-based analysis;
• The confidence and skill to appropriately question, manage, and advise individuals who are leaders in their fields;
• Well-developed empathic skills and the ability to work well with individuals from all walks of life;
• An inclination toward and excitement about life-long learning and the drive to thrive upon new challenges and opportunities;
• A collegial, team-oriented working style;
• Modesty to accept guidance as needed;
• Respect and the willingness to advocate for diversity in all its forms; and
• A healthy sense of humor and appreciation for creativity and fun in the workplace.

To Apply

Applications will be reviewed on a first-come-first-considered basis. Candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Applications including a cover letter describing your interest and qualifications, your resume (in Word format), and a writing sample should be sent to:  npag-apm@nonprofitprofessionals.com.

In order to expedite the internal sorting and reviewing process, please type your name (Last, First) as the only contents in the subject line of your e-mail. Please note in your e-mail where you learned of this position.