Board Relations Coordinator

The Brookings Institution•Washington, DC

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Board Relations Coordinator provides administrative and governance support to the Senior Director of Board Relations and Assistant Secretary of the Board of Trustees, the President, and the Executive Office team. The position supports Brookings’ Board of Trustees governance goals and Executive Office special projects. Work includes preparing and retaining documents, scheduling meetings, maintaining accurate records and databases, preparing for meetings, assisting Trustees and their staffs, and supporting Board and Committee meetings. The Coordinator handles sensitive information with discretion and maintains confidentiality. The position supports the annual cycle of Board and Committee meetings, including planning, preparing agendas and templates, taking meeting minutes, coordinating materials, posting documents to the BoardEffect portal, maintaining resolutions and minutes, and ensuring final approved documents are signed and archived. It also maintains Trustee records, directories, committee lists, portal and website information, and annual conflict-of-interest questionnaires. The Coordinator supports Trustees and their staffs by helping with portal access, responding to inquiries, drafting correspondence, tracking follow-up, and coordinating information updates with Development staff. The role also coordinates research and reports for the Nominations and Governance Committee, assists with Trustee reelection and Board composition analysis, schedules and supports meetings and events, and provides coordination for Executive Office special projects. The position is based on-site four days per week, increasing to five days during Board and Committee meeting weeks and preparation weeks, as well as when needed.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
Excellent interpersonal, organizational, technical, and communication skills.
Excellent grammar, spelling, proofreading, and editing skills, and the ability to research information and compile it for briefings.
Acute attention to detail; discretion, dependability, and ability to work quickly.
Proven ability to exercise excellent judgment and initiative while maintaining confidentiality.
Professional demeanor and comfort working with high-profile individuals.
Ability to communicate professionally and courteously with Trustees, the public, and internal colleagues by phone and email.
Ability to work independently and in close cooperation with others.
Ability to coordinate multiple tasks simultaneously and consistently follow up on details.
Knowledge of Microsoft Office, especially Excel, and ability to learn software including Publisher, Adobe Pro, and Raiser’s Edge or another CRM.

Nice To Haves

Relevant internship or administrative experience, roughly 0–2 years, ideally in a related field and/or nonprofit organization.
Experience or comfort working with high-profile and accomplished individuals.
Exposure to organizing meetings with senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

Maintain and update annual plans and schedules for Board and Committee meeting planning, materials, and documentation; provide progress updates and adjust plans as needed.
Draft agendas, minutes templates, resolutions, and other Board documents in consultation with the Senior Director of Board Relations.
Take accurate minutes at Board, Executive Committee, and Nominations and Governance Committee meetings, and other committee meetings as requested.
Coordinate scheduling and provide technical assistance to Brookings colleagues supporting the six Board Committees.
Post Board and relevant Committee materials to the BoardEffect portal; coordinate production schedules, liaise with staff providing materials, and maintain accurate records.
Maintain searchable records of resolutions and minutes; obtain signatures on approved documents and scan, upload, and file final Board documents.
Draft notices for the Senior Director of Board Relations/Assistant Board Secretary.
Collect, collate, archive, review, and follow up on Trustees’ annual conflict-of-interest questionnaires; prepare reports based on responses.
Maintain Trustee records, affiliations documents, committee membership lists, website information, internal CRM information, and the Trustee Directory and linked documents.
Solicit and collect information from Trustees, assistants, and Brookings staff; notify Development staff of changes requiring CRM updates; audit Trustee and staff information on the board portal and public website.
Create fillable PDFs and online surveys, and investigate and implement other methods of collecting information from Trustees and their staffs.
Proofread and copyedit documents.
Support new users accessing the Board portal and troubleshoot user issues.
Respond to Trustee and staff questions about meetings and information requests; draft and proofread correspondence; record interactions for CRM updates; take meeting notes and ensure follow-up.
Handle sensitive information and confidential projects.
Coordinate with Development researchers, other Development staff, and the Office of General Counsel to compile background research on prospective Trustees; format reports for management and Board review and update related documents.
Assist with Trustee reelection analysis and projections concerning Board composition, Trustee engagement, and philanthropy; conduct ad-hoc research on Board composition and comparative data.
Keep informed about Brookings research programs and Trustee interests through reading, research, and event attendance as time permits; notify Trustees about Brookings events and activities.
Schedule internal and external meetings related to Board business, including Committee meetings and planning meetings.
Provide logistical and technical support for remote meetings and conference calls; send calendar invitations, track attendance, prepare attendance reports, distribute materials, and coordinate follow-up.
Submit expense reports and respond promptly to administrative requests.
Support Board meetings and Trustee events in person or remotely, including planning, execution, technical tasks, and attentive support for staff and Trustees.
Coordinate Executive Office special projects, including preparing project materials and communications, managing project plans and reports, and handling administrative tasks such as room reservations and sign-ups.
Support research, editorial, and communications work related to recurring deliverables for Trustees and advisory audiences and other communications from the President to the Board.