Executive Assistant

Marine Biological Laboratory; United States; On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Marine Biological Laboratory in United States seeks an Executive Assistant to the Chief Advancement Officer. This role provides strategic and administrative support, manages calendars, prepares briefings, and drafts communications for donors and trustees.

You will coordinate donor events, maintain donor portfolios, and assist with budgeting and finance processes in a fast-paced, confidential environment. Strong organizational skills, initiative, and discretion are essential.

Qualifications

• Five+ years of administrative experience, nonprofit exp preferred.
• Experience supporting senior leadership and executives.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced setting.
• Maintain strict confidentiality with sensitive information.

Responsibilities

• Provide administrative and strategic support to the CAO, including calendar management and briefings.
• Draft correspondence, talking points, and briefing memos for donor and board interactions.
• Coordinate CAO meetings, agendas, and action item tracking.
• Manage donor outreach, itineraries, events, and materials in collaboration with teams.
• Oversee projects end-to-end and provide department-level coordination.
• Assist with budgeting, PO processing, invoices, and financial reporting.

Skills

Admin experience

Executive support

Confidentiality

Communication skills

CRM software

NetSuite

NXT

Microsoft Office

Google Workspace

PM coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Monday

Job description

Position Summary

The Executive Assistant to the Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) provides administrative and strategic support to the CAO, including project management, communications, prioritization, problem-solving, and relationship-building with visitors to MBL, Board of Trustees members, and donors. The role also supports a defined portfolio of duties for the Director of Communications.

This position contributes directly to key fundraising initiatives and cross-functional collaboration across the Development and Communications teams. The ideal candidate is highly organized, proactive, detail-oriented, and able to handle confidential information with discretion while thriving in a dynamic, mission-driven workplace.

Reporting Relationships

Reports to: Chief Advancement Officer

Partners closely with: Director of Communications, Senior Associate Director of Advancement, and the Database Administrator, as well colleagues across units.

Executive & Administrative Support to the CAO

Proactively manage the CAO's calendar to protect time for priority work, anticipating conflicts and renegotiating commitments as needed — not simply booking what is requested.

Prepare the CAO with a daily/weekly briefing covering schedule, key issues, materials needed, and pending decisions.

Draft correspondence, talking points, and briefing memos for donor and Board interactions, in the CAO's voice.

Prepare agendas and pre-read materials in advance of CAO meetings; track resulting action items and follow up with responsible parties to ensure completion.

Act as primary point of contact for the CAO, exercising judgment to determine which requests need the CAO's direct attention, which can be delegated, and which the EA can resolve independently.

Exercise discretion to handle sensitive or time-critical matters in the CAO's absence, escalating appropriately.

Serve as liaison to Board of Trustees members on the CAO's behalf for scheduling, materials distribution, and routine inquiries.

Take ownership of select projects end-to-end on the CAO's behalf, from planning through execution.

Represent the CAO at select internal meetings as needed, reporting back key takeaways and decisions.

Manage complex, multi-stakeholder travel arrangements for the CAO, including donor visits and conference travel, with itinerary optimization and contingency planning.

Manage day-to-day administrative needs for the CAO, including expense reports and meeting logistics.

Serve as first point of contact for the Development and Communications department, managing phone inquiries and routing calls appropriately.

Provide back-up coverage for the Office of the President/Director.

Uphold confidentiality and represent the CAO and Development department with professionalism, discretion, and a commitment to equity and inclusion.

Donor Engagement & Development Support

Manage donor outreach in partnership with Development team members, including personalized communications, briefing materials, itineraries, campus parking, and tours.

Coordinate planning and logistics for meetings, donor events, and special initiatives across the Development department.

Maintain the CAO's and Director's donor portfolios in NXT in collaboration with the Senior Associate Director of Advancement and the Database Administrator, including recording interactions, ensuring accurate and timely data entry, and pulling weekly reports.

Partner with the Database Administrator to run donor reports, log research, and keep donor contact details current in NXT.

Help prepare for Board Development Committee meetings, including preparing templated PowerPoint decks, gathering information from Development team members, and conducting research as needed.

Project & Department Management

Lead and track key departmental projects, initiatives, and timelines in collaboration with the CAO and other team members, including taking and distributing meeting minutes.

Maintain shared calendars, project schedules, and department tools for Development and Communications using project management software (e.g., Monday).

Maintain department-wide organizational systems, tools, and administrative processes for Development and Communications to ensure efficiency.

Financial & Budget Support

Under the direction of the CAO, support financial activities and monitor departmental budgets for Development and Communications using NetSuite, including:

• Timely submission of purchase orders
• Acknowledging receipt of goods and services so invoices may be paid
• Engaging with vendors and directing invoices appropriately
• Running and reviewing financial and budgetary reports
• Alerting the CAO and departmental managers to budget issues as they arise
• Supporting development of budgets as needed

Process department invoices, reimbursements, and credit card reconciliation.

Staff member will receive appropriate NetSuite access and training, along with orientation to MBL financial policies required to perform these responsibilities.

Other

Provide basic administrative support to the Director of Communications (e.g., expenses, travel as needed).

Take on other duties and special projects to support the overall work of the Development and Communications teams.

Qualifications

Required:

• Five or more years of progressively responsible administrative experience in a non-profit organization.
• Demonstrated experience supporting senior executive leadership.
• Excellent verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills, with experience interacting across all levels of an organization.
• Demonstrated ability to juggle multiple competing priorities in a fast-paced environment, with continual attention to detail in composing, typing, and proofing materials.
• Experience maintaining the highest level of confidentiality when handling sensitive organizational and leadership information.
• Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Office Suite, Google Workspace, CRM software, and video conferencing platforms.
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively within a team, with flexibility to adapt to MBL's evolving needs.

Preferred:

• Project management experience (2+ years).
• Experience with CRM/donor database platforms (e.g., NXT) and/or ERP systems (e.g., NetSuite) — training will be provided.

Education:

• Bachelors Degree required or equivalent work experience.