Executive Assistant to the President & CEO

Tamarack Institute's

3d • Remote

About The Position

Tamarack Institute is seeking an Executive Assistant to the Ottawa-area based President & CEO for an initial six-month contract, with the potential to continue beyond the initial term. This is a remote role. The Executive Assistant to the President & CEO is a close creative and strategic partner, helping ensure the President & CEO’s time and attention are focused on the decisions, relationships, writing, and strategic thinking that require her specifically, and helping build and sustain the external partnerships essential to the work of ending poverty in all of its forms. This role is responsible for anticipating needs, protecting time, following through commitments, and creating strong systems for research, correspondence, meeting preparation, and project tracking. The successful candidate will thrive in a high-trust environment that values pace, care, judgment, and strong relationships. They will bring genuine curiosity and creativity to the external relationships they help build and sustain on the President & CEO’s behalf, always looking for ways to engage people’s holistically. They will be comfortable prioritizing and triaging independently, handling sensitive information with discretion, and using digital tools in line with Tamarack’s policies to improve research, analysis, information curation, and day-to-day execution.

Requirements

• 5+ years supporting a senior executive as an Executive Assistant, Chief of Staff, or in a comparable role requiring independent judgment.
• Strong research and writing skills, including the ability to draft materials, organize and locate information, and synthesize information from verbal direction.
• Demonstrated discretion and sound judgment when working with sensitive information.
• Confidence prioritizing, triaging, and moving work forward without waiting for instructions on every item.
• Highly organized, with demonstrated ability to manage concurrent priorities, deadlines, correspondence, and follow-through.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and a relationship-oriented approach, with genuine curiosity about what partners’ goals and principles, and creativity in finding ways to connect it with Tamarack’s own work.
• Enthusiasm for using our world’s ever-changing digital tools in accordance with Tamarack’s AI and data governance policies to streamline processes and to diagnose, analyze, create, curate, and locate information.
• Adaptable, flexible, proactive, and comfortable working closely with a curious, results-oriented, fast-moving person.
• Ability to engage virtually, both independently and in co-operation with a small, remote team.
• This role requires a high level of comfort with an online presence.

Nice To Haves

• Nonprofit, philanthropic, or mission-driven sector experience is an asset.
• Willingness/ability to travel, as required

Responsibilities

• Drafting briefing notes and preparing background materials
• Coordinating meeting and event logistics on-site and in advance
• Managing all aspects of CEO travel within budget constraints
• Supporting relationship-focused follow-through after events and meetings, including surfacing the results, expertise, and assets our partners hold that we can connect with what Tamarack brings in return
• Tracking outstanding correspondence to and from the President & CEO and flagging items requiring response
• Researching and compiling stories, resources, and background information for correspondence
• Collecting information requested by the President & CEO
• Flagging aging requests and commitments before they are missed
• Drafting timely, relationship-building responses to external requests
• Proactively supporting relationship tending and outreach, with an eye for creative, mutual partnership opportunities
• Researching attendees, organizations, relationships, and relevant history
• Assembling briefing packets and background materials
• Managing logistics, materials compilation and distribution, and scheduling for board, board committee, and external partner meetings
• Supporting meeting preparation and ensuring required materials are organized and accessible
• Tracking status and deadlines across projects the President & CEO is holding
• Maintaining a view of how key Tamarack projects are progressing
• Maintaining electronic systems for meeting agendas, action items, and follow-up
• Stewarding the President & CEO’s calendar and protecting time for strategic thinking, writing, and task completion
• Ensuring regular meetings with direct reports are scheduled and supported
• Triaging incoming requests against priorities
• Embedding commitments to Equity, Anti-Racism, and Reconciliation into everyday work, using framework tools, and collaborating with colleagues and network members to advance this action.
• Applying a strong understanding of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.

Benefits

• A monthly office stipend
• Paid time off
• A professional development and technology fund
• Flex time policies
• Focus Fridays with no internal meetings
• 3 flexible statutory holidays
• Office closure the last week of December.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Education Level: No Education Listed