Executive Assistant

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT 

JOB DESCRIPTION

OPPORTUNITY PROFILE

ABOUT THE CENTER FOR ECONOMIC INCLUSION

The Center for Economic Inclusion is a cross-sector organization committed to strengthening the Minneapolis- St. Paul regions civic infrastructure and collective capacity to disrupt systems and influence market forces to catalyze shared prosperity and advance an inclusive economy. We are dedicated to advancing inclusive growth- by elevating data driven promising practices, advocating inclusive policies, coordinating cross-sector, community-driven development, and piloting strategies that truly close racial economic gaps.

HOW WE WORK

At the Center we take pride in bringing our values to life and ‘walking the talk.’ We are a diverse team in many ways, and we believe our diversity of thought makes us stronger and our work more innovative and responsive to the communities we serve.  We strive to maintain a collaborative work environment that also stimulates individual autonomy and accountability for performance goals and excellence. We invest in great talent, and nurture it and we believe in the power of career pathways within the Center. We look for these values in the talented individuals who join our team and we strive to cultivate an environment that harnesses the collective power of these values, traits and the expertise each team member brings in pursuit of our mission.

• Inclusivity
• Equity
• High-performance & High-engagement
• Shared risk
• Self-motivation
• Nimble Action
• Collaboration
• Adaptive-learning

POSITION SUMMARY

The Executive Assistant is a principal partner to a member of the senior leadership team in executing the leadership and stewardship of the vision and mission of the Center for Economic Inclusion. They are responsible for building the strongest most supportive working relationship possible that honors the Center’s values and vision while establishing optimal working conditions and a partnership for success. The Executive Assistant serves as a primary point of contact for internal and external constituencies. The Executive Assistant also serves as a liaison to the board of directors, committees, and senior management team.

The Executive Assistant manages the executive’s calendar, utilizing agreed upon set of goals and priorities to assess each request and opportunity. The ideal candidate is a highly experienced executive assistant, a creative problem solver who enjoys informed autonomy, a strong partnership with the executive; and knowing that their gifts and talent are having a significant impact on not only the organization, but every customer, partners, and stakeholder we touch.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Executive Support

• Oversees the executive’s days by managing communication in and out as well as, taking a strategic approach to managing her calendar and appointments to create opportunities to maximize effectiveness of the entire executive team while addressing daily urgent requests.
• Knows and understands organizational priorities to better organize the executive’s calendar and responsibilities, consult on changes and push back on requests for time as needed.
• Provides a bridge for smooth communication between team members, board members and key partners; demonstrating leadership to maintain credibility, trust and support with primary stakeholders.
• Anticipates, researches, prioritizes, and follows up on incoming issues and concerns addressed to the executive, including those of a sensitive or confidential nature.
• Works closely and effectively with the executive to keep them well informed of upcoming commitments and responsibilities, following up appropriately.
• Provides leadership to build relationships crucial to the success of the organization, and manages a variety of special projects for leaders, many of which have organizational impact.
• Support the executive’s strengths and complement their weaknesses. Find creative and effective ways to fill the gaps (e.g., reading material, classes, mentorship, proactive calendaring, smart reminders, smart hiring).
• Knows the organization (staff, market, goals, financial status, values, etc.) well and acts as a sounding board and consultant to the executive in planning, prioritizing and problem solving.
• Successfully completes critical aspects of deliverables with a hands-on approach, including advising the executive of communication needs, light research, organizing agendas, drafting general correspondence many of which are confidential in nature; ensuring follow-through on organization matters and needs of outside partners; and other tasks that facilitate the executive’s ability to effectively lead.
• Prioritizes conflicting needs; anticipating issues, handling matters expeditiously, proactively, and follows-through on projects to successful completion, often with deadline pressures.
• Assists in the preparation of packages and requests for information.
• Creates and maintain files, databases and spreadsheets.
• Coordinates travel arrangements, compiles documents for travel related meetings and prepares Travel and Expense reports. 
• Performs other duties as required; Provides administrative support to other organizational leaders as needed and available. 

Project Management

• Responsible for partnering with Center staff and consultants to manage special projects which may include policy development, special event coordination, development and deployment of new tools and resources, capacity building and engagement efforts.
• Successfully completes critical aspects of deliverables with a hands-on approach, including advising the executive of communication needs, light research, organizing agendas, drafting general correspondence many of which are confidential in nature; ensuring follow-through on organization matters and needs of outside partners; and other tasks that facilitate the executive’s ability to effectively lead the organization.
• Creates and updates presentations including charts, tables, graphs, utilizing various software programs.

Stakeholder Liaison

• Partners effectively with senior leadership team and board and/or advisory groups and/or client steering committees to develop agendas, minutes and reports in a timeline that facilitates active learning and engagement of all parties.
• Communicates on behalf of the Executive with key stakeholders This includes making all necessary arrangements for the board meetings and committee meetings; ensuring responsive communication, action, and follow-up; preparing and distributing all agendas, minutes, and related information relevant to these meetings in a timely and thoughtful manner.
• Maintain intranet to ensure accurate and engaging web information portal
• Support stakeholder onboarding with materials, engagement, and creating a welcoming environment.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Minimum of five years of successful experience in an executive-level administrative support position, supporting a senior level executive.
• International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) membership and/or Bachelor’s Degree in related field is desired
• Racial equity competencies and a commitment to the mission, vision and goals of the Center for Economic Inclusion
• Self-driven, results oriented servant leader
• Demonstrated organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage several projects successfully while also managing day to day priorities
• Exceptional computer skills with demonstrated proficiency using MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook), Salesforce, and Project Management software (Asana).
• Must thrive in a high-paced, multi-faceted environment and be eager to contribute to a growing and evolving organization.
• Entrepreneurial self-starter with the ability to work with minimal direct supervision
• Nimble and responsive task manager who enjoys managing a rapidly shifting calendar and workflow with a keen lens for priorities, values and personality
• High emotional intelligence and the ability to inspire trust in all situations
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills; exceptional proofing and editing skills.

The Center for Economic Inclusion is an Equal Opportunity employer. We offer an inclusive, engaging, dynamic, and rewarding workplace; a competitive total compensation package; and an opportunity to contribute to one of the most meaningful issues of our regions’ future.

Compensation: The starting salary range for this position is $65,000-72,000 and is complemented by a full suite of benefits including health, dental, vision, life, STD, and LTD insurance; mobile phone, wellness, and transportation benefits; paid time off and retirement savings match. A salary commensurate with experience will be offered to complement these to the successful candidate’s experience.

To apply for this job, submit a cover letter, resume and 3 professional references to jobs@centerforeconomicinclusion.org by October 29, 2021. Incomplete applications will not be considered. No calls please. Candidates whose profiles align with our need will be contacted.