Executive Assistant - Global Programs

Carol Olsby & Associates has been engaged to conduct a job search for an Executive Assistant - Global Programs for the Susan T. Buffett Foundation.

The Foundation

The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation (STBF) is a private grant-making Foundation with a U.S. home office in Omaha, Nebraska, and a global office in Kigali, Rwanda. With annual spending in excess of $500 million, it is one of the largest private foundations in the U.S. The Foundation is unusual for donors of such size as it has only two main areas of grant making: 1) supporting efforts to reduce unintended pregnancy and ensure access to safe abortion for women in the U.S. and around the world and 2) to enable low-income students in Nebraska to attend and succeed in college. The Foundation currently employs 43 staff across 14 states in the U.S. and 7 staff in Kigali, Rwanda.

Unit Description

STBF’s Global Programs (GP) strategy invests in sexual and reproductive health and rights around the world. At the core of our strategy is the central tenet that our funding will lead to sustainable change: we want our funding to help transform systems, and strengthen the organizations and institutions that will outlive our grantmaking so that women and girls will continue to receive services when our funding comes to an end. In order to deliver on this ambitious strategy, we are expanding globally and growing our team with colleagues who will think critically about the sustainability of the investments we make.

Summary

Reporting to the VP of Global Programs, the Executive Assistant will provide advanced level administrative support to the VP exercising excellent judgement and resourcefulness in all matters. The administrative work is complex in nature including planning, coordinating, organizing, and producing work that requires a high level of discretion and confidentiality. You will serve as the primary point of contact for internal and external stakeholders regarding the VPs calendar, travel logistics and expenses. You will possess the ability to will work independently on projects in support of the VP, from conception to completion, and must be able to work under pressure at times to handle a wide variety of activities and confidential matters with discretion.

Shared Values

The Foundation is intent on safeguarding the values that drive our culture: Mission, Respect for Donor Intent, Appetite for Risk and Tolerance for Failure, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Humility, Passion Tempered by Objectivity and Evidence, Compassion and Love of Humanity, Honesty and Integrity, Kindness and Respect, Shared Accountability.

The Executive Assistant will need to have a genuine understanding of, and appreciation for, the significance of these values and aspirations and how they are operationalized in the work the Foundation undertakes. Finally, the candidate will need to be aligned with the Foundation’s progressive values, including unambiguous support for individual reproductive freedom.

What You Will Do

1. Manage and track the VP’s schedule, including complex calendar management, travel arrangements, meeting, and administrative support. Proactively optimize the VP’s calendar ensuring time is leveraged and spent effectively and efficiently.
2. Anticipate the needs of the VP, ensure she is are prepared and briefed on her day-to-day activities, meetings, and appointments. Provide meeting support by taking notes and following up on action items, as needed.
3. Promptly respond to internal and external requests, which may occur after “normal “ 9-5 work hours, composing and preparing correspondence that are sometimes confidential and applying high levels of professionalism and discretion on handling and triaging the VP’s communications.
4. Research, prioritize, and follow up on incoming issues and concerns addressed to the VP including those of a sensitive or confidential nature. Determine appropriate course of action, referral, or response.
5. Monitor priorities that may conflict, goals that may collide, and potential clashing timelines. Able to adjust plans accordingly; handle matters expeditiously and proactively, and follow-through on projects to successful completion, often with deadline pressures working across multiple time zones.
6. Work closely and effectively with the VP to keep them well informed of upcoming commitments and responsibilities, following up appropriately and timely.
7. Ensure VP has materials, briefings, talking points, speeches, itineraries needed for day-to-day engagements, trips, and meetings, tracking tasks and deliverables and following up on outstanding items.
8. Facilitate arrangements for travel, both domestic and international, and logistics for external and internal meetings, speaking engagements and conferences; anticipate travel needs and proactively plan with contingencies.
9. Build working relationships with key partners internal and external, across a wide range of cultural styles and norms and maintain continuous lines of communication and positive relationships with the team.
10. Contribute to an inclusive, collaborative, and productive team culture. assume shared commitment to STBF values when addressing disagreements with colleagues regarding work priorities and practices, etc.
11. Active engagement in learning opportunities, including participation in team meetings, skill building, collaboration, and equity learning agenda.
12. 5% to 10% travel, varies based on location

Attributes for Success in this Role

1. Organized and Efficient - Highly detail oriented. Capable of maintaining a swift pace of work across a wide-variety of issues with high quality. Anticipates and adjusts for problems/roadblocks.
2. Project Manager - Exceptionally skilled at juggling multiple tasks, staying on top of projects, and managing timelines and moving parts. Provide a high standard of service to staff, external partners, and senior government officials. Has a “no task too big, no task too small” mindset – and is willing to jump in to manage details or take on large, complex projects.
3. DEI Mindset - Values the uniqueness of people from different groups and identities. Works effectively with individuals of diverse cultures, interpersonal styles, abilities, motivations, or backgrounds. Challenge practices or policies that may be exclusionary. Proven commitment to race equity.
4. Collaborator - Develops and maintains effective working relationships with team members, internal and external partners and others using strong interpersonal skills. Work effectively with people outside formal authority to accomplish goals. Practices kindness, authenticity, and optimism when working with others.
5. Navigate Power Dynamics – Utilize good judgement and awareness to leverage internal and external stakeholders at all levels. Exercise the utmost diplomacy and tact. Understands how to get things done both through formal channels and informal networks, while understanding power differentials. Able to pivot and signal as appropriate to the impacted stakeholders.
6. Communication – Extremely good communicator – comfortable managing up, corresponding with diverse audience, internal and external and effective and professional both written and verbally. Responsive, thoughtful, culturally humble, and able to convey complex content in clear ways to a range of audiences
7. Conflict Management - Demonstrate an ability to say “no” when necessary and appropriate and in a way that maintains relationships; have the confidence to choose the correct answer over the popular one. Show tolerance for ambiguity and be very comfortable with constant change brought on by internal and external pressures or expectations. Understand the value of flexibility and adaptability – and thrive in a highly evolving environment.

Your Background and Experience

1. Minimum 6+ years’ experience in similar roles supporting executives, regularly interacting with internal and external contacts.
2. International experience and/or French language skills a plus.
3. Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
4. Proven track record of providing excellent administrative support: superior organizational, scheduling, and planning skills to balance multiple projects and priorities, paying attention to detail while not losing sight of the big-picture perspective.
5. Expert at managing up and ensuring the VP has information they need, when they need it; able to anticipate needs, build contingency plans and flex as things change.
6. Experience managing calendars and travel across multiple time zones and continents.

Hiring Requirements

As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check and proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 and any recommended booster doses, subject to applicable laws.

Benefits and Compensation

Minimum salary for this role is $100,000. Compensation is determined by a variety of factors including candidate’s individual qualifications, experience relative to the requirements of the role, and internal equity. STBF offers a robust and generous benefits package.

Inclusion Statement

We are committed to creating a workplace where employees thrive both personally and professionally. This includes not only creating a diverse team where everyone feels represented, respected, and included, but also embedding these values across our work and practices. All applicants who are drawn to serve our mission will enjoy equality of opportunity and fair treatment without regard to race, color, age, religion, pregnancy, sex, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and prior protected activity.

Apply and Accomodations

1. We request that candidates submit a cover letter, outlining their interests and qualifications aligned with the role description, along with their resume/CV to [email protected].
2. If you require assistance due to a disability in the application or recruitment process, please submit a request to [email protected].