Special Projects Manager to the CEO

Educators for Excellence•New York, NY

4d•$89,665 - $127,524•Remote

About The Position

Reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer and directly supporting the CEO, the Special Projects Manager (SPM) will support E4E’s next phase of development by serving as a trusted operational lead for the CEO, the Executive Team, and select organization-wide priorities. The SPM manages complexity, creates clarity, and ensures senior leadership time, attention, and workflows are aligned to organizational priorities through strong systems, scheduling, and execution. This role requires deep, daily partnership with the CEO and close coordination with the Executive Team. The Special Projects Manager will regularly connect with the CEO to align on priorities, troubleshoot obstacles, and adjust plans in real time, while also supporting Executive Team coordination, internal communications, culture-building efforts, and special projects as capacity allows. This role is well suited to someone who genuinely enjoys complex scheduling, fast-paced problem-solving, and being in constant motion behind the scenes to keep senior leaders and the organization operating at their best. The ideal candidate is a highly organized, detail-oriented, and relational professional with experience supporting senior executives in fast-moving, high-volume environments. They exercise strong judgment, anticipate needs, and translate big-picture priorities into clear next steps, calendar decisions, and follow-through. They are also a culture leader – someone who embodies E4E’s core values and brings calm, clarity, and accountability to complex work.

Requirements

At least 5 years of professional experience; Special Projects Manager or support to a high-functioning Executive, and project management experience required
Deep commitment to the values of E4E, to our commitment to antiracism, and passion for students, educators, and improving education.
Knowledge of Slack, Asana, Salesforce, Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word and corresponding Google Suite products, Understanding of reporting databases (i.e. Salesforce) preferred, very comfortable with phone and email outreach
Ability to travel to retreat locations as needed, likely on a quarterly basis.
Organizing Planning and Executing - Able to organize, track and manage workflow and resources; clearly articulates plans to others, develops systems to prioritize tasks; executes according to set timelines
Cultivating Relationships & Collaborating – Develops a sense of rapport and trust with staff and seeks opportunities to share expertise and leverage the strengths of others; comfortably communicates with external stakeholders
Making Decisions & Demonstrating Judgment – Makes strategic decisions, even in ambiguous situations; weighs factors both within and outside of one’s control to mitigate risk; exercises discernment when involving others in decision-making, leverages data when appropriate
Tracking, Measuring & Analyzing – Builds and maintains systems and procedures to track data and progress towards individual and organizational goals; analyzes data thoroughly to determine trends & opportunities
Learning & Developing – Pursues opportunities to deepen and expand skill set regularly; implements new strategies with fidelity and shares learning with others
Project Management
Communication
Calendar Management and Logistics
Travel Operations Management
Prioritizing & Gatekeeping

Responsibilities

Working in close partnership with the Chief Advancement Officer and CEO, the Special Projects Manager will serve as a trusted operational lead for the CEO – anticipating needs, managing complexity, and ensuring the CEO’s time, attention, and energy are aligned to organizational priorities.
Maximize the efficiency, organization, and execution of the CEO
Own and continuously optimize the CEO’s extremely active calendar, ensuring it reflects strategic priorities, energy management, and real-time tradeoffs; serve as a trusted gatekeeper who independently prioritizes and sequences internal and external requests
Own and help prioritize the CEO’s task management, including tracking commitments, follow-up, and engaging in side-by-side work as needed
Establish and maintain a daily workflow rhythm with the CEO, including regular check-ins to align on priorities, flag risks, and adjust plans as new information emerges
Effectively represent the organization with a range of stakeholders, including donors, partners, members, and staff
Draft internal and external correspondence on behalf of the CEO in a way that reflects the CEO’s voice and E4E’s core values
Deliver high-level operational, administrative, and project support with discretion and sound judgment
Serve as a highly confidential, trusted partner to the CEO, exercising strong judgment and professionalism in handling sensitive information, communications, and decision-making
Build strong working relationships across the organization to enable effective coordination, follow-through, and problem-solving
Support early-stage planning and execution of CEO- and Executive Team-led initiatives, including developing draft agendas, outlining project plans, tracking milestones, and maintaining clear timelines and next steps
Gather, synthesize, line-edit, and refine materials, research, briefing documents, and presentations (including slide decks) to support meetings, convenings, and decision-making
Monitor CEO time usage and workflow to identify efficiencies, flag tradeoffs, and ensure alignment to organizational priorities
Navigate deadline pressures with a clear understanding of priorities and a calm, solutions-oriented approach
Complete time tracking and expense reports for the CEO
Serve as a core operational partner to the Executive Team, supporting planning, coordination, and follow-through across Executive Team-led priorities
Support early-stage development of Executive Team agendas, project plans, and decision-making processes, including sequencing topics, outlining goals, and tracking milestones and next steps
Maintain and continuously improve systems that help the Executive Team stay aligned, informed, accountable, and compliant
Coordinate and oversee Executive Team retreat planning, including agenda flow, logistics, schedules, materials, and vendor management
Partner with senior leaders to support Board and Committee governance, including early agenda development, sequencing of topics, preparation of materials, compliance-related governance requirements, and follow-up on decisions and action items
Lead coordination and execution of Board and Committee Meetings, ensuring high-quality materials, accurate capture of minutes, and effective setup of in-person and virtual meetings
Own scheduling and administrative coordination for Executive Team- and Board-related needs, including calendaring, reimbursements, and travel booking
Serve as a central bridge between the CEO and E4E teams, ensuring clear, timely communication, follow-through, and closed feedback loops
Collaborate with the Development team to ensure effective processes and timely communication between internal teams and external funders
Project manage Town Halls, including technology needs (Zoom, audio, screen sharing, etc.)
Coordinate, draft, and disseminate the quarterly internal newsletter
Take on additional internal communications projects as needed and as capacity allows