Spertus Institute Executive Assistant to CEO & CAO

Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership offers dynamic learning opportunities rooted in Jewish wisdom and culture. We promote personal growth, train future leaders, and engage individuals in the exploration of Jewish life. High quality academic programs and events are part of Spertus’ close to one-hundred-year historic tradition and values. This is an exciting opportunity to work in our award-winning venue to further Spertus Institute’s mission into the next centennial!

Position Summary: This is an exciting opportunity to join a growing team as we enter the second century of our institution and continue to implement a forward-looking strategic plan, and to play a key role in supporting Spertus through a period of scale and rapid change. This position is well suited to a highly organized, emotionally intelligent, and motivated professional. The Executive Assistant (EA) will be an integral part of a team that is hard-working, passionate, and committed to making a positive contribution to communal change.

The EA will be a critical partner to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Academic Officer (CAO) helping to ensure they are effective leaders, serving as their first point of contact with key stakeholders, including colleagues on the executive team, staff, volunteer leaders and major donors, and proactively managing their calendars to ensure their alignment with top priorities. The EA must possess excellent verbal and written communication skills and must be comfortable managing shifting priorities to completion even when the path is not self-evident. This individual will possess the capacity to manage sensitive communications with discretion, confidentiality, and diplomacy. The EA will also support the operating needs of the Executive Team and the Board of Directors through scheduling, material curation, note-taking and ensuring follow up.

Responsibilities

Maximizing the CEO and CAO’s Time

Provide professional administrative support to the CEO & CAO including heavy calendar management, and follow-up for internal and external meetings.
Ensure CEO, CAO, and Executive Team are thoroughly prepared for all meetings and events, proactively staying ahead of their calendar, in close coordination with other colleagues as needed, in order to provide relevant and timely information to the CEO & CAO.
Serve as both gatekeeper and gateway to the CEO & CAO, creating win-win situations for direct access to their time.
At times, reach out on behalf of the CEO & CAO to staff and external stakeholders, ensuring clear communication and follow through as needed.
Take the lead on arranging and adjusting detailed travel plans, when relevant, creating itineraries and anticipating and proactively managing changes as they arise.
Join the CEO & CAO’s meetings as needed with direct reports, Board members, community members, and stakeholders to capture action items and ensure effective follow up and project-managing to ensure their completion.
Compose and prepare correspondence that is at times sensitive and confidential.
Proactively identify opportunities to better maximize the CEO & CAO’s time, supporting them to ensure completion of competing prioritized tasks.

Supporting the Leadership Team and Board of Directors

Collaborate with the CEO and CAO on matters that relate to the staff and Board of Directors’ operations, including assisting with management and execution of both in person and virtual meetings.
Partner on a range of special projects, oftentimes playing a project manager role to steward projects along and coordinate amongst team members.
Support the Institute’s fundraising and awareness raising work, partnering with development and program team staff members to coordinate, prepare for, and follow-up on meetings, events, and speaking engagements.
Attend Board Committee meetings and other meetings, as needed, and take notes, ensuring action items are appropriately flagged and followed up on.
Prepare all materials and make arrangements for all meetings

Qualifications

Experience offering administrative support to a leadership position of an organization or company.
Exercises leadership; Problem solver and solution-oriented.
Exceptional organizational and task management skills; able to prioritize competing tasks and commitment to follow through.
Ability to anticipate needs and think through projects and tasks across different streams of work
Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
Proficiency with Microsoft Suite, Teams, and CRMs.