Executive Assistant to CEO and CAO

About the Position

In this position, you will join a growing team as we enter Spertus Institute's second century and implement a forward-looking strategic plan. This position is well suited to a highly organized, emotionally intelligent, and motivated professional. The Executive Assistant (EA) will be an integral part of a staff team that is hard-working, passionate, and committed to making positive communal change.

The EA will be a critical partner to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Academic Officer (CAO), helping to ensure they are effective leaders and serving as their first point of contact with key stakeholders including colleagues on the executive team, staff, volunteer leaders, and major donors. The EA will proactively manage their calendars to ensure their alignment with top priorities.

The EA must possess excellent verbal and written communication skills and be comfortable managing shifting priorities to completion even when the path is not self-evident. This individual will possess the capacity to manage sensitive communications with discretion, confidentiality, and diplomacy. The EA will also support the operating needs of the Executive Team and the Board of Directors through scheduling, material curation, note-taking, and ensuring follow up.

This position is onsite at Spertus Institute. Evening and weekend work may sometimes be necessary.

Responsibilities

Maximizing the CEO and CAO’s Time

• Provide professional administrative support to the CEO and CAO including heavy calendar management, and follow-up for internal and external meetings.
• Ensure CEO, CAO, and Executive Team are thoroughly prepared for all meetings and events, proactively staying ahead of their calendar, in close coordination with other colleagues as needed, in order to provide relevant and timely information to the CEO and CAO.
• Serve as both gatekeeper and gateway to the CEO and CAO, creating win-win situations for direct access to their time.
• At times, reach out on behalf of the CEO and CAO to staff and external stakeholders, ensuring clear communication and follow through as needed.
• Take the lead on arranging and adjusting detailed travel plans, when relevant, creating itineraries and anticipating and proactively managing changes as they arise.
• Join the CEO and CAO’s meetings as needed with direct reports, Board members, community members, and stakeholders to capture action items and ensure effective follow up and project-managing to ensure their completion.
• Compose and prepare correspondence that is at times sensitive and confidential.
• Proactively identify opportunities to better maximize the CEO and CAO’s time, supporting them to ensure completion of competing prioritized tasks.

Supporting the Leadership Team and Board of Directors

• Collaborate with the CEO and CAO on matters that relate to staff and Board of Directors’ operations, including assisting with management and execution of both in-person and virtual meetings.
• Partner on a range of special projects, oftentimes playing a project manager role to steward projects along and coordinate amongst team members.
• Support the Institute’s fundraising and awareness-raising work, partnering with development and program team staff members to coordinate, prepare for, and follow-up on meetings, events, and speaking engagements.
• Attend Board Committee meetings and other meetings as needed, and take notes, ensuring action items are appropriately flagged and followed up on.
• Prepare all materials and make arrangements for all meetings.