Administrative & Operations Assistant

Engagement Overview

The Pennsylvania Watercolor Society (PWS) seeks an independent administrative services provider to deliver organized records, reliable project tracking, and timely administrative materials for its volunteer-led Board and committees. The +engagement will begin with Board, awards, membership, and webmaster support. Additional service areas may be added by mutual written agreement as priorities and available funding permit.

Services are primarily remote. The PWS President or a designated liaison will coordinate agreed priorities, deadlines, and acceptance of deliverables. Committee chairs provide subject-matter information and approve materials within their areas of responsibility.

Initial Scope and Deliverables

• Board support: ;Maintain and update the Board meeting calendar based on information provided or approved by PWS; coordinate invitations; assemble and distribute meeting packets from supplied materials by agreed deadlines; maintain an action tracker; compile survey and electronic-vote responses for Board review; archive approved records.
• Calendar and project tracking: Maintain a master calendar of agreed activities and deadlines, identify approaching milestones, send reminders, and provide concise status updates showing completed work, outstanding items, and decisions needed.
• Awards support: Maintain sponsor contacts, commitments, award records, and inventories; contact sponsors on the approved list to solicit support using approved templates; track responses and follow-up dates; prepare approved sponsor correspondence and recognition lists; produce certificates, recipient lists, mailing information, and award-packet checklists; organize supporting financial documentation for the Treasurer.
• Records and process documentation: Organize agreed electronic records in PWS systems; maintain current templates and version histories; draft practical procedures and checklists using information from committee chairs; archive completed project files.
• Membership support: Maintain membership records consistent with approved PWS policy; prepare renewal and welcome notices; compile membership reports; organize correspondence; refer eligibility questions and disputes to the Membership Chair.
• Webmaster support: Receive and organize website update requests; collect approved text, images, and links; coordinate updates with the Webmaster; track completion and verify published administrative information against approved materials.

Expected Results

Deliverables should be accurate, complete, organized, and usable by volunteer leaders. Expected results includes timely meeting packets, current calendars and trackers, reconciled award and sponsor records, accurate membership records, coordinated website updates, accessible files, and documented processes that can be transferred to future volunteers or contractors. PWS and the contractor will agree on specific deliverables, completion dates, and review criteria before work begins.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated administrative, project coordination, or association-support experience; nonprofit or volunteer-led organization experience is helpful.
• Strong writing, proofreading, spreadsheet, recordkeeping, and deadline-management skills; sound judgment when handling confidential information.
• Ability to complete agreed work independently, communicate clearly with multiple volunteer contacts, and identify missing information or scope concerns promptly.
• Proficiency with Google Workspace and shared electronic files. Familiarity with Wild Apricot, CaFE, email distribution tools, and basic publication formatting is helpful.

Additional services by written agreement

The following are available service areas, rather than automatic responsibilities. Each addition must identify the deliverables, deadlines, fees or hour allowance, and PWS approval contact:

• Workshops: Registration rosters, approved participant notices, instructor documentation, logistical records, evaluation summaries, and project closeout files.
• Exhibitions: Project timelines, venue comparison summaries, formatted prospectuses, entry-system reports, approved artist and juror correspondence, logistical documentation, and archived exhibition records.
• Communications: Content collection, newsletter formatting, approved email or social media distribution, and communication calendars.
• Technology support: Shared-drive organization, access-request tracking, account and software inventories, continuity documentation, and coordination of account changes with authorized system administrators. Elevated system administration requires separate authorization.

Independent Service Delivery and Coordination

The contractor determines the methods, sequence, work location, and schedule used to produce the agreed results, subject to mutually established deadlines, confidentiality obligations, and necessary access to PWS systems. PWS does not establish daily shifts or require continuous availability. The contractor may provide services to other clients.

Participation in selected Board or committee meetings may be agreed when needed to complete a deliverable. Dates, purpose, and any in-person attendance or event support will be arranged in advance and included in the agreed scope. Committee requests that would change the scope or exceed the approved budget must be referred to the designated PWS liaison for agreement with the contractor.

Authority and Safeguards

The contractor exercises independent judgment in delivering administrative services. Governance, policy, artistic selection, award selection, membership eligibility disputes, and other organizational decisions remain with the Board or responsible committee. The contractor may not vote on Board matters, supervise volunteers, authorize spending, sign contracts, or commit PWS to obligations. Negotiation or external representation requires specific written authorization.

The contractor must protect member, artist, sponsor, and financial information; use authorized access securely; and promptly report suspected loss or unauthorized disclosure. PWS records and contracted work products must remain accessible to PWS and be transferred at the end of the engagement. Confidentiality, work-product rights, access removal, and any insurance requirements will be addressed in the services agreement.

Proposed Fees and Engagement Terms

Proposed fee: $25 per hour, subject to the final services agreement. Initial budget: up to 40 billable hours per month,, with additional hours or expenses agreed in writing before they are incurred. This is a billing limit, not a prescribed work schedule or guarantee of hours. The contractor will submit itemized invoices describing services, deliverables, and billable time.

The contractor ordinarily supplies their own computer, internet connection, and general business tools; PWS provides authorized access to Society-owned platforms and records. The contractor is responsible for applicable business expenses, taxes, and insurance specified in the agreement. PWS provides no employee benefits and will obtain a Form W-9 and issue required tax reporting forms. Contract duration, invoice payment terms, review dates, and termination provisions will be established in a separate written agreement.