Executive Assistant & Office Manager in Alexandria, Virginia at National Association of Convenience Stores

About Us

The leading global trade association dedicated to advancing convenience and fuel retailing, NACS advances the role of convenience stores as positive economic, social and philanthropic contributors to the communities they serve and is a trusted adviser to retailer and supplier members from more than 50 countries. The U.S. convenience store industry, with more than 152,000 stores nationwide selling fuel, food and merchandise, conducts 160 million transactions daily and had sales of $860 billion in 2023. A member-driven organization, NACS has 70-plus employees and an annual operating budget of approximately $60 million.

NACS supports the industry through its media platforms, advocacy efforts, research, events, products & services, and industry initiatives, helping members stay informed and connected. NACS Media is the voice that connects the convenience and fuel retailing industry through various channels, including its award-winning monthly publication NACS Magazine, NACS Daily e-newsletter and other modern media such as its weekly Convenience Matters podcast and Convenience Corner blog. This is where ideas are shared, products are launched, and consumer needs are solved.

NACS also is a hub for cutting-edge research, insightful analysis, innovative educational opportunities and key industry initiatives that aim to advance the future of convenience and fuel retailing, including the NACS Show, one of the largest annual tradeshows in the country; more than a dozen targeted and regional events; 5 executive education programs at ivy-league universities and extensive advocacy to both elected leaders and the general public. Here is more about what it’s like to work at NACS.

Position Overview

The Executive Assistant & Office Manager will serve as a trusted partner to the President & CEO, providing high-level administrative and operational support to both the CEO and Senior Leadership Team (Staff Leaders). This role plays a key part in supporting the leadership team’s day-to-day operations, enhancing executive effectiveness, and maintaining a professional, well-run office environment that supports NACS’ strategic priorities and member engagement.

Success in this role requires exceptional organization skills, sound judgement, a high degree of discretion, and the ability to responsibly manage sensitive and confidential information while thriving in a fast-paced environment.

The role is located onsite at NACS Headquarters in Alexandria, VA.

Scope of Responsibilities:

Executive Support (Primary)

• Provide proactive, high-level administrative support to the President & CEO, and key members of the Staff Leaders team, including extremely active calendar management, meeting prioritization and scheduling, and coordination of domestic and international travel.
• Prepare, review, and manage correspondence, presentations, board materials, and briefing documents.
• Serve as a trusted gatekeeper and facilitator for internal and external communications.
• Coordinate executive meetings, including agendas, material preparation, documentation of minutes, and follow-up actions items.
• Support Executive Committee, Board of Directors engagement, including logistics, materials preparation, and communications.

Senior Leadership Team Support

• Provide administrative support to members of the staff leaders team as needed.
• Coordinate leadership meetings, offsites, and strategic planning sessions.
• Assist with ensuring alignment, accountability and follow-through on executive priorities and action items.

Office Management

• Oversee and manage daily office operations to ensure a professional, efficient, and welcoming environment.
• Manage office vendors, supplies, conference logistics, and service contracts.
• Coordinate facilities-related needs, including maintenance.
• Support onboarding logistics for new employees and visitors.
• Answer and route incoming office calls to the appropriate staff members, and relay messages as needed.

Operational & Administrative Excellence

• Establish and maintain effective administrative systems, processes and best practices.
• Manage expense reporting, invoicing, and budget tracking.
• Support internal communications and cross-organizational initiatives.
• Identify and implement opportunities to improve efficiency, streamline operations and enhance executive productivity.
• Provide administrative support to the HR Director.

Requirements:

• Minimum of 5+ years’ experience supporting senior executives (CEO, President, or equivalent).
• Proven ability to manage complex schedules and competing priorities under tight deadlines.
• Exceptional organizational, time-management, written and verbal communication, and interpersonal skills.
• High integrity, professionalism, and ability to handle confidentiality and sensitive information with discretion with professionalism.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, PowerPoint, Word, Excel).
• Ability to work collaboratively but also handle matters independently and exercise sound judgment as needed.

Preferred:

• Experience in a trade association, nonprofit, or membership-based organization.
• Experience supporting Board governance processes.
• Office management or facilities coordination experience.
• Familiarity with CRM or membership management systems.

Key Competencies

• Executive presence & sound judgment.
• High level discretion & confidentiality.
• Proactive, solutions-oriented mindset.
• Strong attention to detail and follow-through.
• Ability to anticipate needs and think ahead for leadership.
• Collaborative and adaptable with strong interpersonal skills.
• Continuous improvement mindset with a focus on operational efficiency.

NACS Culture

We hugely value, invest in and are devoted to the constructive culture that we’ve built and work on every day at NACS. Almost everything we do requires broad, multi-department collaboration to ideate and execute creative initiatives that deliver compelling value to our members and our industry. What that requires is a relatively flat organizational structure that empowers teammates at different levels from all departments to constructively engage and support each other. Titles really don’t matter in such an organization. What matters is a culture of constructive behaviors that relishes divergent perspectives to craft well thought-out initiatives and then come together to execute them. NACS Values:

The NACS Culture is highly collaborative, and we are better when we are together. NACS is a culture that believes in working together from the office.

Other Pertinent Information

NACS is an Equal Opportunity Employer, dedicated to a policy of non-discrimination in employment on any basis. All applicants will be considered for all positions on the basis of qualifications and without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, and any other legally protected status.

As the leading global trade association for convenience and fuel retailers, NACS advances the role of convenience stores as positive economic, social and philanthropic contributors to the communities they serve and is a trusted adviser to its retailer and supplier members from more than 50 countries. The U.S. convenience store industry, with more than 152,000 stores, conducts more than 160 million transactions daily and had sales of $860 billion in 2023. For more information, visit convenience.org. Follow NACS on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.