SENIOR EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

California Academy of Sciences; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking organization dedicated to science and learning as an Executive Assistant. In this pivotal role, you'll provide essential support to top executives, facilitating strategic initiatives and enhancing collaboration across divisions. Your expertise in organization and communication will be crucial as you manage complex schedules, coordinate meetings, and oversee project budgets. This position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to meaningful environmental initiatives while working in a dynamic team environment. If you're ready to make an impact and thrive in a vibrant workplace, we encourage you to apply!

Qualifications

• Minimum of eight years experience supporting a high-level Executive or team.
• Project Management experience or certification beneficial but not required.

Responsibilities

• Maintain appointment calendar for MD and CFO, and organize meetings and events.
• Prepare and write correspondence, memos, invitations, and documents as required.
• Manage expenditures and oversee division funds; track budgets and payments.

Skills

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Time management

Project management

Emotional intelligence

Judgment and decision-making

Adaptability

Confidentiality

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Google Suite

Adobe Acrobat

Job description

The Executive Assistant provides administrative support and project coordination of a highly skilled, responsible, and complex nature to the Managing Director, Chief Financial Officer (MD / CFO) and the Chief People and Culture Officer (CPCO). This position provides primary support to the MD / CFO, Finance Director, and Controller as well as the CPCO by facilitating division-spanning projects and enabling successful progress towards implementing the Academys strategic initiatives. Additionally, ensures the MD / CFO and CPCO are prepared for all engagements and appropriate follow-up activities are coordinated and streamlined among the divisions. Collaborates closely with other Executive Assistants and provides administrative support to the Executive Office as needed. Further, provides the foundational support needed to increase collaboration and communication between the leadership team and other Academy staff as well as external partners. The Executive Assistant interacts with staff at all levels within the Academy as well as trustees, donors, and external clients.

Organizational Culture :

Join a team dedicated to the Academys mission, vision and values! Currently, the Academy's strategic plan includes three initiatives Hope for Reefs, Thriving California, and Islands 2030 that leverage biodiversity science, environmental learning, and collaborative engagement to regenerate fragile ecosystems around the world. Learn more at https : / / www.calacademy.org / about-us / major-initiatives .

We are committed to ensuring diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion are intrinsic to Academy culture and operations, from recruitment and retention to science and advocacy.

We hope you are inspired by what we do and are excited to contribute to our mission. The mission of the California Academy of Sciences is to regenerate the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration. The Academy is looking for candidates who do great work, and we know they may come from a number of different backgrounds and experiences. We encourage you to apply even if you do not believe you meet every one of the qualifications for the position.

This position is based in San Francisco, California. Staff are currently expected to work from the Academy offices at least 2-3 times per week, which may fluctuate based on business needs. Please do not apply if you are not able to work onsite. Candidates are required to have up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment, absent qualifying exemptions in accordance with applicable laws. Individuals receiving a conditional offer of employment from the California Academy of Sciences will be provided the full text of the vaccination policy. The California Academy of Sciences is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace, to protect its employees, volunteers and guests.

Key Responsibilities :

