Executive Assistant to the Co-CEOs

Role Overview:

The primary mission of the Executive Assistant to the Co-CEOs is to support the Co-CEOs in working as efficiently and effectively as possible, managing complex calendars, coordinating executive travel, streamlining operations, and serving as a trusted liaison between the Co-CEOs and internal and external stakeholders.

The Executive Assistant will report directly to Lia Bonamassa (Chief of Staff) and work primarily with the Co-CEOs of Merit America. This role offers the opportunity to grow into expanded responsibilities over time, including supporting strategic projects, Board coordination, and executive communications.

Note: Merit America generally operates on a four-day workweek; however, due to the nature of executive support, this role follows a five-day schedule (Monday–Friday).  Given the demands of supporting two Co-CEOs, this role requires greater availability than most positions at Merit America, including responsiveness to occasional evening and weekend communications. We want to be transparent about this expectation upfront so candidates can make an informed decision about whether this role is the right fit.

Responsibilities:

The responsibilities of the Executive Assistant to the Co-CEOs will include, but are not limited to, the following:

Executive Calendar & Schedule Management (50%)

• Manage complex calendars for two Co-CEOs, scheduling meetings with critical stakeholders, typically within 24 hours of request
• Proactively identify and resolve scheduling conflicts, prioritizing meetings aligned with CEO goals and organizational priorities
• Coordinate across both Co-CEOs' schedules to ensure alignment and efficiency
• Prepare daily/weekly schedule briefings with context, materials, and priorities
• Monitor and respond to time-sensitive communications from the Co-CEOs outside standard business hours, including evenings and weekends, when needed; urgency and frequency will vary based on executive travel and organizational events

Travel & Logistics Coordination (20%)

• Plan and coordinate executive travel, including flights, accommodations, ground transportation, and detailed itineraries
• Manage travel logistics for conferences, board meetings, donor visits, and strategic partner meetings
• Handle expense reconciliation and travel reimbursements
• Anticipate travel needs and prepare travel-related briefing materials

Communication & Stakeholder Management (10%)

• Serve as a professional point of contact for internal teams, board members, partners, and external stakeholders
• Maintain discretion with sensitive and confidential information

Operational Support & Project Coordination (20%)

• Streamline workflows and systems to align with CEO priorities and deadlines
• Coordinate logistics for leadership meetings, team offsites, and organizational events, as assigned
• Support cross-functional initiatives and strategic projects as needed
• Maintain organized systems for tracking action items, deadlines, and follow-ups
• Assist with Board coordination, as assigned
• Performs personal support tasks, as assigned

Skills & Competencies

We recognize that some individuals from underrepresented backgrounds may hesitate to apply if they don’t meet 100% of the listed qualifications.  Please don’t let that discourage you from applying! We value the unique skills, experiences, and perspectives that each applicant brings, and we encourage you to apply if you believe your background demonstrates the required skills and competencies:

Must Haves for all roles at Merit America: 

• Committed to Merit America’s mission to pave pathways to family-sustaining careers, break the poverty cycle, and create upward mobility for low-wage workers
• Demonstrated history of embodying our values, which inform our work and drive our organization's culture
• Shared sense of responsibility and ownership for our collective work in making a positive impact on the community we support, true to our value of Win & Lose Together
• Committed to continuous learning and growth in advancing inclusive excellence and closing gaps across lines of difference
• Passionate about fostering a workplace culture that embraces and values individual differences, aligned with our core value of inclusivity

Must Haves for this role:

Executive Support & Calendar Management

• Experience as an Executive Assistant or in a similar high-level administrative role
• Proven expertise managing complex calendars for senior executives, with ability to prioritize and coordinate across multiple stakeholders
• Track record of anticipating needs and proactively solving problems before they arise

Communication & Stakeholder Management

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with ability to draft professional correspondence on behalf of executives
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build positive relationships with internal and external stakeholders at all levels
• Ability to serve as a professional liaison between executives and board members, partners, and teams

Organization & Project Coordination

• Strong organizational skills with ability to manage shifting priorities and deadlines across two executives in a dynamic, remote environment
• Experience coordinating complex travel logistics, including international travel arrangements
• Ability to streamline workflows and implement systems to improve executive efficiency

Technical Proficiency & Adaptability

• Proficiency with Google Workspace, Slack, Zoom, and other collaboration tools
• Comfort utilizing AI tools (e.g., Claude, ChatGPT) to improve efficiency in drafting, summarizing, and scheduling workflows
• Comfort working in a fully remote environment with a distributed team
• Ability to learn new tools and systems quickly

Discretion & Professionalism

• Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with the utmost discretion
• Sound judgment in prioritizing issues and knowing when to escalate
• Flexibility to respond to urgent matters outside standard business hours when needed

Nice to Haves for this role:

• Experience supporting C-suite executives at a nonprofit or mission-driven organization
• Experience in a startup or high-growth environment
• Background in education, workforce development, or social impact sectors
• Experience supporting large-scale events or offsites

Other Logistics 

• This position is full-time: Monday-Friday, 40-50 hours/week
• Location: Remote
• Salary: $100,000
• Due to the nature of supporting two Co-CEOs, this role requires a higher degree of availability than most positions at Merit America, including responsiveness to occasional weekend and evening communications. Candidates should feel confident this aligns with their capacity and boundaries before applying.

Our goal is to have competitive and equitable compensation.  We have a market-based compensation approach, which means we benchmark each role from reputable data sources. We compare our benchmarks against similarly sized non-profit organizations with comparable annual budgets and geographical areas. We pay the same rate for the same roles and adjust to comply with statutory mandates.