The Requirements

To be a good fit for this opportunity you will have:

• A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
• At least five years of professional experience including a solid grounding in operations, ideally in a manufacturing environment (we're not a manufacturing organization per se, but our operations are very similar).
• Sound IT knowledge; a background as a Business Analyst would be very helpful.
• Project management experience.
• Exposure to "back office" processes.
• A strong process orientation.
• Intermediate to advanced understanding of and experience with MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Project), and Internet search.

You also will need the following characteristics and competencies:

• Exceptional organizational skills, including the ability to:
  • Manage multiple activities and priorities in a fast-paced environment.
  • Keep yourself AND the SVP Operations on track.
  • Monitor project progress, follow up with stakeholders / contributors, and help remove roadblocks.
• Professional maturity and demeanor and the ability to handle tasks at any level.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including typing, spelling and grammar.
• The ability to work effectively with executive management, your direct manager, peers, co-workers and staff, customers and others by:
  • Sharing ideas in a constructive and positive manner;
  • Keeping commitments and demonstrating accountability and a strong sense of ownership; and
  • Keeping others informed of work, progress, timetables and issues.
• Solid critical thinking skills. Quick question for you - click here
• A strong sense of discretion.

The Role

You will support the SVP Operations and the areas he leads, including IT, Customer Service, Warehousing, Seminars and Training, and a processing team that handles order entry, insurance and resolution. This is a hybrid role combining operations management, project management and administrative support. One of your first objectives will be to get up to speed on what's going on in the various areas -- and there is plenty going on, such as an IT system restructuring that will continue for another 12 months or so.

Your high level objectives will include:

• Representing the SVP Operations in meetings and other interactions with staff; for example, you may attend a daily morning meetings with IT to field questions, take notes, bring input and direction from the SVP, and more. Quick question for you - click here
• Triaging issues as they arise, determining whether it is something you can resolve yourself, something that needs to be escalated to the SVP immediately or something that can be placed elsewhere on the priority list.
• Managing projects, including monitoring progress to goals and deliverables, following up with responsible parties, and providing support as needed.

More specific activities will include:

• Handling ongoing responsibilities such as maintaining reports and spreadsheets, including weekly project status reports and priority lists.
• Coordinating inbound / outbound communication for the SVP including memos, phone calls, email, and correspondence.
• Managing the SVP's calendar.
• Carrying out general administrative duties including copying, faxing, and retrieving and filing documents.
• Performing research.
• Responding to ad hoc requests and other things that come up as priorities shift.
• And more.

When you join our team, you will participate in a structured education program that introduces you to the Notary profession and provides you the essential knowledge and understanding of what it is to be a Notary and how the NNA serves the over 4 million US Notaries Public.

Note: this description is intended to give you a general overview of the position and is not an exhaustive listing of duties and responsibilities.

Why the NNA

High visibility impact -- you'll represent one of our senior leaders and have the authority to make decisions that will impact multiple operating areas . . . and these areas support or influence just about all aspects of the NNA. Naturally, we'll entrust you with a limited degree of authority at first, but as you demonstrate your ability to handle responsibility, the scope of your role will grow.

Professional development -- it should be clear by now that you'll gain exposure to many areas, and you'll also deepen your experience in valuable activities such as project management. True, there will be some mundane work, but you can count on a good deal of variety. Down the road, and once you have proven yourself, you might take your career in any of a number of directions within our organization.

The "best of both worlds" -- we offer the stability and resources of a leading professional association with 55 years of success supporting Notaries. We're also pursuing growth and improvement initiatives across our organization, and the environment is creative and energetic. At the same time, we hold on to old-fashioned values, including work/life balance; we'll look to you to remain flexible when the occasional need for longer hours arises, but it will be the exception rather than the rule.

The nation's leader -- we offer services and products for every stage of a Notary's career, from obtaining an original commission to ongoing education, professional supplies, bonds and insurance, emerging technologies, and more. We are also a trusted adviser to many state officials in the development and implementation of notary regulations.

Excellent compensation -- in addition to a competitive salary and discretionary bonus program, we offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, life, and disability insurance; a 401(k) plan; generous profit sharing; ample paid holidays; and generous paid time off.

Pictured: among other areas of our operations you'll work closely with IT, which develops and maintains a wide variety of functionalities; eCommerce is just one of many critical services IT provides.

Keys to Success

To excel in this role you will not only be effective at managing multiple projects and handling multiple activities, you will truly enjoy it. You also will be a quick study in order to take high-level direction and work out the details on your own. In addition you'll need solid emotional intelligence to determine when you can make decisions independently and when you need to ask for more guidance. In addition, in order to be an outstanding Operations Assistant, you will:

• Leverage strong interpersonal skills to work effectively with diverse personalities, including influencing and motivating others. In many ways the SVP is a change agent and, as an extension of him, you'll need to help others embrace positive change.
• Maintain a proactive approach; there will be times when you'll need to shift into reactive mode, but you'll need to help ensure the SVP isn't playing "catch up."
• Develop relationships with regular contacts based on a customer service approach, representing the SVP Operations office as a resource.
• Bring recommendations and background intel to the SVP when you escalate issues or provide reports.
• Be as comfortable and motivated doing the less glamorous work (faxing, filing) as you are doing the more interesting activities.

About the NNA

Established in 1957, the National Notary Association (NNA) is the leading professional authority of the American Notary office and is dedicated to educating, serving and advocating for the nation's 4.2 million Notaries. The NNA imparts comprehensive knowledge and understanding, promotes a positive public perception of the Notary professional, and bolsters consumer protection by promoting best practices. The Association's accredited professional programs, services and model legislation help Notaries advance their careers and serve the American public with the highest level of professionalism and ethics.

Pictured: warehousing operations that you'll help support include stocking and shipping supplies such as this New Notary Kit.