Executive Assistant

Executive Assistant, Obama Presidential Center

CHICAGO, IL

About the Obama Foundation

At the Obama Foundation, we are guided by a core belief: that ordinary people working together can change history. Our mission is to inspire those people to take action, empower them to change their world for the better, and connect them so they can achieve more together than they can alone.

We were founded by community organizers, so when we seek change, we do it by bringing people together. 

That approach begins at home, on the South Side of Chicago, where we are building the Obama Presidential Center. The Center represents a historic opportunity for Chicago: a chance to build a world-class museum and public gathering space that celebrates our nation’s first African American President and First Lady, steps away from where he began his career, where she was raised, and where—together—they made their home. 

But that approach extends to all our work, whether it’s holding leadership training sessions in communities throughout the U.S., bringing local leaders together in countries around the world, working to support the global education of girls, or ensuring young men of color have pathways to opportunity.

As President Obama has said, “we cannot solve the challenges of our time unless we solve them together.” So join us. 

For more information, please visit www.obama.org.

Location

Chicago, IL 

Purpose of the Role

As the face of the Obama Presidential Center (OPC) for many internal and external parties the Executive Assistant is responsible for representing our values while providing exceptional administrative support to the Executive Vice President for the OPC. You will ensure that the EVP can focus on their highest priorities, by helping with specific projects and administrative needs. You will assist with scheduling, travel arrangements, meeting and speaking engagement preparation and debrief, communications, and other administrative functions such as managing the budget and overseeing hiring processes. The Assistant will also liaise with other departments across the OPC and the broader Obama Foundation on core projects and workstreams. You will report directly to the Director.

Core Job Responsibilities

• Manage the EVP’s calendar, ensuring that they spend the majority of their time on their highest priorities and approve materials in a timely manner
• Ensure that the EVP is fully prepared for all meetings, speaking engagements and trips with agendas, bios, talking points, and background reading
• Prepare memos, talking points, presentations, and other documents as necessary to brief the EVP or to assist the EVP in briefing other stakeholders
• Conduct background research, as needed, and succinctly summarize findings on a timely basis
• Ensure that all expense reimbursements and receipts are submitted accurately and on time
• Organize and manage systems for incoming requests for document review and approval
• Develop and track project plans and timelines, set reminders, and drive processes for discrete projects owned by the team. 
• Perform other duties as assigned

Key Deliverables / Outcomes

• Exceptional customer service for all internal and external stakeholders
• Highly efficient calendar management processes & procedures (for example Meeting requests are replied to within 24 hours; meetings needing to be rescheduled are dealt with in a timely manner)
• Meeting preparation materials for the Executive Vice President, including agendas, background information, & bios
• Executive Vice President is fully prepared for all meetings, and all next steps and takeaways are coordinated in a timely manner 
• Internal and external communications are tailored to their audience appropriately, and are succinct, clear, and personalized, with strong attention to detail
• Team members’ daily work, projects, and next steps from meetings are organized, planned out and communicated effectively, including assisting in managing a system to help the Executive Vice President and Director track and respond to all inbound requests
• Coordinate any travel for the EVP, including booking travel and lodging
• Ensure EVP’s expense reimbursements are submitted accurately and on time
• Help with the team budgeting process, including with the review of existing contracts, collection of new proposals, etc. 
• Conduct background research as needed, and succinctly summarize findings in a timely manner
• Organize team drives and store all relevant documents
• Planning and execution of projects at the discretion of the Director, within specified timeframes and with high attention to detail
• Note-taking and distribution
• Plan internal and external meetings, including calendaring, agenda-setting, setting up and breaking down rooms, ordering and setting out F&B, sharing materials and pre-reads, and follow-ups as needed

Required Qualifications

• Highly organized, with track record of strong decision-making and completing short- and long-term responsibilities in a fast-paced, deadline-driven, high volume organization with discretion
• Extremely strong writing and editing skills, including the ability to effectively communicate to all levels of employees 
• Exceptional project management capabilities – effectively plans and executes short- and long-term projects; track record of designing and implementing effective and efficient systems and processes that coordinate teams to deliver results on deadlines
• Exceptional communication skills, written and verbal; establishes rapport easily with other people, communicates proactively, and collaborates effectively with others to achieve objectives and meet deadlines
• Solid design skills and proficiency with design software such as PowerPoint, Keynote, or Google Slides
• Strong prioritization and organizational skills to effectively juggle short-term and long-term tasks and responsibilities in an entrepreneurial, fast-paced environment
• Motivated by exceptional customer service; warm, friendly; anticipates needs, takes initiative, resourceful, problem-solver
• Proficient with Word, Excel, PowerPoint and/or Google apps

The salary range for this role is between $79,040 and $98,800.

Compensation is based on various components unique to each candidate including but limited to qualifications, experience, specializations, and other job-related factors. Our approach also takes into consideration: internal equity, job-level salary ranges, and the ability to receive performance based increases.

Don’t check off every box in the requirements listed above? Please apply anyway! Studies have shown that marginalized communities - such as women, LGBTQ+ and people of color - are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. The Obama Foundation is dedicated to building an inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible workplace that fosters a sense of belonging – so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to still consider submitting an application. You may be just the right candidate for this role or another one of our openings!

In the interest of employee health and safety during the pendency of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Obama Foundation is requiring that all prospective employees present proof that they are fully-vaccinated against COVID-19, or seek a reasonable accommodation for religious or medical reasons, prior to their first day of employment.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Foundation is committed to creating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. The Foundation does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, parental status, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable laws. We encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply. If you are a qualified candidate with a disability, please e-mail us at careers@obama.org if you require a reasonable accommodation to complete this application.