Special Assistant to the CEO

Description

POSITION SUMMARY

The Special Assistant to the CEO (SA) will be part of a small Executive Office and will report directly to the CEO (“CEO”). The SA will work with the CEO, with secondary support to the Executive Vice President (“EVP”) with a focus on research, writing, and preparatory materials for the CEO as well as a variety of special projects, advancing the effectiveness of the executive office and executive committee. The SA will work directly on priority projects, address the CEO's on-demand needs, and support broader projects that accelerate growth within Fountain House, which are aligned with strategic initiatives. The SA must be a strong writer, researcher, and synthesizer of program and operational information, and be able to translate such information into effective presentations.

The candidate must be a highly motivated self-starter who can work quickly and efficiently, be able to ask the right questions to clarify tasks, and be unafraid to get the clarity they need to execute. Doing all this with calm, perspective and ideally a sense of humor is key. Like all members of the executive office, they must be able to operate with a high level of professionalism, tact, and diplomacy and maintain confidentiality regarding sensitive information.

The fast-paced and multidimensional nature of this role requires a well-organized, proactive professional who can collaborate and effectively interact with department staff, members of Fountain House's executive leadership team, employees at all levels throughout the organization, board members and external partners.

Given the centrality of the community of people living with serious mental illness to our work, the candidate, like all other staff, is expected to prioritize understanding and integration with the Fountain House community. Alignment with and commitment to our mission is critical to this role.

Shift: Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm, with some flexibility as needed (please note that this position is required to be in the office three days a week).

Salary: $85,000 - $100,000

Requirements

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The main duties of the SA will be to provide direct support to CEO and manage the Executive Office. Secondary responsibilities include: 1) General support to EVP, and 2) General support to EA.

Direct Support of CEO

• Enable the CEO to develop and advance special projects that amplify Fountain House’s profile and advance its strategic ambitions, including project managing them when appropriate.
• Work with others in executive office, including the CEO’s Executive Assistant, to ensure the CEO’s attention is spent on highest priority items, including reviewing and assessing internal and external opportunities.
• Assist the CEO in preparing for external meetings, presentations, and interviews, including providing supportive research and collaborating with the External Affairs, Development, and Research teams as needed.
• Prepare written materials, such as memos, talking points and presentation slide decks for the CEO.
• Serve as the point person for events, meetings, and speaking engagements and take the lead in ensuring material preparation and logistics coordination with the support of the CEO’s Executive Assistant and the External Affairs and Development teams.
• Act as point of contact in the CEO’s absence and direct requests for action or information to responsible staff or members as needed. Monitors the resulting activity for briefing the CEO.
• Track and report project statuses on a timely basis to CEO, EVP, and EA.
• Participate in key CEO and organizational meetings and conversations to give update on their work.
• Assume other related responsibilities and special projects, as assigned.

Management of Executive Office

• Lead day-to-day operations of the Executive Office and ensure effective engagement and communication with key stakeholders (including Executive Committee, staff, Members, and Board of Directors).
• Manage meeting logistics and development of weekly agendas for Executive Office and Executive Committee.
• Plan leadership retreats and other special events, including development of agendas and material preparation.
• Oversee consultants hired by the Executive Office.
• Facilitate preparation for quarterly Board meetings, including development of agenda, organization of pre-read materials, and Diligent board database management.
• Support Board Chair with planning and execution of events as needed, such as annual retreat.

General Support of the EVP

• Assist in preparing for external meetings, presentations, and interviews, includi