Executive Assistant to the CEO

Executive Assistant to the CEO

Who We Are:

A collective of institutions and leaders, the African American Leadership Forum serves as a community innovation accelerator. We empower Black communities to imagine, then create an equitable future. As a think-and-do-tank for the state of Minnesota, we combine the functions of a think tank (providing research and analysis of social/ political issues) with the action-oriented role of an activist organization.

What We Do:

Using data research and policy, discourse-driven convenings, design innovation, and strategic leadership development, the Forum drives for change by confronting racism and inequities, to improve the living standards of Black Minnesotans.

Our Impact Areas:

Education, Health, Public Safety, Economic Prosperity, Environmental Justice, and Generational Wealth Building.

The Role

We are currently seeking an executive assistant to provide comprehensive strategic support to our CEO. This dynamic position requires the ability to anticipate needs, think critically, and offer solutions with a high level of professionalism and confidentiality. The ideal person for the job will be a proactive problem solver with exceptional communication skills and meticulous attention to detail. We will rely on this role to be flexible and have foresight and strategy while supporting the organization's most critical initiatives.

This person will be a highly visible strategic partner with the CEO. They will want to understand how the CEO thinks, strategically comprehend the prioritization of key partners, and know what's necessary to support the organization's objectives. They will be tech-savvy and have a desire to research everything to be better informed. They will be excellent at funneling, filtering, and facilitating complex tasks and strategic partnerships.

Lastly, this role is critical to the success of our organization, working in close partnership with senior leadership. This candidate will have a wide range of responsibilities, proactively solve problems, have a can-do attitude, and thrive in fast-paced, mission-driven environments.

We seek an indispensable partner to the CEO and the organization.

Pay Transparency: At The Forum, we offer a transparent view into two key components of your total compensation package: Base Salary and Benefits. Learn more about the benefits package this role is eligible to participate in below. For our Executive Assistant position, our salary range is $70,000 - $80,000 based on experience. This role has been classified as a regular full-time, exempt role that is paid on a salaried basis.

Benefits:

Unlimited Vacation and Sick Time policy (with the exception of limited-time Fellowship positions), plus 12 paid holidays per year; competitive health, dental, and vision insurance offerings: Health Savings Account (HSA) and options for Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), employer paid life and AD&D insurance with the option for additional coverage, and employer paid short- and long-term disability insurance; agency sponsored retirement plan with 4% employer match and immediate vesting.

To be successful as Executive Assistant to the CEO, you might be...

• Someone who has led strategic projects and special initiatives in executive environments
• Someone who has worked closely with senior leadership and external stakeholders
• Someone who can oscillate between strategic oversight and detailed execution seamlessly
• A dashboard and strategy-minded individual
• A pragmatic, action-oriented leader
• Someone proactive and intellectually agile
• Passionate about researching, learning, and exploring innovative solutions
• Someone who has a comprehensive understanding of organizational dynamics
• A creative problem solver with exceptional strategic insight

As the Executive Assistant to the CEO, you will...

Strategic Executive Support

• Serve as a critical thought partner to the CEO, providing strategic insights and challenging ideas with alternative perspectives
• Manage the CEO's workflow, including sophisticated triage and prioritization of high-stakes requests, external commitments, and strategic opportunities
• Operate at tactical, strategic, and operational levels, coordinating complex special projects and cross-functional initiatives
• Develop and maintain comprehensive systems to optimize the CEO's effectiveness and organizational impact
• Promote seamless communication and collaboration across senior leadership

Senior Leadership Engagement

• Act as a key liaison for the CEO, proactively managing critical communications and follow-ups with senior leadership
• Facilitate and coordinate leadership meetings, strategic planning sessions, and executive offsites
• Prepare sophisticated briefing materials, presentations, and strategic documents

Stakeholder Management

• Develop and maintain relationships with key internal and external stakeholders
• Support high-level board and executive committee communications
• Represent the CEO in meetings and communications as appropriate

Special Projects

• Lead complex cross-functional projects that require strategic thinking and meticulous execution
• Research and develop comprehensive briefing materials on critical organizational initiatives

REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience; significant experience supporting C-level executives.
• Proven track record of success in strategic administrative or project management roles, preferably in mission-driven organizations.
• Advanced technological proficiency, including Microsoft Office 365, advanced presentation software, and collaborative platforms.
• Superior research, analytical, strategic planning, and organizational skills.
• Exceptional oral and written communication abilities.
• Highly organized with an extraordinary degree of attention to detail.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain the highest levels of professionalism, confidentiality, and discretion.
• Capacity to manage complex, high-priority tasks with minimal supervision.
• Proven track record of strategic follow-through and initiative.
• Ability to effectively manage relationships across all organizational levels

About the Forum:

The African American Leadership Forum operates as a think-and-do tank. We convert research-based thought on social issues into action-oriented agenda and solutions, which address the fundamental causes of racial injustice. Our solutions are aimed to impact the areas of economic prosperity, generational wealth building, public safety, education, health and environmental justice.

Organizational Information:

Diversity and open expression are fundamental to the work of African American Leadership Forum. We are passionate about building and sustaining an inclusive and equitable working environment where everyone can belong. Every member of our team enriches our work by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and to discover, design, and deliver solutions. We welcome everyone to apply, especially those individuals who are underrepresented in our sector: individuals who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQI+ and gender fluid or gender nonconforming, individuals with disabilities (both seen and unseen), veterans, people of any age or family status. We encourage you to apply even if you feel like you don't fit 100% of the technical requirements. Equal Opportunity Employer: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, disability, marital status, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, familial status, genetic information or a protected veteran's status.

Our organization has a partnership with Metropolitan Alliance of Connected Communities (MACC) to provide administrative services including management of the hiring process. If you apply for this position, you may see references to MACC in some online materials.

The Forum participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. See E-Verify's official poster at https://e-verify.uscis.gov/web/media/resourcesContents/E-Verify_Participation_Poster_ES.pdf. See E-Verify's Right to Work poster at https://www.e-verify.gov/sites/default/files/everify/posters/IER_RightToWorkPoster%20Eng_Es.pdf.