Careers

Administrative Specialist 

 

Reports to: Executive Director 

Works with: Executive Director, Development Director, and Chairman of the McFadden Foundation BOD Employment Status: Full Time (40 hours/week) 

This job is onsite in Donalsonville, GA.

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Organization Overview 

 

In 1999, Pat McFadden established the Lokchasassa Wilderness Project, a 1,260-acre Seminole County Garden of Eden to protect the native plants and wildlife. This Project was renamed after his death and is now known as the McFadden Nature Center. The property now will be protected for perpetuity. The new nature center is tentatively planned to be open by the end of 2025 or early 2026.

Mission 

 

To share and care for the land, air, water, and animals entrusted to us through meaningful environmental education,  balanced conservation, and preservation, for the benefit of our community now and future generations. 

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Vision 

 

Our vision is to share a responsibility to conserve and preserve our natural places, and enhance appreciation and love  for the land, water, and air that we share; to spark curiosity and joyfully share the quiet peace that comes from time and  close attention to nature and our own human spirit; to link actions to heart; to be a place to grow…for nature, for  people, for community, for ideas, and for hope. 

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Values 

• Stewardship – Pass it on. Considering what comes next in conservation and preservation that envisions a  sustainable future for generations to come.  

• Educate – To cultivate curiosity and create opportunities for study, observation, research, awareness, and  lifelong learning.  

• Tranquility – Encouraging quietness, peace, and harmony for enjoyment and health.  

• Respect – For the bigger picture that includes but is not limited to, land, water, air, farming, plants, animals,  birds, reptiles, insects, and artifacts.  

• Community - Sharing responsibility through connections and partnerships for our watershed and land, whether  it’s in our backyards or farm lands, prairies, or forests.  

• Passion – Excellence and enthusiasm in all we do, to the best of our ability. Asking ourselves - what is the next  best thing? 

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Occupational Summary: 

 

This team member will be a dependable, service-oriented person who is always looking for ways to help team members as they adhere to the mission and goals of McFadden Nature Center. They will work in close collaboration with the  Executive Director and the Development Director on all things related to any administrative need, including the capital campaign and annual campaign of the McFadden Nature Center. Must be willing to be trained on and learn any  operating and donor software the nature center uses for administrative and capital campaign needs. Must be proficient  with Dropbox, Office and Google products such as Word, Power Point, Excel, Google Share Drive, Google docs, Sheets,  etc.

 

This position assists with all the daily administration aspects of capital campaigns, investor research, solicitation, and  cultivation as well as managing schedules. The ideal individual should exercise good judgement in a variety of situations,  with strong written and verbal communication, administrative, and organizational skills. They should be well organized  and able to prioritize and balance multiple duties. The Administrative Specialist should have the ability to work  independently on projects, from conception to completion, and must be able to work under pressure at times and handle a wide variety of activities and confidential matters with discretion.

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Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

 

• Completes a wide variety of tasks including but not limited to: scheduling meetings, composing correspondence that  is often confidential; organization of files (digital and paper), assisting in preparation of department reports Organizes donor information such as updating sponsor information, contact addresses, and delivering pledge  reminders 

• Updates and prepares enlistment, solicitation kits, and other fundraising materials 

• Receives and processes all campaign funds and/or pledges, prepares regular transmittal sheets, creates and  processes “thank- you” letters for signature 

• Maintains confidentiality of all fundraising files, documents, and reports 

• Assists in the planning of creative, strategic, and engaging interactions with organization’s existing investors and  prospects in collaboration with the Development Director and the Marketing Manager 

• Assist Development Director in solicitation and cultivation of potential investors 

• Manages volunteer administrative needs using Volgistics, communicating with potential volunteers, processing  paperwork, keeping files orderly, and record keeping of volunteer hours 

• Provides guidance to visitors in the event of an emergency 

• Manages office equipment and supplies 

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Educational/Experience Requirements: 

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• High School Graduate 

• Bachelor’s degree preferred but not required 

• Minimum of three years of responsible general office administrative experience 

• Experience working with a variety of levels in a corporate environment (executive officers, managing directors,  constituents, etc.) strongly preferred 

• Typing skills of 50 wpm 

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Knowledge, Skills, and Ability Requirements:

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• Excellent written (knows how to write using proper grammar) and verbal communication skills and ability to develop  strong bonds with staff, board members, and donors 

• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office products, Google platforms, and Zoom software, and is willing to  learn donor database software and simple QuickBooks.  

• Able to remain calm and professional in stressful situations and when dealing with the public Strong organizational and time management skills that reflect ability to perform and prioritize competing demands  simultaneously and seamlessly, following through in a timely manner, with excellent attention to detail Must have strong sense of integrity with proven ability to handle sensitive issues with discretion and maintain  complete confidentiality 

• Demonstrate proactive approaches to problem-solving with strong decision-making capability Forward-looking thinker, who actively seeks opportunities to serve and proposes solutions to challenges Demonstrate ability to achieve high performance goals and meet deadlines 

• Emotional maturity

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Characteristics:

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• Teachable spirit, willing to learn a new skill or method from leadership  

• Anticipatory in helping leadership with administrative tasks 

• Patience working with a small team as we all stretch to get the work done 

• Hard worker, looks for ways to improve the office systems and efficiency 

• Flexibility with a growing organization that will be changing  

• Honesty and loyalty to a team that is seeking to create an organization and educational experiences for our  community and region for the long term 

• Follow through, able to see a task through to its completion 

• Optimistic and enthusiastic about the project and its future 

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Time Commitments:

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• Monday thru Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. With 8 to 10 weekends a year and occasional evenings Willingness to alter hours to meet the needs of the job

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Physical Demands:

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• Able to lift, bend, stoop, kneel, and move 

• Able to climb ramps or stairs, reach above and below shoulder level 

• Able to lift 25 pounds 

• Able to sit and use a computer (keyboarding), have visual acuity using computer screens, answer phones, and  use a copier 

• Able to walk and spend time in an outdoor natural environment, like a nature trail

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Benefits:

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• Earned Paid Time Off  

• Paid Holidays 

• Medical Insurance  

• Accidental Death Insurance

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Salary:

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• Salary Range $32,000 to $36,000 depending on experience 

 

Please e-mail resume and cover letter to: Schelly@mcfaddennaturecenter.org 

 

Applications accepted until March 15th, 2024.

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