Meeting Planner & Administrative Associate

Program/Role: Meeting Planner and Administrative Associate for Energy Systems

Location: WFH Flexible, Minneapolis, MN. GPI’s headquarters are based at 2801 21st Avenue South, Suite 220 in Minneapolis, MN.

Reports to: Alissa Bemis, Meeting and Administrative Manager 

Type of Position: Full-time position

Ideal start date: Open until filled 

Compensation: Salary range: $51K-$59K, commensurate with experience. Benefits include a health plan, 401(k) retirement plan, LTD, STD, life, vision, dental, FSA/HSA, paid time off, professional development allowance, and a communication stipend.

 

ABOUT THE GREAT PLAINS INSTITUTE

A nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, the Great Plains Institute (GPI) is accelerating the transition to net-zero carbon emissions for the benefit of people, the economy, and the environment. Increased demand for GPI’s unique blend of energy expertise and consensus-derived solutions has driven organizational and programmatic growth. With headquarters in Minnesota, GPI’s operations are national in scope while retaining a core competency in the Midcontinent region. GPI is powered by more than 70 professionals and is supported by some of the nation’s most respected philanthropies. 

 

The following values inform the way we work both inside and outside of GPI. It is important to us to be trusted, inclusive, equitable, 

pragmatic, and transformative:

 

Trusted. We base our approach and actions on trust, mutual respect, and accountability. 

Inclusive. We achieve impact through inclusive and deliberate collaboration with a diversity of interests.

Equitable. We strive for equity in our approach and outcomes.

Pragmatic. We take a clear-eyed view of the world as it is, even as we seek to improve it.

Transformative. We are a bold and passionate catalyst for change.

 

ENERGY SYSTEMS PROGRAM AREA

The Energy Systems program area is focused on decarbonizing the economy by enabling collaboration and problem solving among electric and natural gas utilities and market operators, regulators, environmental advocates, consumer advocates, state and local governments, businesses, and other key stakeholders.

 

We work with groups of state governor’s offices and environmental and energy regulators to develop and implement decarbonization plans; within the Midcontinent Independent Systems Operator stakeholder process on market rules and the transmission build-out; with states, utilities, and other interests to align utility business models with an affordable, reliable, and net-zero greenhouse gas energy system; with states, local governments, and other key actors to bring down the implementation costs of net-zero greenhouse gas technologies and increase consumer demand for net-zero greenhouse gas resources.
 

We foster collaboration and problem solving through complex stakeholder engagement processes. These often involve groups of 20-100 stakeholders that meet regularly over several months to develop a shared understanding of energy and climate policy and technology issues, discuss varying perspectives on those issues, and collaborate to identify actions to address those issues.

Our team has a fast-paced entrepreneurial culture in which people enjoy both great freedom and great responsibility. People who thrive in this culture take personal responsibility for seeing what needs doing and getting it done. They are self-starters, problem-solvers, and quick to help others. They work hard because they believe in the mission and get to spend most of their time at the intersection of what they love to do and are good at. It’s a working environment in which performance is judged more on results than on time spent in a chair. We are committed to building a diverse staff and strongly encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply. We aspire to make this the best job anyone has ever had.

 

THIS POSITION: 

GPI’s Energy Systems program advances energy policies and decision-making through complex stakeholder engagement and meeting facilitation. This position is vital to ensuring that meeting planning, administrative, and communication duties are carried out to enable program staff to focus on stakeholder engagement, meeting facilitation, and energy policy development.

 

The ideal candidate will have excellent interpersonal communication (including writing and speaking) and relationship-building skills, the ability to exercise good judgment in a variety of situations, maintain a realistic balance among multiple priorities, use effective methods for time management and prioritization of tasks, maintain organization and attention to detail, and possess the ability to identify and address urgent and important needs in a dynamic, fast-paced environment. 

 

Experience with and expertise on meeting planning, administrative duties, and communications is desired. In addition, the ideal candidate will exhibit attention to efficiency and innovation in their daily work.

 

Hours may be flexible and are typically Monday through Friday during the business day; evenings and weekends will be required at times.

 

NOTE: While this position will work on a daily basis with GPI staff and external parties that are focused on energy policy development, this particular position is not a good fit for somebody whose primary interest is in energy policy research or analysis. This position is focused on meeting planning, administrative, and communications duties to support staff who work on public policy initiatives.

 

JOB DUTIES:

