Executive Assistant to the General Counsel

Job Description

This is a hybrid position which requires 8 days/month in the office. You can be based in our office in Washington DC. Existing work authorization is required at the time of application submission as WRI is unable to sponsor any visa work sponsorship for this position. To be eligible for this position in US, you must be a resident of DC, Maryland or Virginia at the start of employment.

About the Program:

The Executive Office consists of the President and CEO, five Managing Directors, the Chief of Institutional Alignment, and the General Counsel and their support teams. We ensure smooth running of the Institute, excellence in governance and decision making and effective interactions with all our stakeholders, internal and external, towards achieving WRI's mission. The Office of the General Counsel, located in the Executive Office, is responsible for managing the Institute’s legal matters and advising on legal risks. In addition, the General Counsel provides legal and strategic advisory to WRI’s Management Team and Board of Directors.

Job Highlight:

You will integrate equity into your work.

Reporting to the General Counsel, you will support the administration for the Office of the General Counsel. You will partner with the General Counsel on efficient calendar management and prioritization, travel coordination, research and provision of administrative support. You have an administrative background and enjoy working both independently and as part of a team. WRI’s Office of the General Counsel is a growing department, and you will support the design and run the day-to-day flow of information on behalf of the General Counsel by coordinating meetings, ensuring briefings are fit for purpose, allocating and tracking actions, and coordinating with peers.

What will you do:

Administrative Support (70%):

• Manage the General Counsel’s calendar, scheduling appointments with internal colleagues and external partners in line with operational priorities
• Ensure that the Office of the General Counsel team members are informed of and included in internal meetings and external meetings relevant to their respective roles
• Keep agendas for internal and external meetings, capturing detailed meeting minutes, tracking and following up on action items
• Keep up with General Counsel’s work blocks and monitor important deadlines and due dates
• Create and manage a case management system, monitoring and disseminating departmental performance data to analyse engagement
• Support the preparation of advanced PowerPoint presentations utilizing transitions, animations, charts, graphics, and notes
• Support General Counsel in cadence and tracking recurring meetings and outcomes to ensure timely follow-up and execution
• Attend meetings alongside lawyers and paralegals to capture accurate notes
• Process expense claims, legal invoices for vendors and outside counsel, coordinate document translation, track timesheets and other work to support paralegals
• Update and maintain the legal SharePoint page and intranet sites and review for out-of-date information
• Keep the General Counsel abreast of WRI’s performance management process, benefit’s enrolment process, and other administrative processes for staff
• Provide relevant documents to state registration vendors (with oversight from paralegal)
• Mange Legal’s inbox (this is reading requests for legal services and working with the GC to assign to paralegal or attorney)
• Create and maintain onboarding information for new staff members

Operations Support (20%):

• Support the preparation, checking, and editing of correspondence, documents and presentations
• Work with the Executive Office Assistants to share best practices, support organizational habits and structures that lead to a thriving institute
• Write and distribute for approval Legal’s input into newsletters like WRI Insider
• Serve as a trusted first point of contact for advice on internal processes

Event Management (10%):

• Help arrange and participate in WRI all-staff events in partnership with the Executive Office
• Plan, prepare, and execute team-building events including offsite retreats, team lunches and celebrations
• Partner with paralegals and lawyers to support creation, execution and management of trainings led by the Office of the General Counsel.

What will you need:

• Education: You have completed a bachelor’s in related field. Relevant work experience is accepted in lieu of a degree
• Experience: You have a minimum of 3 years of relevant full-time professional experience in a related field, including experience assisting one or more executives
• Experience working with senior executives and can demonstrate the ability to synthesize complex topics into actionable and decision ready analysis fit for that audience and then cascade decisions for action
• Demonstrated knowledge of legal terminology and procedures
• Experience managing projects with competing deadlines and needs
• Experience working with internal and external stakeholders to manage expectations
• Willingness to attend meetings outside of regular, local business hours (with notice) to accommodate colleagues in other time zones
• Experience working with a geographically dispersed team
• Experience with project management skills using internal applications (such as Asana and Workday)
• Experience using MS Office (e.g. Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint), and web-based communications (e.g. Microsoft Teams, Zoom)
• Experience as a Legal Assistant or Administrative Assistant in a legal office is desirable
• Languages: You are proficient in verbal and written English. Additional language skills are desirable
• Requirements: Existing work authorization is required where this position is based. WRI is unable to authorize visa work authorization

Potential Salary: US salary range is between 69,000 and 78,000 USD. Salary is commensurate with experience and other compensable factors.

How to Apply: Please submit a resume with a required cover letter by the date of 08 Aug 2025. We may close for applications sooner if we receive a high volume of qualified applications.

We are unable to consider your application without a cover letter in addition to your resume.

You must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered.

What we offer:

• Access to the WRI global network with the opportunity to exchange with and learn from passionate colleagues working at the cutting edge of their fields across Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the US
• The chance to have an impact and to develop your career within a mission driven organization with access to varied learning and training opportunities.
• A workplace that strives to put diversity and inclusion at the heart of our work
• The opportunity to join and get involved in different working groups and affinity groups to shape the future of WRI
• Commitment to hybrid working model with flexible working hours
• Generous leave days that increase with tenure
• Medical Coverage, Dental Coverage, Vision Coverage, retirement plan access and employer contribution

About Us:

World Resources Institute works to improve people’s lives, protect and restore nature and stabilize the climate. As an independent research organization, we leverage our data, expertise and global reach to influence policy and catalyse change across systems like food, land and water; energy; and cities. Our 2,000+ staff work on the ground in more than a dozen focus countries and with partners in over 50 nations.

Our mission and values:

WRI’s mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth’s environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.

Our values are shared ideals that bind us together: Independence, Integrity, Impact, Partnership and Care.

Our culture:

WRI is committed to advancing gender and social equity for human well-being in our mission including equal opportunities in employment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, caste, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, or protected Veteran status.

Our team in Human Resources carefully reviews all applications