Executive Assistant - Advancement

The Jackson Laboratory; New York (NY); On-site; USD 75,000 - 109,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work arrangement

Job summary

The Jackson Laboratory is seeking an Executive Assistant to the Vice President for Advancement in a hybrid setup based in New York, NY. You will manage calendars, coordinate travel, draft donor communications, and support budget decisions while ensuring discretion and independence.

You will work closely with the Advancement leadership, handling sensitive information and representing the VP in internal and external interactions. A Bachelor’s degree and 5+ years of related experience are required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 5+ years of related experience.
• Outstanding writing, editing, and communication skills.
• Fluency with Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and CRM/donor database software.
• A sixth sense for discretion, judgment, and working independently.
• A genuine customer-service mindset and an entrepreneurial streak.
• Fundraising or development experience is a strong plus.

Responsibilities

• Be the VP’s right hand. Manage a dynamic calendar, coordinate travel, juggle project management, and handle expenses with zero drama and total discretion.
• Anchor the office. Be the central hub for day-to-day Advancement operations and serve as a source of informed partnership for the broader team.
• Own the story. Draft and edit correspondence and donor-facing presentations, that reflect the accuracy and voice of the VP and Advancement team.
• Keep the donor pipeline sharp. Support portfolio management, log meeting notes, maintain solicitation plans, and audit database entries for accuracy.
• Contribute to the bigger picture. Assist with budget tracking and financial recommendations, and partner with fellow EAs to keep Advancement aligned with JAX’s broader leadership.

Skills

Executive support

Calendar management

Discretion & judgment

Communication skills

Customer service mindset

Fundraising experience

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Outlook

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

CRM / donor database

Job description

Executive Assistant to the Vice President for Advancement Be the Engine Behind Mission-Driven Fundraising At The Jackson Laboratory, our work discovers precise genomic solutions for disease and empowers the global biomedical community to improve human health. None of that happens without the philanthropic partnerships that fuel our science — and none of that happens without an exceptional Executive Assistant keeping our Advancement leadership running at its best. We’re looking for a polished, sharp, and endlessly capable Executive Assistant to the Vice President for Advancement to serve as the frontline representative of the VP and the lead orchestrator of our Advancement office. If you thrive on precision, love being the person who makes complex things run smoothly, and want your work to have a direct line to life-changing research, this is your role.

What You’ll Do

• Be the VP’s right hand. Manage a dynamic calendar, coordinate travel, juggle project management, and handle expenses with zero drama and total discretion.
• Anchor the office. Be the central hub for day-to-day Advancement operations and serve as a source of informed partnership for the broader team.
• Own the story. Draft and edit correspondence and donor-facing presentations, that reflect the accuracy and voice of the VP and Advancement team.
• Keep the donor pipeline sharp. Support portfolio management, log meeting notes, maintain solicitation plans, and audit database entries for accuracy.
• Contribute to the bigger picture. Assist with budget tracking and financial recommendations, and partner with fellow EAs to keep Advancement aligned with JAX’s broader leadership.

What You Bring

• Bachelor’s degree and 5+ years of related experience
• Outstanding writing, editing, and communication skills
• Fluency with Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and CRM/donor database software
• A sixth sense for discretion, judgment, and working independently
• A genuine customer-–service mindset and an entrepreneurial streak
• Fundraising or development experience is a strong plus

Why JAX

You’ll be joining an independent, non-–profit biomedical research institution with nearly a century of impact — from uncovering the genetic basis of cancer to advancing precision medicine for rare diseases. Your work in Advancement directly fuels that mission, connecting donors, trustees, and leadership to the science that’s changing lives.

Location: New York, NY, Farmington, CT or Bar Harbor, ME (hybrid — 2–3 days on-site, occasional travel)

Compensation: The pay range for this position is $75,074 - $108,857. Compensation offers are determined based on an assessment of related work experience, geographic location, and internal equity.