1. (70%) Meeting Planning, Execution, and Follow-Up: The Energy Systems program area convenes many stakeholder groups that meet regularly in-person, virtually, and sometimes hybrid; the size of these groups range from 30-120 participants. In addition, program staff meet regularly in smaller groups internally and externally with partners and clients. This position will be responsible for many tasks related to meeting scheduling, planning, execution, and follow-up, including but not limited to the following under the direction of the Meeting and Administrative Manager:
   1. Assist with the coordination of multiple individuals and organizations to schedule and plan meetings of different sizes and taking place in different locations, from small planning meetings that may only last an hour with a few individuals to day-long or multi-day meetings with groups of 50 or more attendees. 
   2. In addition to in-person meetings, this individual will be responsible for planning and supporting program staff with executing virtual meetings.
   3. Research and secure meeting venues that can appropriately meet the needs, as set by the Meeting and Administrative Manager, of the meeting being planned, including assessing technology capabilities and identifying breakout rooms.
   4. Identify, purchase, and coordinate food and beverages for meetings while adhering to the budgetary constraints of a particular project.
   5. Communicate effectively and positively with internal colleagues, external clients, and partners, and with large stakeholder groups before, during, and after meetings in a timely manner while ensuring information is clear, succinct, and accessible to all parties.
   6. Coordinate in a respectful, professional, and timely manner with meeting presenters and speakers, including coordination of PowerPoint slide decks and speaking times during all-day agendas.
   7. Set up and manage online meeting registration, including Zoom and Eventbrite platforms.
   8. Support the development of meeting materials, and assist with assembling and dissemination. Meeting materials include agendas, nametags and/or name tents, printed resources such as reports, electronic resources such as PowerPoint slide decks, flip charts, markers, and large post-it notes.
   9. Assist with meeting execution, including setting up and staffing welcome tables with name tags and meeting materials, testing A/V equipment, ensuring that food and beverages arrive as scheduled, managing noise disruption from nearby meeting spaces, cleaning up materials, and re-organizing furniture after meetings adjourn, and immediately troubleshooting any meeting space issues that may detract from the quality of the meeting session
   10. Take notes during project planning meetings, making sure to capture key decisions related to timing and next steps, and disseminate notes immediately to the project planning team to clarify responsibilities for all parties. 
   11. Respond in a timely and positive manner to requests for assistance from GPI staff, partners, clients, and stakeholders during meetings.
   12. Travel to meetings and transport materials to and from meetings. Meeting may be located throughout the U.S. and may require plane travel.
2. (15%) Administrative Duties: Under the direction of the Meeting and Administrative Manager and in collaboration with GPI’s finance and administrative teams, the Associate will help ensure administrative excellence for the Energy Systems team. Alongside the Meeting and Administrative Manager this position will help keep files, lists, and materials organized, track the status of invoices and contracts, and assist with program budget tracking activities. Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:
   1. Enter and maintain task lists for multiple projects, including the task, party responsible, status, deadline and any key notes, in an online project management database.
   2. Maintain a list of projects ongoing and in development, including entering information such as start and end dates, budget, project partners, and attaching relevant documents, in an online project management database.
   3. Assemble, organize, and maintain meeting materials for multiple different stakeholder groups on GPI’s server, in Excel spreadsheets, and in online databases.
   4. Work with GPI staff and external partners and clients to coordinate the development and execution of inbound and outbound contracts and invoices.
   5. Keep program files on GPI’s server organized and updated.
   6. Assist staff with tracking project and program budgets and expenses, including working with Microsoft Excel spreadsheets to organize and update budget information.
3. (15%) Communications Assistance: In conjunction with meeting planning duties, this position will be responsible for carrying out communications-related tasks, including updating meeting materials and other documents in accordance with GPI’s branding guidelines, as well as working with GPI’s communications team to ensure that all meeting materials exhibit a high quality of design and finish to uphold GPI’s reputation as an organization that puts on professional, high-quality stakeholder meetings. Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:
   1. Format Microsoft word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents to match GPI or project sub-branding guidelines, including updating font, colors, images, and logos.
   2. Coordinate with GPI’s communications team to accomplish more complex communications tasks, including design changes to existing materials or developing new designs for projects with their own sub-branding.
   3. Send email communications to stakeholder lists, ensuring attention to detail and overall quality.
4. Other programmatic assistance: As requested by the Meeting and Administrative Manager or Vice President of Energy Systems.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS:

• 1-3 years of meeting planning, communications, and administrative experience
• Education background in hospitality, marketing, communications, and/or a related field.
• Strong communication, interpersonal, and customer service skills
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to work independently and follow directions
• Time management skills with ability to prioritize a large volume of tasks and deadlines
• Self-motivation, enthusiasm, and willingness to learn
• Problem solving skills: ability to identify solutions to challenges that arise 
• Familiarity with Eventbrite or similar event registration software
• Familiarity with Zoom and Teams meeting platforms
• Must have a driver’s license and access to a personal vehicle to transport meeting materials (mileage will be reimbursed)
• Bachelor’s Degree or relevant proven skills and experience
• Experience working on a diverse team 
• Experience working with different communication styles 
• Self-motivated
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, SharePoint)
• Commitment to the mission and goals of the Great Plains Institute

EQUIPMENT USED:

This position involves use of a desktop computer and/or laptop, copier, fax machine, calculator, printer, and telephone.

 

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENT:

This position requires working at a desk (either sitting or standing) for extended periods and extensive use of devices (e.g., keyboard, mouse), as well as usage of telephone/headset. May require lifting of boxes up to 20 pounds on occasion. 

 

HOW TO APPLY:  

Required application materials include a resume and one-page cover letter. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. 

 

BACKGROUND ON GREAT PLAINS INSTITUTE: 

GPI has a fast-paced entrepreneurial culture in which people enjoy both great freedom and great responsibility. People who thrive in this culture take personal responsibility for seeing what needs doing and getting it done. They are initiative-takers, problem-solvers, and quick to help others. They work hard because they believe in the mission and get to spend most of their time at the intersection of what they love to do and are good at. It’s a working environment in which performance is judged more on results than on time spent in a chair. We aspire to make this the best job anyone has ever had.

 

The Great Plains Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcomes a wide diversity of applicants.