• Maintain all aspects of the appointment calendar for the Managing Director, Chief Financial Officer and one additional Executive and provide backup calendar support, as needed, for the divisions.
• Act as primary support for four (4) Board Committees and plan, schedule, and organize small / large meetings and events including communicating meeting details to attendees, arranging meeting venue and equipment / catering needs, composing and / or working with others to prepare agenda, ensuring relevant materials are ready for meetings and / or review and providing day-of-event support. Prepare minutes within prescribed timelines, summarize notes, key takeaways, and action items. Ensure meeting debrief and follow-up occurs.
• Create and revise complex PowerPoint presentations; incorporate content from multiple contributors; draft, review, and edit content to deliver a cohesive final, and accurate document.
• Organize all aspects of departmental and other meetings (weekly meetings; quarterly partial and full day meetings; including agenda development, preparing presentation decks, securing facilitators, tracking attendance. Take minutes of meetings and prepare final reports of proceedings as necessary. Follow through on action items.
• Prepare and write correspondence, memos, invitations, and other documents as required.
• Lead point of contact for divisions inquiries by telephone, email, and from other Academy divisions and departments, and delegate requests through the division. Ensure that requests have been addressed and necessary follow-up completed.
• Oversee timekeeping system for Managing Director and additional Executive : approve and submit time off requests for direct reports, ensuring accurate submission of timekeeping reporting.
• Coordinate and cooperate with the other senior staff and Executive Assistants to ensure all executive functions and needs are well executed. Including but not limited to organizing and preparing materials for Division meetings, All-Staff presentations, Board Meetings, and third-party visits. Provide backup administrative support, as needed, for other departments in the division.
• Work diplomatically with contributors, internally and externally, to negotiate the timely delivery of projects and appropriately escalate issues to ensure deadlines are met.
• Provide support including making travel arrangements, preparing trip itineraries, gathering receipts and submitting for reimbursement, and / or maintaining records as applicable.
• Manage expenditures from the managing director and other Executive and monitor and oversee expenditures of the division funds; set up POs for contracts the CFO / MD and other Executive and coordinate and track payments for invoices; track expenditures against projected budgets and provide regular reports.
• Process travel expenses and other expenses for managing director / additional Executive and team members as requested; meet accounting and finance deadlines and provide support to other departments as needed.
• Overall responsibility to maintain departmental supplies and equipment inventories; maintain departmental facilities and submit requests for repairs as necessary.
• Manage ad-hoc academy-wide projects for the two Divisions. Duties include creating scope and timelines, notes and actions, managing stakeholder engagement, and maintaining and tracking budgets. Projects may include, but are not limited to creating, developing, and implementing team-building activities for the Division, as well as department-level and peer-to-peer groups.
• Follow all Academy safety regulations.

Qualifications :

A successful candidate will have the following :

Experience and / or Education :

• Bachelors Degree (BA) or equivalent education and experience.
• Minimum of eight years experience supporting a high-level Executive or team.
• Project Management experience or certification beneficial but not required.

Skills and Abilities :

• Exercise sound judgment to make high-impact decisions in the absence of detailed instructions, ensuring seamless operations for executive leadership.
• Adapt quickly to changing circumstances and recommend strategic solutions to unforeseen challenges.
• Demonstrated ability to identify key tools needed to accomplish work and acquire proficiency in the use of those tools.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills including experience working closely with senior institutional leaders, trustees, and community leaders; demonstrates extreme discretion with private or confidential information.
• High degree of emotional intelligence, demonstrating ability to discern and solve for complex interpersonal interactions with external parties of varying levels.
• Anticipate potential outcomes of actions or decisions and take appropriate action to ensure outcomes are consistent with objectives.
• Excellent organizational and time-management skills; ability to prioritize multiple responsibilities and deadlines; ability to manage projects and see them through to completion; ability to shift responsibilities quickly as circumstances require.
• Ability to successfully manage multiple short and long-term projects simultaneously with a high degree of independence.
• Ability to excel both under individual leadership and as a contributing team member.
• Advanced computer skills, including high proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (MS Word, PowerPoint and Excel) Google Suite and Adobe Acrobat, database management.
• Thorough knowledge of office methods, procedures and equipment.
• Ability to anticipate and maintain confidentiality.
• Ability to modify work schedule as circumstances dictate.

Physical Environment : To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.

• Ability to transport 20 lbs.
• Ability to perform repetitive motions 90% of the time.

Compensation and Benefits :

The salary range for this position is starting at $43.27 per hour, annualized to $90,000. Actual compensation will be commensurate with experience, skills / knowledge set, and internal equity. We believe in fair and equitable compensation practices and are committed to providing competitive salaries within the industry and market standards. The Academy offers a total compensation package that emphasizes both base salary and comprehensive benefits based on the hours per week worked. Further details regarding compensation and benefits will be discussed during the interview process.

Schedule : Full-Time, 40 hours per week.

APPLICATION PROCESS :

Please upload your resume and complete the brief online application.

The California Academy of Sciences will give full consideration for employment to all qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance(SF Police Code, Article 49).

We are committed to ensuring that all employees and applicants shall receive equal consideration and treatment. All terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to, recruitment, hiring, placements, transfers, promotions, compensation, benefits, terminations, training, and social and recreational programs, will be on the basis of qualifications of the individual for the positions being filled. The Academy does not discriminate against qualified applicants or employees with respect to any terms or conditions of employment on account of any characteristic protected by state or federal law or local ordinance. Read our full Equal Opportunity Statement here .

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