Mellon Foundation | Executive Assistant | Office of the President
The Mellon Foundation (“Foundation”) is a not-for-profit, grant making organization that believes that the arts and humanities are where we express our complex humanity, and we believe that everyone deserves the beauty, transcendence, and freedom to be found there. Through our grants, we seek to build just communities enriched by meaning and empowered by critical thinking, where ideas and imagination can thrive. The Foundation makes grants in four core program areas - Higher Learning, Arts and Culture, Public Knowledge, and Humanities in Place - and through its signature Presidential Initiatives. The Foundation seeks an Executive Assistant for the Office of the President (OOP).
Position Summary:
The OOP is responsible for the direct administrative and strategic support of the President’s vision, in coordination and strategic partnership across the Foundation. The OOP is responsible for the President’s schedule, communications, and travel; project management of cross-functional initiatives, projects, and events; and acting as a crucial liaison between the President, the Foundation, and external stakeholders.
Reporting to the Chief of Staff (COS), the Executive Assistant will provide administrative support to the COS, as well as project management, programmatic, and logistical support to the work of the Office of the President. The successful candidate will be highly motivated, collaborative, and congenial, with well-developed written and oral communication and organization skills. The work is detail oriented, time sensitive, and often involves confidential information. The Executive Assistant will need to be adaptable, timely, discreet, and measured in manner. They will be an adept problem-solver who can balance ongoing priorities with the circumstances of the moment. Prior project management experience and/or administrative support for organizational executives is strongly encouraged.
Position Description:
Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Manage the administrative needs of the COS
- Schedule and organize a heavy calendar of continually evolving meetings involving multiple participants in a fast-paced environment, including departmental scheduling needs
- Create materials for meetings as requested by the COS, and otherwise ensure the COS has necessary meeting materials and agendas
- Manage travel arrangements for the COS, ensuring detailed itineraries are accounted for, confirmations are maintained, and advance materials are coordinated
- Organize, answer, and direct written correspondence and calls as requested
- Track meeting agendas, follow ups, and logistics
- Track and manage expenses and prepares reports for the COS
- Event Coordination and Support
- Plan and execute select OOP-led activities both on and off site, including senior staff meetings and retreats, team retreats, and team visits
- Project manage and provide administrative support and coordination for OOP events, including speaker logistics and communications, inter-departmental coordination, honoraria and other payments, processing invoices,
- Coordinate guest management for OOP-organized convenings, seminars, and events
- Project Management
- Manage deadlines across the Foundation for OOP-driven projects, including the Senior Leadership Team, ensuring delivery of work product necessary for the work of the OOP moves forward in a timely manner
- Proactively research, develop, and implement systems for continual improvement of processes within the OOP
- Manage deliverables, timelines, and materials related to the Senior Leadership team in support of the COS
- Team Administrative Support
- Maintain project documentation and team files for OOP-driven efforts
- Manage scheduling, note taking, and action items for all OOP internal meetings including recording and synthesizing action items, including recap memos, statements of work, and project scopes
- Track operational expenses related to the Office of the President, helping the COS manage the department’s operational budget
- Serve as liaison and hub for the team
- Back up administrative support to the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer as needed
Qualifications:
Full-time experience in a fast-paced, high-volume office environment and administrative experience is required.
Applicants should possess:
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Utmost discretion in handling sensitive and confidential matters
- Relentless attention to detail in composing, processing, and proofing materials
- Experience effectively establishing priorities and meeting deliverables with grace and finesse
- An orientation toward self-starting, proactive anticipation of team needs, and creative problem solving
- Capacity to manage multiple projects and interruptions with clear prioritization
- Proven ability to work well across all levels of an organization
- Willingness to learn from mistakes
- Excellent knowledge of office administration procedures and the operation of standard office equipment, systems, and programs
- A deep understanding of the Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel, PowerPoint, and Word, and the ability to learn new applications quickly
- A high degree of competency developing and maintaining project plans and using project management software. Familiarity with Monday.com or other project management tools is a plus
- Demonstrated interest in the arts, humanities, and humanistic social sciences and/or commitment to social justice and cultural equity is desirable
Mellon Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. Mellon is committed to access and inclusion for our applicants. If you have accessibility requests to support your participation in the hiring process, please let us know at your earliest convenience.
Mellon offers a generous total reward package that includes base salary and a comprehensive benefits program, as well as an excellent working environment. Mellon is committed to providing compensation that is competitive and equitable within the philanthropic sector. The estimated annual salary range for this role is $115,000 - $125,000. The amount of pay offered will be determined by several factors, including but not limited to qualifications, unique skills, credentials, or experience that is expected to impact the candidate’s contribution to the role. We will also consider market data as well as the Foundation’s internal pay equity framework.
Please note that Mellon maintains a hybrid work schedule, with three days per week in person at the Foundation’s Manhattan offices.
Candidates should apply by submitting a cover letter describing fit for the position and a resume by Wednesday, April 30, 2025. Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered.
The Foundation will consider each complete application carefully but only contact those individuals it believes are most qualified for the position.