Senior Executive Assistant Job at Interfaith America in Chicago

ABOUT US

Interfaith America is a national nonprofit organization based in Chicago. We believe that religious diversity is a foundational American strength, and we are building a nation that achieves that promise for the common good. Our mission is to inspire, equip, and connect organizations and leaders to unlock the potential of America’s religious diversity. We leverage our expertise in interfaith leadership in different sectors and spaces in American life, such as higher education, health, public policy, racial equity, and business – giving leaders and institutions the tools and resources they need to positively engage religious diversity for the common good.

At Interfaith America, we are ever-adapting and changing. We look for people who set audacious goals and love that one workday may not be like the next. We have a strong commitment to pluralism and building bridges across deep differences. Our programs help people build skills to bridge deep ideological divides. Our work is about staying in relationship with one another and contributing to the common good even when we might disagree on fundamental things. We seek to attract and retain a team of staff comprised of a wide variety of views and backgrounds we need to achieve our vision, especially people from communities historically underrepresented in interfaith work.

ABOUT THIS POSITION

The Senior Executive Assistant will provide high-level executive assistance to the Chief Strategy Officer & Chief of Staff. We’re looking for this position to optimize and prioritize this executive’s time ensuring it is used effectively through the following responsibilities.

Responsibilities:

• Understands the Chief Strategy Officer & Chief of Staff’s strategic priorities and stewards his calendar and agendas to meet those priorities.
• Serves as the executive facilitator by creating agendas for leadership and C-suite team meetings, tracks action items, and follows up with executives and team members on behalf of the Chief Strategy Officer & Chief of Staff.
• Leads ad hoc programs or projects assigned by the Chief Strategy Officer & Chief of Staff ensuring that all items are completed within scope, budget and timelines.
• Serves as a “gatekeeper” for the Chief Strategy Officer & Chief of Staff’s schedule and communicates directly and on behalf of the executive, with donors, VIP partners, media contacts, Interfaith America staff, and others.
• Coordinates with the Director of the Executive Office to schedule time for the Chief Strategy Officer & Chief of Staff to meet with the Founder and President.
• Manages a dynamic calendar of appointments and travel for the Chief Strategy Officer & Chief of Staff keeping him well-informed of upcoming commitments, projects and weekly to-dos. Schedules internal and external meetings and responds to meeting requests in a timely, respectful manner.
• Maintains updated contacts and uploads email correspondence in Salesforce for the Chief Strategy Officer & Chief of Staff and finds ways to optimize ongoing engagement with VIPs, prospective funders, and more.
• Arranges complex and detailed travel plans for the Chief Strategy Officer & Chief of Staff including all logistics, itineraries, bios of meeting participants, agendas, and other materials for related meetings inclusive of post travel action items.
• Creates and formats presentations in PowerPoint, copyedits and proofreads materials, and drafts correspondence and memos on behalf of the Chief Strategy Officer & Chief of Staff.
• Research various programmatic topics for the Chief Strategy Officer & Chief of Staff.
• Provides quarterly reports to the executive on his budget status.
• Processes reimbursements for the Chief Strategy Officer & Chief of Staff, completes credit card reconciliations, and submits check requests.
• Provides flexible administrative support to external consultants and advisors on a case-by-case basis.
• Supports the Chief Strategy Officer & Chief of Staff with personal affairs when necessary.

Required Qualifications:

• A Bachelor’s degree
• 5-8 years of Executive Assistant experience
• 10+ years of work experience, preference for nonprofit experience
• Ability to represent the organization with outside partners
• Proven skillset in utilizing good judgement and independent discretion
• Proven experience in navigating a dynamic workplace
• Ability to balance and prioritize multiple ongoing projects from multiple stakeholders
• Ability to meet deadlines and work well under pressure
• Excellent communication skills and versed in communicating with VIPs
• Proven client service skillset especially as it relates to working with VIPs
• Strong attention to detail
• Strong competence in Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel)
• Willing to learn and utilize organization-wide constituent relationship management software (Salesforce)
• Authorization to work in the United States

Preferred Qualifications (not required):

• High level of religious literacy and fluency in diversity, pluralism, and inclusion

Competencies:

• Strategic Application – Co-creates strategy with leadership and/or aptly understands and applies organizational strategy to their initiative.
• Project Management - Aptly leading, planning, and executing project or pieces of a project, ensuring all project members are staying within timelines and budgets.
• Program Leadership - Ability to lead programs or support units, manage staff, and delegate work effectively and ensuring that all items are completed within scope, budget and timelines.
• Results-oriented – Ability to complete multiple assigned tasks across multiple program and project areas with a high level of excellence and within deadlines.
• IA Theory and Methodology - Ability to explain and engage constituents in IA's theory and methodology in a way that resonates with that constituent, and they understand our work within their own context.
• Inclusive and equitable decision maker- Ability to listen, think critically, and leverage the thinking of diverse groups for smarter ideation and decision making that lead to equitable outcomes in our work.

Supervisor: Chief Strategy Officer & Chief of Staff

Leadership Level: Assistant Director (non-supervisor)

Location: working from our Chicago Loop office 3-4 days per week at 141 W Jackson Blvd. #3200 Chicago, IL 60604

Hours: Occasional evening and weekend hours will be required to address travel or other timely executive responsibilities hours per week, 9am-5pm, Monday-Friday

Compensation: $80,000 - $90,000 annually. For more information about our benefits, see our careers page.

Other Requirements: This position requires the ability, with or without reasonable accommodation, to: maintain regular attendance; travel across the US; work cooperatively with others; adhere to Interfaith America personnel policies and safety rules; sit and/or stand for extended periods of time; operate standard office equipment, including computers, telephones, photocopiers, and projectors; communicate orally, in writing, and via computers and digital devices; and requires close visual acuity to prepare and analyze data and figures, transcribe, view a computer terminal and other office equipment.

Interfaith America is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and does not discriminate on the basis of religion, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, marital status, or any other status protected by applicable law. Reasonable accommodation will be provided as needed to enable qualified applicants with a disability to participate in pre-employment procedures.