Senior Executive Assistant

BANNER PROPERTY MANAGEME•Chicago, IL

10d•Hybrid

About The Position

Full Circle Communities is seeking a Senior Executive Assistant to serve as a trusted partner to their Chief Operating Officer (COO). This role is crucial for managing the operational backbone of the Executive Office, aiming to protect executive bandwidth, streamline workflows, and foster clear communication. The ideal candidate will not only manage administrative tasks but also organize information flow, prepare leadership for decisions, strengthen cross-team follow-through, and manage executive administration with care and foresight. The company is mission-driven, focused on expanding access to affordable housing and supporting thriving communities, and offers an environment that supports well-being, professional growth, and work-life balance.

Requirements

At least 4 years of direct experience serving as an Executive Assistant to an executive team, president, executive director, or senior leader responsible for multiple departments or complex operational initiatives.
Exceptional administrative craft with a track record of creating calm, dependable systems.
Strong judgment regarding what requires executive attention versus what can be resolved independently.
Superior written communication skills to synthesize complex information into clear briefing materials.
High emotional intelligence, strong listening skills, and demonstrated discretion regarding personnel, financial, legal, and executive matters.
Proficiency in Google Workspace or Microsoft Office (calendar, email, documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and shared files), with familiarity in task-tracking tools (e.g., Asana, Monday.com, Smartsheet).
Based in Chicago, IL, with a valid driver’s license, insurance, reliable vehicle, and ability to handle occasional light setup (handling materials up to 20 lbs).
No formal degree required. Relevant professional, educational, and lived experience will be fully considered.

Nice To Haves

7+ years of progressive executive support experience, ideally supporting a COO or executive with broad operational oversight.
Background in nonprofit, affordable housing, real estate, community development, or multi-site organizations.
Experience developing administrative operating playbooks, structured meeting routines, or guiding organizations toward clearer written reporting and asynchronous decision-making.
Certified Administrative Professional (CAP) credential or project management training.

Responsibilities

Proactively manage the COO’s calendar, inbox, daily workflow, travel, site visits, conferences, and reimbursements.
Assemble key background context, discussion points, outstanding questions, and decision parameters before daily meeting series.
Develop concise briefing materials, summaries, agendas, presentations, reports, and talking points.
Help establish clear expectations for staff updates and ensure solution-oriented proposals are encouraged before topics reach the COO.
Lead preparation and follow-through for executive, departmental, Board committee, and project meetings.
Capture decisions, commitments, project owners, and deadlines in a transparent tracking system.
Support sustainable communication by introducing asynchronous updates, clean dashboards, and clear written summaries over unnecessary meeting time.
Build trusted relationships across Full Circle Communities, serving as an approachable, responsive bridge between executive leadership and other teams.
Adapt communication styles recognizing that site-level property staff and corporate leadership operate in very different day-to-day contexts.
Navigate sensitive dynamics with emotional intelligence, empathy, and discretion.
Establish intuitive systems, templates, trackers, and records.
Maintain a flexible working playbook for supporting the COO that captures key relationships, preferred operating routines, recurring rhythms, and decision-making frameworks.
Identify processes that can be simplified, standardized, automated, or delegated.