Executive Assistant/PM at Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services Incorporated – Somerville, Massachusetts

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title: Executive Assistant

Reports To: President and Chief Executive Officer

Department: Office of the President and CEO

FLSA Status: ( X ) Exempt or ( ) Non-Exempt

( ) Union or ( X ) Non-Union

Position Summary:

The Executive Assistant plays a vital role in advancing SCES’s mission of delivering exceptional, community-based care that enables clients to live independently and with dignity. As a key partner to the CEO, the Executive Assistant ensures effective organizational flow, supports high-level strategic initiatives, and helps maintain strong communication within and beyond the organization.

The Executive Assistant is a proactive and detail-oriented professional who excels in high-level administrative support. They manage communications, coordinate complex scheduling and travel, prepare materials for leadership and Board meetings, and maintain critical business records with discretion and accuracy. While the position primarily supports the CEO, it also provides targeted assistance to other members of the leadership team to ensure organizational priorities are met efficiently.

In addition to traditional executive support duties, this role plays an integral part in project coordination, board governance support and content development, including drafting presentations, analyzing documents, and synthesizing information to aid decision-making. The Executive Assistant is a proactive problem solver with impeccable judgment, professionalism, and discretion—capable of balancing a broad and dynamic range of responsibilities in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment.

Job Responsibilities and Performance Standards:

• Provide sophisticated calendar management for the CEO. Prioritize inquiries and requests while troubleshooting conflicts; make judgments and recommendations to ensure smooth day-to-day engagements.
• Complete a wide variety of tasks to facilitate the CEO’s leadership, including preparing presentations, reports, and correspondence; managing travel and expense reports; maintaining contact databases; and coordinating logistics for internal and external meetings.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for the CEO with staff, board members, and external stakeholders, managing highly confidential and sensitive matters with discretion.
• Keep the CEO well-informed of upcoming commitments and organizational priorities, anticipating needs and ensuring timely preparation.
• Serve as liaison to the Board of Directors and its committees, managing all logistics for meetings and events—including scheduling, drafting agendas, compiling/distributing materials, and taking minutes on behalf of the Board Secretary.
• Maintain board governance documents such as bylaws, conflict of interest disclosures, and orientation materials.
• Manage and regularly update the Board’s SharePoint site, working with IT vendors to ensure appropriate settings and data security.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable regulations and bylaws related to board governance.
• Assist in coordinating and tracking strategic projects, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and deadlines.
• Monitor project timelines, gather input from stakeholders, and help prepare updates, summaries, and reports for leadership meetings.
• Provide support for cross-functional initiatives and ensure timely follow-up on action items from meetings or board sessions.
• Provide administrative and logistical support to the Senior Management Team as directed by the CEO.
• Assist with the preparation of presentations, internal communications, and meeting materials for leadership team initiatives and external engagements.
• Support the HR team in planning and coordinating company events by managing venue bookings, confirming attendance, accommodating dietary and other preferences, and ensuring timely communication of event details to all stakeholders
• Draft, design, and edit high-quality presentations, memos, reports, and summaries for internal and external use.
• Analyze complex documents and synthesize key takeaways or action points to support leadership decision-making.
• Prepare briefing materials and talking points for meetings and speaking engagements.
• Provide hospitality to all guests and help to create a welcoming environment.
• Other projects/duties as assigned for the organization's overall benefit.

Professional Standards and Conduct:

Collaborative and responsive: Regularly communicate and follow up using a team-driven approach. Respond thoughtfully and promptly to agency needs, requests, and inquiries. Identify and build partnerships with key stakeholders. Demonstrate excellent organizational and time management skills to meet various deadlines, ensuring closed-loop communication, multitasking, and maintaining flexibility to adapt and adjust workload assignments based on changing priorities.

Communication: Skilled in verbal and written communication, with the ability to convey information effectively across diverse styles and cultural backgrounds. Maintain high integrity and discretion when handling confidential information. Exhibit excellent judgment and the ability to switch gears quickly as needed.

