Executive Assistant/Search Coordinator

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT/SEARCH COORDINATOR 

Advancement Practice

ISAACSON, MILLER 

Boston, Massachusetts

Isaacson, Miller (IM) is the largest national executive search firm dedicated to serving the leadership recruitment needs of the civic sector. Our clients include leading colleges and universities, environmental organizations, foundations, human service agencies, research institutes, academic medical centers, economic development enterprises, arts and cultural groups, and social justice and other national advocacy organizations. These institutions encourage the marketplace of ideas through research, teaching, and advocacy. They inspire innovation, and, through foundations and philanthropy, they arouse the charitable endeavors of private citizens.

At this time, we are seeking to hire a Search Coordinator in our Boston office. The position requires a customer-service approach, the ability to work collaboratively with a range of people and a keen sense of organization. The coordinator supports and facilitates the work of a team composed of a Partner and collaborating recruiters across multiple locations by providing an administrative structure for all searches. They serve as the central search point of contact for recruiters, clients, and candidates, and are responsible for all scheduling and logistical planning, information management and production of client deliverables. This position reports to practice manager Cathy Cotton. 

With progressively dwindling government support, the future sustainability of nonprofit organizations increasingly depends on identifying alternative revenue streams. The importance and sophistication of advancement (i.e., development and fundraising, marketing and communications, and alumni relations) is rapidly increasing as a result. IM’s advancement practice is led by partners, Jack Gorman and Rachel Ellenport, with the support of a committed group of 19 individuals spanning the roles of a practice manager, special assistant, associates, reference specialists, and search coordinators. This team is dedicated to identifying the leadership that will garner the necessary support for the long-term growth and success of these important institutions we serve.   

  A team of 3 search coordinators (SCs) partner with every member of the team to support approximately 25-35 concurrent searches. Primarily, SCs on the advancement practice serve as project managers and are responsible for all administrative and logistical support of their assigned searches.  

This is an exciting opportunity for a driven, thoughtful individual who shares IM’s dedication to the success of mission-driven organizations and who wishes to have a significant impact on the caliber and diversity of leadership within those organizations. Employees of IM enjoy a collaborative, team-oriented environment and are expected to contribute to the culture, cohesion, and overall success of the firm. 

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE 

An ideal candidate will be collaborative and able to work successfully in a matrixed environment where they are responsible to multiple parties within a given search. They will possess superior interpersonal skills, excellent judgment, and superb written and oral communication abilities. This individual will have strong attention to detail and excellent organizational skills. Equally as important, they will be able to assess and adjust to competing priorities in a fast-paced, dynamic setting and anticipate and address potential issues as they arise. Experience with, knowledge of, and a passion for the nonprofit sector and advancement are preferred.   

APPLICATION, COMPENSATION, AND BENEFITS 

Please visit https://www.imsearch.com/IMcareers to learn more about IM and our core values, view our current openings, and submit application materials. Applications should include a resume as well as a cover letter explaining your interest in our firm and the Search Coordinator role. 

Among IM’s core values is a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Initiative was established in 2016 to assess the extent to which we deliver on this commitment in the recruitment, retention, and advancement of a diverse workforce, and in sustaining an inclusive internal climate. We actively seek a diverse pool of candidates in this – and every – IM search. 

An employee-owned firm, IM offers competitive compensation and benefits, including a non-contributory health and dental offering as well as participation in a profit-sharing pension plan and an employee stock ownership plan. 

ABOUT ISAACSON, MILLER 

Isaacson, Miller was founded in 1982 at a time when not-for-profit organizations rarely used executive search firms. From the beginning, we have been committed to strengthening and diversifying the leadership of the civic sector and our staff members share a fundamental commitment to our clients’ missions. 

Today, we conduct nationwide searches across the entire civic sector and across all the core functions of the institutions within it. We have strong practices in higher education, including leading universities and colleges at every tier; K-12, especially in educational improvement organizations and schools of education; science and social science research institutes, both within and outside the academy; healthcare, particularly academic healthcare; environmental defense; foundations; arts and cultural organizations; economic development organizations; human service agencies; and civil and human rights advocacy organizations, national and international. While most of our clients are not-for-profits, we also work with public agencies, and with select for-profit companies, particularly those with ties to education and science, as well as with socially responsible corporations. The firm aspires to contender or dominant status in each of the major fields in our sector. We have a presence in each, in some cases modest, in others substantial. 

Isaacson, Miller has achieved an excellent growth trajectory and, in recent years, is consistently ranked among the 20 largest executive search firms in the United States. We have more than 200 employees in our four offices. Revenues for 2017 exceeded $32 million, and we complete more than 300 search assignments each year. 

ABOUT THE ADVANCEMENT PRACTICE 

  Since 2002, the Advancement practice has grown from two members to its current size of 21, including associates, search coordinators, reference specialists, and a practice manager and special assistant. Team members come from a variety of professional backgrounds: finance, nonprofit development, for-profit consulting, legal and higher education administration, healthcare, and administrative roles, among others. Their academic fields span a broad range as well, including anthropology, business, computer science, English, foreign languages, government, history, international relations, marketing, mathematics, music, nursing, philosophy, psychology and social entrepreneurship.  

SEARCH COORDINATOR POSITION 

  We seek applicants with broad intellectual curiosity, excellent written and verbal communication skills, interpersonal effectiveness, technological expertise, relevant experience, and a commitment to supporting mission-driven organizations.  

Key Responsibilities  

• Provide project management for multiple, concurrent search assignments based on individualized timelines; anticipate administrative needs for all searches, and remind team members of upcoming deadlines  

• Act as an administrative liaison and central point of communication between clients, candidates, partners, and other team members; ensure efficient and consistent communication between these parties

• Coordinate travel arrangements for searches and team-related meetings

• Manage a complex calendar for a busy partner

• Schedule and coordinate client meetings and conference calls, as well as candidate videoconferences and in-person interviews at client site, IM, or off-site venues

• Manage production and dissemination of search committee presentation materials

• Ensure accurate information is entered into internal databases in a timely manner

• Partner and collaborate with fellow search coordinators to manage the distribution of work/assignments and additional projects

• Occasional travel as needed with partners and associates to help facilitate semi-finalist interview process

• Recognize opportunities to improve team operations or efficiencies and bring those to the attention of the partners and larger team; accordingly, lead efforts to implement new procedures or systems

• Participate in firm-wide meetings, team-specific meetings and meetings with the broader search coordinator cohort

  Key Qualifications  

• Bachelor’s degree and/or professional experience 

• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and competing priorities, delivering high quality work within established timelines

• Superb organizational skills and attention to detail

• The ability to anticipate potential issues in advance, paired with an aptitude for creative problem-solving

• Demonstrated ability to work independently and with discretion

• Professional and service-oriented approach and demeanor; attentiveness to colleagues, clients, and candidates

• High level of proficiency in Microsoft Office, particular expertise with Outlook a must; previous experience with calendar management and scheduling

• Prior experience with databases; strong overall technological skills

• Strong personal integrity and work ethic, as well as a sense of humor and perspective

  Additional information on the firm can be found at www.imsearch.com.