Application Guide
How to Apply for Administrative Assistant to the Core Team
at IRIS (the International Resource for Impact and Story)
🏢 About IRIS (the International Resource for Impact and Story)
IRIS is a unique international donor collaborative that connects visual storytellers, civic innovators, and narrative analysts, with a specific focus on supporting global-south-based social justice work. Working here means contributing to a mission that uses storytelling as a tool for impact, connecting philanthropy with grassroots creative efforts worldwide.
About This Role
This Administrative Assistant role is the logistical and financial hub for IRIS's Core Team, directly supporting budgeting, grant-making, team coordination, and process management for global social justice initiatives. The role is impactful because it enables the smooth operation of a collaborative that funds and amplifies critical storytelling work across interconnected issue areas.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might start with reviewing and processing financial documents for an upcoming grant, followed by coordinating a cross-time-zone team meeting and updating shared calendars. The afternoon could involve organizing files for a narrative analysis project, copyediting event materials, and responding to logistical queries from global partners, all while maintaining transparent communication with the Core Team.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who IRIS (the International Resource for Impact and Story) Is Looking For
- An early-career professional with 3+ years of experience in a full-time administrative or operations role, ideally within philanthropy, non-profits, or creative sectors.
- A patient, responsive, and generous communicator who excels at building trust in a fully remote environment and is adept with various digital systems for scheduling, finance, and file management.
- A proactive problem-solver who is quick to identify confusion, confident in asking questions, and enjoys building processes for knowledge management and team coordination.
- Someone genuinely interested in social justice and storytelling, comfortable supporting financial tracking for grants and contracts, and eager to contribute to special projects like event support and document design.
📝 Tips for Applying to IRIS (the International Resource for Impact and Story)
Explicitly highlight any experience with financial coordination, budgeting, or grant-making processes, as this constitutes 30% of the role—mention specific tools you've used (e.g., QuickBooks, grant management software).
Demonstrate your remote work proficiency by detailing how you've managed schedules, coordinated meetings across time zones, and maintained transparency in a distributed team in your resume or cover letter.
Research and reference IRIS's focus on 'global-south-based' work and 'narrative analysis' to show genuine alignment with their mission, not just administrative skills.
Provide concrete examples of how you've built or improved administrative processes (like file management or tracking systems) in past roles, as process management is 20% of this job.
Tailor your communication examples to reflect the 'patient, responsive, generous' qualities listed—perhaps describe a time you navigated a complex scheduling conflict or supported a team member transparently.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
['Your specific experience with financial support tasks (budgeting, contracting, expense tracking) and how it prepares you for the 30% financial coordination responsibility.', 'Examples of building trust and managing logistics in a remote setting, highlighting tools and strategies for effective team coordination.', "Your interest in IRIS's unique mission at the intersection of storytelling, philanthropy, and social justice, and why it motivates you beyond general administrative work.", "A brief story demonstrating your proactive approach to process improvement or knowledge management, linking it to the role's support for special projects and events."]
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Explore IRIS's website or public materials to understand their specific 'donor collaborative' model and current focus areas within social justice storytelling.
- → Look into their partners or funded projects to grasp the types of 'creative visual storytellers' and 'civic innovators' they work with.
- → Research common tools and challenges in remote philanthropy or non-profit administration to speak knowledgeably about the operational context.
- → Understand the term 'narrative analysis' in the context of social change to discuss how administrative support enables this work.
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Submitting a generic application that doesn't address the specific 30% financial coordination component or IRIS's social justice focus.
- Failing to provide examples of remote work proficiency and time management, which is critical for a fully remote role at an international organization.
- Overemphasizing generic administrative tasks without connecting them to process-building, relationship trust, or support for collaborative projects.
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!
Ready to Apply?
Good luck with your application to IRIS (the International Resource for Impact and Story)!