Executive Assistant

Executive Assistant (16 hours, Part-time) Exempt
About College Mentoring Experience:
Since 2014, College Mentoring Experience (CME) has been supporting underserved Chicago youth as young as age 12 to explore and effectively enter college pathways. We provide resources to get students to and through college at no cost to families, including local and national college tours, scholarships, tutoring and mentorship. We prepare students with academic and soft skills needed to succeed in the 21st century academic and workplace environments because it is our belief that when students are supported; families and communities at large are impacted. To accomplish this goal, we focus on four (4) main pillars: Mentoring, Tutoring, Workshops, College Campus Tours and College Planning. Our vision is that every at-risk or underserved/marginalized minority student has an opportunity to have a college education and to be prepared for college by their senior year of high school.
About the Executive Assistant (EA) Role:
Reporting directly to the Executive Director (ED), the Executive Assistant (EA) provides executive support in a one-on-one working relationship. The EA serves as the primary point of contact for the ED and also serves as a liaison with the Board of Directors. The ideal candidate is innovative and enjoys working in an environment that is mission-driven, results-oriented, and community-centered. The EA will exercise good judgment in a variety of situations and communicate and organize information clearly and effectively. The ability maintain a realistic balance among multiple priorities is imperative. The EA will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:

• Cultivating and maintaining positive relationships with board members, funders, partners and other stakeholders with whom the ED has frequent contact.
• Providing comprehensive support services to the Executive Director that ensures outstanding communication and responsiveness.
• Providing comprehensive calendar management support for the Executive Director--prioritizing inquiries and requests, troubleshooting scheduling conflicts with little guidance, making judgments and recommendations to ensure smooth day-to-day engagements.
• Supporting the Executive Director with internal and external communications, including preparing and editing email correspondence, presentations, reports, and memos.
• Conducting research and analysis on issues of interest to the Executive Director.
• Supporting and managing a high-volume of requests and projects to meet the objectives of the Executive Director.
• Scheduling and managing all travel logistics for the Executive Director.
• Organizing meetings and events for convenings, retreats, board meetings, and other associated logistics, including vendor communication, expense reporting and receipt management, where applicable.
• Maintaining quality filing and communications systems including contact management, document management and archiving.
• Manage Executive Directors social media accounts
• Other administrative support duties, as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Ability to exercise sound judgment in appraising diicult situations and in making appropriate decisions.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills; demonstrated verbal and written communication skills; ability to develop and deliver presentations.
• Ability to adapt to shifting priorities and exceptional problem solving skills.
• Ability to handle confidential matters with discretion and diplomacy.
• Self-starting orientation with ability to manage positional relationships of all kinds to reach goals and obtain deliverables in a timely fashion.
• Superior organizational/project management skills, commitment to accuracy and attention to detail.
• Collaborative, team-player attitude and the ability to build relationships with a broad cross-section of program stakeholders, including parents, students, staff, board members and community leaders.
• Strong technical aptitude and proficient computer skills, including familiarity with Microsoft Office/Google Suite, social media, data management systems, AI supported communications and use of information technology to evaluate programs.

Education Required:

• Bachelor's Degree from a regionally accredited college or university.[1]

Experience Required:

• At least 3 years of relevant working experience, including previous employment in the nonprofit sector.

Compensation & Benefits

• The compensation for this role is $22 per hour in a 16 hour per week, exempt role.

Conditions of Employment

• Be Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19 - Unless approved for a medical or religious exemption, all employees are required to be up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccinations, including boosters, and to submit proof of vaccination within 30 days of hire. Up-to-date on vaccination is defined as being at least two weeks past all preliminary vaccine doses and any applicable boosters.
• Pass Background Check- As a condition of employment, all staff members must successfully pass a comprehensive background check, including screening for state criminal registry, sex offender registry and child abuse registry and database.

Non-Discrimination Policy: College Mentoring Experience, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, citizenship, ethnic or national origin, age, disability, medical status, military status, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, ancestry, or any legally protected status. This policy applies to all employment practices within our organization, including hiring, recruiting, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, leave of absence, compensation, benefits and training.
American with Disabilities Act (ADA) Statement: External and internal applicants, as well as position incumbents who become disabled, must be able to perform the essential job specific functions (listed within each job responsibility) either unaided or with the assistance of a reasonable accommodation to be determined by the organization on a case-by-case basis.
This organization reserves the right to revise or change job duties and responsibilities as the need arises. This job description does not constitute a written or implied contract of employment.
I would recommend keeping the required education at a non-specific Bachelors for this role. This does not include "preferences" that may exist in terms of additional education or special areas of study, which when listed can deter qualified/capable candidates from applying. I think the role is complex enough that a BA should be required, but is also part time and not so complex that an MA would be needed or a special area of study in their degree would be needed.