Analytical: Apply critical thinking skills, using logic and reasoning to evaluate strengths and opportunities of alternative solutions or approaches. Make informed decisions regarding priorities and available time, and respond appropriately to situations requiring quick turnaround. Ability to complete multiple time-sensitive and complex tasks and projects independently with little or no guidance.

Attendance and punctuality: Dependable and punctual, showing flexibility when needed. Attend meetings as required and participate actively and attentively.

Commitment: Embody SCES’s core values by demonstrating integrity, accountability, and professionalism in all interactions. Support SCES’s mission and dedication to fostering an inclusive environment.

Qualifications:

• High school diploma required; Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree strongly preferred. A combination of education and relevant experience will be considered.
• Professional certifications such as Certified Administrative Professional (CAP), Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS), or Project Management Professional (PMP) are strongly preferred and may be considered in lieu of a college degree.
• 2–5 years of experience providing high-level administrative support to senior or C-level executives is strongly preferred. Experience in a nonprofit or mission-driven organization and supporting a Board of Directors is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated experience managing projects, tracking deliverables, coordinating timelines, and supporting cross-functional initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) lens, with sensitivity to cultural and socioeconomic differences.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and desktop publishing software; ability to design, edit, and format professional-quality documents and presentations.
• Strong technical aptitude, including the ability to troubleshoot common IT issues and navigate cloud-based platforms such as SharePoint, Teams, and other web-based tools.
• Excellent organizational skills and impeccable attention to detail, with a proven ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• High level of professionalism and discretion in dealing with confidential and sensitive information.
• Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work collaboratively and diplomatically with a wide range of stakeholders, including Board members, executives, staff, and external partners.

Physical Environment

• Physical surroundings are comfortable with minimal exposure to injury or hazards.

Social/Psychological Conditions

• The position requires flexibility and adaptability to manage shifting priorities, unexpected demands, and evolving organizational needs.
• Occasional stress may arise from periodic or cyclical workload pressures, tight deadlines, and the need to balance multiple concurrent projects and responsibilities.
• The role involves frequent interruptions and urgent requests, requiring the ability to remain calm, focused, and professional under pressure.
• Requires strong emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills to effectively collaborate with diverse stakeholders, including senior leaders, Board members, staff, and external partners.
• Ability to maintain discretion and confidentiality in high-stakes or sensitive situations, while navigating complex organizational dynamics.
• The position demands resilience and proactive problem-solving to anticipate and address challenges before they impact leadership or operations.

Physical Effort

• Frequently sits, stands, walks, bends, reaches, and stoops throughout the day.
• Frequently lifts, pulls, pushes, and carries up to 20 lbs.
• Periodic eye strain and light ear strain.

Employee Name and Signature: ______________________________________ Date: ______________________

Supervisor Name and Signature: _____________________________________ Date: ______________________

Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree or a combination of education and experience. Supervisory and/or administrative experience is strongly preferred.

Knowledge of the principles and practices of operations and project management, including coordination, communication, prioritization, troubleshooting, adherence to budget, and completion of goals.

Experience maintaining vendor and partner relations required.

Strong working knowledge of Office 365 Suites and customer relationship management tools (CRM). In-depth knowledge of data analysis and project management software packages to measure performance and outcomes.

Experience with compliance monitoring, tracking, and evaluation is strongly preferred. This may include but is not limited to resource management, quality assurance, reporting, audits, training, and post-implementation review.

Ability to work independently and collaboratively with diverse populations.

Exceptional time management and organizational proficiency.

Must meet both CORI/SORI and public health screening requirements.

Physical Environment:

Physical surroundings are comfortable with minimal exposure to injury or hazards.

Must be able to travel between the SCES office and other sites via public transportation or by car.

Social/Psychological Conditions:

Occasional stress due to periodic or cyclical workload pressures and deadlines. Some interruptions involved.

Physical Effort:

Frequently sits, stands, walks, bends, reaches, and stoops throughout the day.

Frequently lifts, pulls, pushes, and carries up to 20 lbs.

Periodic eye strain and light ear strain.

Pay range (depending upon experience) - $70,000 - $80,000