Executive Administrative Assistant

f98dcc65-de04-4653-a85c-aa231d5992ae•Chicago, IL

About The Position

The Executive Administrative Assistant provides high-level administrative, operational, and governance support to the President/Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer. The role supports executive priorities, strategic initiatives, organizational communication, and the efficient operation of the Executive Office. It also serves as the primary administrative liaison to the Board of Directors and Board Committees, supporting governance activities, maintaining official records, coordinating meetings, and preparing and distributing materials. The position manages executive calendars, meetings, travel arrangements as needed, executive communications, correspondence, reports, presentations, policies, agreements, and other organizational documents. It coordinates contract and service-agreement review and execution and maintains appropriate approvals, signatures, and records. The role coordinates executive and leadership meetings, cross-functional initiatives, and special projects; tracks decisions and follow-up actions; and helps keep organizational priorities on schedule. The position supports board and committee governance, accreditation, regulatory and compliance activities, strategic planning, agency facility-use administration, organizational reporting, and project coordination. It collects and organizes data, prepares dashboards and reports, monitors initiatives and key performance indicators, tracks deliverables and deadlines, and updates leadership on progress. The position exercises independent judgment and discretion within organizational policies and procedures and works closely with executive leadership, the Board, staff, external partners, consultants, funders, and community stakeholders. It has no direct supervisory responsibility, though it may coordinate and provide administrative support to project teams, committees, and initiatives. A bachelor's degree in a related field is preferred; equivalent combinations of education, certifications, and relevant experience will be considered. At least five years of progressively responsible experience providing high-level administrative support to senior executives, executive teams, boards, or organizational leadership is required. The role requires advanced proficiency with Microsoft 365 and strong communication, analytical, organizational, writing, time-management, judgment, discretion, and relationship-building skills. Bilingual English-Spanish proficiency and experience with nonprofit governance, board administration, strategic planning, project coordination, reporting systems, board portals, and emerging productivity technologies are preferred or desirable. The position requires sitting, talking, hearing, frequent hand use, and the ability to lift and carry 25 pounds. The work environment is usually moderately noisy. Drug and alcohol screening is required.

Requirements

At least five years of progressively responsible experience providing high-level administrative support to senior executives, executive teams, boards of directors, or organizational leadership.
Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Communications, Nonprofit Management, Organizational Leadership, or a related field is preferred; equivalent combinations of education, professional certifications, and relevant experience will be considered.
Proficiency managing complex schedules, coordinating executive and board meetings, preparing professional reports and presentations, maintaining confidential records, and supporting multiple priorities simultaneously.
Advanced proficiency with Microsoft 365 applications, including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and SharePoint.
Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to prepare professional correspondence, reports, meeting minutes, presentations, and executive communications.
Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, including gathering, organizing, and interpreting data for reports, dashboards, and executive presentations.
Exceptional organizational and time-management skills, accuracy, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple deadlines.
Strong writing and mathematical skills to prepare reports, contribute to program development, and work with budgets, fiscal matters, and expense reports.
Ability to exercise independent judgment and discretion within established policies and procedures; maturity, flexibility, diplomacy, professionalism, and sound judgment when handling confidential information and complex situations.
Sensitivity to cultural diversity; successful completion of required drug and alcohol screening.
Ability to sit, talk, and hear regularly, use hands frequently, and lift and carry 25 pounds.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Nice To Haves

Bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish.
Experience supporting nonprofit organizations, executive governance functions, strategic-planning processes, board administration, project coordination, or organizational reporting.
Experience with electronic document-management systems, virtual meeting platforms, board portal software, project-management tools, and data-reporting systems.
Comfort learning and using emerging technologies and digital productivity tools, including AI-enabled business applications.

Responsibilities

Build positive, collaborative working relationships with agency staff and external providers and contribute to a professional, respectful work environment.
Apply the agency's mission, philosophy, core values, and policies to daily work and decision-making; participate in and remain knowledgeable about the Performance Quality Improvement process.
Approve time sheets and ensure compliance with agency and funder guidelines and allowable activities.
Manage complex executive calendars, schedule meetings and events, coordinate travel as needed, and help the President/CEO and COO manage priorities and commitments.
Serve as a point of contact for executive communications and handle confidential and sensitive information with sound judgment.
Prepare, draft, edit, format, and distribute executive correspondence, reports, presentations, policies, agreements, meeting materials, and other organizational documents.
Coordinate review and execution of contracts, service agreements, and official records, ensuring approvals, signatures, and record-retention practices are maintained.
Coordinate executive meetings, leadership team meetings, cross-functional initiatives, and special projects; track decisions and follow-up actions and facilitate stakeholder communication.
Anticipate executive needs, identify administrative and operational challenges, and collaborate with leadership on problem-solving and decision-making.
Serve as the primary administrative liaison to the Board of Directors and Board Committees; coordinate meetings, prepare agendas and materials, maintain official records, document minutes, and support compliance with governance requirements, bylaws, and policies.
Support accreditation, regulatory, and compliance activities by maintaining governance documentation and records associated with agency operations and nonprofit status.
Coordinate strategic-planning activities, track action items and progress toward objectives, and prepare leadership and Board reports and presentations.
Oversee administrative processes for agency facility use by external organizations and help departments obtain governance-related compliance documentation.
Collect, compile, analyze, and organize data for executive, Board, strategic-planning, and organizational-performance reports.
Prepare executive dashboards, Board packets, presentations, and reporting materials, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and timely distribution.
Track strategic initiatives, key performance indicators, organizational objectives, agency-wide projects, deadlines, and follow-up activities; provide leadership with regular status updates.
Coordinate stakeholders, timelines, deliverables, status updates, and communications for executive-sponsored projects and organizational initiatives.
Use basic fiscal and mathematical skills to support program budgets, expense reports, and analysis of program outcomes; collaborate with the Administrative Department on funding opportunities.