Executive Assistant

American Society of Administrative Professionals; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

American Anthropological Association (AAA) seeks an experienced Executive Assistant to support its two senior leaders, the Executive Director and the Deputy Executive Director. The role handles calendars, travel, correspondence, meeting logistics and donor-facing activities while maintaining confidentiality and executive-ready briefing materials.

Responsibilities include contract management, external engagement preparation, and coordinating with the donor database team to ensure timely follow-up

Qualifications

• 5+ years as an executive assistant or in a similar role, ideally supporting a CEO or executive with a public profile.
• Strong writing and synthesis skills, with proven ability to turn complex material into clear briefings and talking points.
• Experience with donor stewardship or with board and senior stakeholder communication.
• Exceptional discretion with confidential board, donor and personnel information.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365, and comfort with project management tools and donor databases.

Responsibilities

• Manage calendars and email inboxes for two executives and protect time for strategic work.
• Track deadlines, conflicts and follow-ups; coordinate travel and logistics for meetings and events.
• Prepare and edit briefing materials, talking points and notes for executives; act as first point of contact for the office.
• Prepare donor briefings, arrange donor meetings and manage donor recognition activities.
• Log contracts, oversee business terms, and coordinate with legal review and signature process.

Skills

Executive support

Writing & briefing

Donor stewardship

Discretion

Microsoft 365

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft 365

Donor databases

Asana

Job description

About AAA

The American Anthropological Association (AAA) is a distinguished and dynamic organization at the forefront of advancing the understanding and appreciation of human cultures, past and present. Established in 1902, the AAA has played a pivotal role in shaping the field of anthropology, serving as a hub for scholars, practitioners, and enthusiasts dedicated to exploring the diversity of human societies.

Our mission is to promote scholarly research, foster intellectual exchange, and advocate for the importance of anthropology in addressing global challenges. The AAA is committed to supporting anthropologists in their pursuit of knowledge, facilitating collaboration across diverse subfields, and promoting the ethical practice of anthropology.

Position summary

The Executive Assistant is a high-trust role that keeps AAA's two senior leaders, the Executive Director and the Deputy Executive Director, prepared, on schedule and followed up as they lead the Association and represent it to the board, donors, partners, media and the public. The role prepares briefings and talking points, takes notes and tracks follow-ups, coordinates board and donor relationships, and serves as the first point of contact for the executive office.

Responsibilities

Calendar, Travel & Correspondence

• Manage the calendars and email inboxes of both executives, balancing board, donor, partner, staff and public commitments, and protect time for strategic work.
• Track deadlines and commitments for both executives and raise conflicts or gaps early.
• Coordinate travel and logistics for meetings, speaking engagements, conferences and Association events.
• Draft and edit correspondence on behalf of both executives and serve as a discreet first point of contact for the executive office.

Meeting Management & Follow-Through

• Coordinate logistics and agenda preparation for leadership and staff meetings.
• Prepare daily and weekly meeting materials and track action items, ensuring timely follow-up and completion.
• Prepare and collect meeting materials and track action items from weekly staff meetings, leadership meetings and other meetings as assigned.
• Attend key meetings to take notes and capture decisions and commitments.
• Own follow-up tracking until each item is closed and send each executive a weekly list of open items.

Executive Preparation & External Engagement

• Prepare a concise briefing before each significant engagement: who will be there, the relationship history, open issues and what the executive wants to accomplish.
• Maintain a relationship log so context carries from one meeting to the next.
• Draft talking points, remarks and speaker notes for presentations, panels, interviews and events, working with communications staff.
• Monitor news and developments relevant to upcoming engagements, including higher education, research funding, and anthropology’s role in AI and technology.
• Manage speaking invitations: intake, recommendation, scheduling, and preparation.
• Support the AAA President in their work of the association including meeting preparation, external communication and follow up tracking, and other duties as assigned.

Donor Stewardship & Data Management

• Schedule cultivation, solicitation and stewardship meetings for the executives’ donor relationships, and prepare a donor briefing for each.
• Draft personalized acknowledgments, thank-you notes and stewardship updates for executive signature, within set timelines.
• Enter contact reports and next steps in the donor database after each meeting, and flag donors who are overdue for contact.
• Coordinate donor recognition and invitations to the Annual Meeting and other events.
• Work with the Senior Manager, Growth & Revenue, who owns the donor database and development operations, so records stay accurate and complete.

Contract Management

• Serve as the intake point for contracts coming into the executive office. Log each one in the contract tracker with its owner, counterparty, value, key dates and status.
• Confirm that the contract has a business owner (the department or section lead who requested it) and that the business terms are approved before it goes to legal review.
• Send contracts to legal counsel for review, return requested changes to the counterparty, and manage revisions until the final version is agreed.
• Prepare final contracts for Executive Director signature, obtain the counterparty’s signature, and distribute the fully executed copies.
• Provide executed contracts and related invoices to the Controller & Operations Manager for payment processing.
• Keep a central, non-email record of all contracts and their status, and track renewal, termination and notice deadlines so they are raised before they pass.
• Other duties as assigned.

Required

• 5+ years as an executive assistant or in a similar role, ideally supporting a CEO or executive with a public profile
• Strong writing and synthesis skills, with proven ability to turn complex material into clear briefings and talking points
• Experience with donor stewardship or with board and senior stakeholder communication
• Exceptional discretion with confidential board, donor and personnel information
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365, and comfort with project management tools and donor databases
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Preferred

• Experience in a nonprofit, association or scholarly society
• Experience with Asana and with GiveSmart or similar donor databases
• Experience in communications, speechwriting or external affairs