| Location | Chicago, IL |
Position Summary:
The Executive Administrative Assistant provides high-level administrative, operational, and governance support to the President/Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer. This position serves as a trusted partner in managing executive priorities, coordinating strategic initiatives, facilitating communication across the organization, and ensuring the efficient operation of the Executive Office. The Executive Administrative Assistant also serves as the primary liaison to the Board of Directors and Board Committees, supporting governance activities, maintaining official records, coordinating meetings, and ensuring timely preparation and distribution of materials.
In addition to providing executive support, this role assists with organizational planning, project coordination, executive reporting, and the monitoring of key initiatives to support effective decision-making and organizational accountability.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Include the following, other duties as assigned:
Agency:
Essential Duties:
Includes the following, and performs other duties as assigned:
Executive Administrative Support
The Executive Administrative Assistant manages complex executive calendars, schedules meetings and events, coordinates travel arrangements as needed, and supports the President/CEO and COO in managing competing priorities and organizational commitments. This position serves as a key point of contact for executive communications, exercising sound judgment in handling confidential and sensitive information. The position prepares, drafts, edits, formats, and distributes executive correspondence, reports, presentations, policies, agreements, meeting materials, and other organizational documents.
Coordinates the review and execution of contracts, service agreements, and official organizational records while ensuring appropriate approvals, signatures, and record retention practices are maintained.
The role serves as a central coordinator for executive meetings, leadership team meetings, cross-functional initiatives, and special projects. The position tracks key decisions, monitors follow-up actions, facilitates communication among stakeholders, and helps ensure organizational priorities remain on schedule. Anticipates executive needs, proactively identifies administrative and operational challenges, and works collaboratively with leadership to support effective problem-solving and decision-making.
Governance, Strategic Planning, and Compliance Support
The Executive Administrative Assistant serves as the primary administrative liaison to the Board of Directors and Board Committees. This includes coordinating board and committee meetings, preparing agendas and meeting materials, maintaining official board records, documenting meeting minutes, and ensuring compliance with governance requirements, bylaws, and organizational policies. Partners with executive leadership to support accreditation, regulatory, and compliance activities, including maintaining governance documentation and records associated with agency operations and nonprofit status. The Executive Administrative Assistant assists with strategic planning activities by coordinating meetings, tracking action items, monitoring progress toward organizational objectives, and supporting the preparation of reports and presentations for leadership and the Board. Oversees administrative processes related to agency facility usage by external organizations and assists departments in obtaining governance-related documentation necessary to maintain compliance with contractual, regulatory, funding, accreditation, and licensing requirements.
Reporting and Organizational Metrics
The Executive Administrative Assistant collaborates with senior leadership and departmental staff to collect, compile, analyze, and organize data used in executive, board, strategic planning, and organizational performance reports. The position prepares executive dashboards, board packets, presentations, and other reporting materials, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and timely distribution. Supports tracking and reporting related to strategic initiatives, key performance indicators, organizational objectives, and agency-wide projects.
Monitors progress on executive and organizational priorities, maintains action item tracking systems, and provides regular updates to leadership regarding the status of key initiatives, deadlines, and follow-up activities. Assists leadership in identifying trends, compiling data, and preparing materials that support informed decision-making and organizational accountability.
Organizational Project Coordination
Supports executive-sponsored projects and organizational initiatives by coordinating stakeholders, monitoring timelines, tracking deliverables, preparing status updates, and facilitating communication across departments. Assists leadership in ensuring strategic initiatives remain aligned with organizational priorities and are executed effectively.
General Requirements:
Sensitivity to cultural diversity is required. Will be subject to drug and alcohol screening. To perform this job successfully an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to perform the essential functions.
Education/Experience:
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.
A minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience providing high-level administrative support to senior executives, executive teams, boards of directors, or organizational leadership is required. Experience supporting nonprofit organizations, executive governance functions, strategic planning processes, board administration, project coordination, or organizational reporting is strongly preferred.
Candidates should demonstrate proficiency in managing complex schedules, coordinating executive and board meetings, preparing professional reports and presentations, maintaining confidential records, and supporting multiple organizational priorities simultaneously.
Language Skills:
Bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish is preferred. The position requires exceptional verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to prepare professional correspondence, reports, meeting minutes, presentations, and executive communications.
Computer Literacy & Knowledge Skills Abilities:
The Executive Administrative Assistant must demonstrate advanced proficiency with Microsoft 365 applications, including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint, and other business productivity platforms. Experience with electronic document management systems, virtual meeting platforms, board portal software, project management tools, and data reporting systems is highly desirable. Should be comfortable learning and utilizing emerging technologies and digital productivity tools, including AI-enabled business applications, to improve efficiency, communication, reporting, and organizational effectiveness.
Analytical and Organizational Skills
The position requires strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, including the ability to gather, organize, and interpret data for reports, dashboards, and executive presentations. The incumbent must possess exceptional organizational and time-management skills and be capable of managing multiple deadlines while maintaining a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.
Mathematical and Writing Skills
Strong math skills, needed to oversee program budget and analyze program outcomes. Possess exceptional writing skills to formulate reports and contribute to program development efforts. Will collaborate with Administrative Department on funding opportunities.
Mathematical Skills:
Basic skills needed to work with fiscal matters, budgets, and expense reports.
Operating Environment and Working Relationships:
This position works closely with the President/CEO, Chief Operating Officer, Board of Directors, leadership team members, department staff, external partners, consultants, funders, and community stakeholders. Success in the role requires strong relationship-building skills, diplomacy, professionalism, and the ability to communicate effectively with individuals at all organizational levels.
The incumbent must demonstrate maturity, flexibility, sound judgment, discretion, and the ability to navigate complex situations while maintaining confidentiality and professionalism.
Decision Making Authority:
The Executive Administrative Assistant exercises independent judgment and discretion within established organizational policies and procedures. The position is expected to proactively identify issues, recommend solutions, manage competing priorities, and make administrative decisions that support efficient executive and organizational operations.
People Management:
This position does not have direct supervisory responsibility but may provide coordination, guidance, and administrative support to project teams, committees, and organizational initiatives as assigned.
Physical Demands:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, talk and hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands. Must be able to lift and carry 25lbs.
Work Environment:
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
Disclaimer:
The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the employee in this position. The content of this job description is not intended to be constructed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of a person in this position.