Special Assistant to the President and CEO (TBF)

The Boston Foundation; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The Boston Foundation seeks a Special Assistant to the President and CEO to staff the CEO and VP for Strategy and Operations on a wide range of substantive projects and to serve as the principal written communicator for the CEO and Office of the President.

Responsibilities include drafting speeches and briefing materials, coordinating meetings, and providing administrative back-up to senior leadership, ensuring timely delivery and clear messaging across departments.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required or equivalent experience.
• 2–5 years of relevant professional experience.
• Strong writing and analytical abilities.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and information management.
• Ability to handle confidential information.

Responsibilities

• Staff the President and CEO and support the VP for Strategy on projects.
• Serve as principal writer for speeches, talking points, Op-Eds, and briefing materials.
• Coordinate meetings, briefings, and information flow across departments.
• Prepare correspondence and accompany the President to meetings as needed.
• Provide administrative backup to the President/CEO and to the VP.

Skills

Writing skills

Oral communication

Project management

Multitasking

Discretion

Attention to detail

Strategic thinking

Microsoft Office

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Special Assistant to the President and CEO (TBF)

Posted on March 29, 2019

Position Summary

Staff the President and CEO and the Vice President for Strategy and Operations on a wide range of substantive projects to advance Foundation effectiveness and impact. Serve as the principal written communicator for the CEO and Office of the President.

Essential Functions

• For the President and CEO
• Serve as a principal writer and project manager for assembling the President’s speeches, talking points, Op‑Eds, articles, and case studies, and briefing materials on a wide range of programmatic, policy, and operational topics;
• Work with the Director/Executive Assistant to the President and CEO to anticipate and manage preparation needs for all meetings and events, coordinate briefings with relevant staff, and to manage flow of information to and from the Office of the President and across departments;
• Prepare correspondence and periodically accompany the President to relevant meetings and events to provide real-time support and ensure successful outcomes;
• Manage other special projects from the President and CEO, as requested; and
• As needed, serve as an administrative back-up to the Director/Executive Assistant to the President and CEO.
• For the Vice President of Strategy and Operations
• Prepare materials for senior management team meetings, including agendas and coordinating support and information flow for effective meetings;
• Prepare materials for TBF Board of Directors and various Committee meetings on Foundation activities, performance, and impact;
• Attend board and committee meetings to take minutes of proceedings. Coordinate assembly of quarterly minutes book;
• Anticipate and provide substantive writing and project management support for the Vice President and various Strategy and Operations Department initiatives, including All-Staff meetings, annual budgeting and planning, and other special projects and analyses; and
• As needed, coordinate with and serve as an administrative back-up to the Executive Assistant to the VP of Strategy and Operations.

Other Duties and Responsibilities:

• Individuals assigned to this position may perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Preparation, Knowledge, Previous Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree; and
• 2-5 years of relevant professional experience.
• Excellent writing skills and proven track record of collecting, synthesizing and structuring multiple sources of information and analysis in various formats to inform actions;
• Excellent oral communication and interpersonal skills;
• Excellent data and computer skills, particularly with the Microsoft Windows suite of products – Word, Excel, PowerPoint;
• Detail-oriented with excellent organizational and analytical skills;
• Strong initiative and ability to anticipate, multitask and prioritize without direct supervision;
• Demonstrated ability to complete tasks in a timely manner and under the pressure of tight deadlines and to work both independently and as part of a team;
• Project management capability to help a group of individuals achieve an outcome on a timeline;
• Ability to creatively think about and approach problems and assigned projects;
• Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information with discretion;
• Mature interpersonal style and ability to interact well with a diverse group of internal and external stakeholders;
• Commitment to the Foundation’s goals and objectives;
• Experience working in or with government, nonprofit and/or philanthropic organizations desired;
• Understanding of urban, regional policy preferred; and
• Interest and/or experience in education, college success, and/or other social issues preferred.

Working Conditions & Physical Demands

• Ability to sit for long periods of time;
• Ability to use a computer keyboard for extended periods of time; and
• Ability to lift and carry up to 15 pounds occasionally.

The content is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by persons assigned to this job. It is not intended to constitute an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties required.

External and internal applicants, as well as position incumbents, who are or become disabled as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act or applicable state law, must be able to perform the essential functions of the job (including those listed above) either with or without reasonable accommodation. Reasonable accommodation, if any, will be determined by management in consultation with the employee on a case‑by‑case basis.

This job description is intended to be general and may be revised from time to time. At management’s discretion, the employee may be assigned different or additional duties from time to time.