About JAX

The Jackson Laboratory is an independent, non-–profit biomedical research institution with a National Cancer Institute‑designated Cancer Center and nearly 3,000 employees in locations across the United States (Maine, Connecticut, California), Japan and China. Its mission is to discover precise genomic solutions for disease and empower the global biomedical community in the shared quest to improve human health. Founded in 1929, JAX applies over nine decades of expertise in genetics to increase understanding of human disease, advancing treatments and cures for cancer, neurological and immune disorders, diabetes, aging and heart disease. It models and interprets genomic complexity, integrates basic research with clinical application, educates current and future scientists, and provides critical data, tools and services to the global biomedical community. For more information, please visit www.jax.org.

EEO Statement

The Jackson Laboratory provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment in all job classifications without regard to race, color, religion, age, mental disability, physical disability, medical condition, gender, sexual orientation, genetic information, ancestry, marital status, national origin, veteran status, and other classifications protected by applicable state and local non-discrimination laws.

Bar Harbor

The Jackson Laboratory’s 43-acre scenic Bar Harbor campus is nestled between the Gulf of Maine and the mountains of Acadia National Park. Some of the best hiking and biking in the world (over 50 square miles of mountains, lakes, views, and dramatic coastline) is accessible from our campus. We are one mile from downtown Bar Harbor, which offers a vibrant downtown district with a plethora of restaurants, shops, museums, and galleries.

Ellsworth

The Charles E. Hewett Center in Ellsworth, Maine, is a state‑of‑the‑art facility that serves researchers world wide. The facility represents the culmination of nine decades of unmatched experience and leadership in breeding and caring for laboratory mice. Ellsworth, Maine, is one of Maine’s fastest growing cities. With a growth rate of nearly 20%, Ellsworth is a bustling year‑round community and acts as a hub for surrounding towns. It is located nearby Acadia National Park and hosts numerous special events, concerts and festivals each year. Residents have access to fabulous shopping, recreation, museums, galleries and dining at a variety of independent restaurants.

Farmington

JAX Genomic Medicine is transforming medicine by improving patient care, lowering costs, and increasing life span and health span. JAX Genomic Medicine’s research focuses on the complex genetic causes of disease and on the development of genomic solutions tailored to each person’s unique genetic makeup. JAX Genomic Medicine sits on a 17‑acre site on the campus of the University of Connecticut Health Center. The 183,500‑square‑foot facility opened in the fall of 2014. Now, it houses over 300 biomedical researchers, technicians, and support staff in state‑of‑the‑art computing facilities and laboratories. In Connecticut, JAX resides in the scenic town of Farmington, in the state’s capitol region. The Hartford region, which offers some of the best public schools in the country, is made up of both bigger cities and smaller, charming historic New England towns. JAX Genomic Medicine is also geographically located within 2 hours of Boston and New York and is close to multiple transportation systems, including bus lines, highways, railroads and international airports.

Sacramento

The JAX® Mice, Clinical and Research Services facility is located in Sacramento, the state capital of California. Sacramento is less than a two-hour drive from San Francisco, Napa Valley, and scenic Lake Tahoe, and a short flight to both Los Angeles and Orange County. Sacramento is the birthplace of the nation’s Farm to Fork movement, and offers excellent restaurants, gastro-pubs, wineries, theaters, and museums. Outdoor activities are plentiful: Boating, white water rafting, and riding the scenic bicycle trails are popular. Housing and other costs of living are more affordable in Sacramento and its surrounding suburbs than in most other neighboring areas in the North Bay, making Sacramento one of the hottest housing markets in the country year after year.

Augusta

JAX’s Maine Cancer Genomics Initiative (MCGI) is located in Augusta, Maine, in the Harold Alfond Center for Cancer Care (HACCC), at Maine General Hospital. It began operations in 2016 with three overarching goals: to provide cancer genomic testing for Maine cancer patients; to develop and deliver physician education about clinical genomic cancer diagnostics; and to build a network in Maine of oncology practices conducting studies in genomic medicine.