Senior Executive Assistant

Description

ABOUT US 

Interfaith America is a national nonprofit working to realize the promise of a truly pluralistic nation—one where people of all faiths and worldviews respect, relate, and cooperate across deep differences for the common good. Our mission is to activate leaders who will build an interfaith America. Grounded in the principles of interfaith leadership, we equip individuals and institutions to build bridges, strengthen democracy, and create cultures of cooperation.  

At Interfaith America, we are ever-adapting and changing. We look for people who set audacious goals and love that one workday may not be like the next. We have a strong commitment to pluralism and building bridges across deep differences. Our programs help people build skills to bridge deep ideological divides. Our work is about staying in relationship with one another and contributing to the common good even when we might disagree on fundamental things. We seek to attract and retain a team of staff comprised of a wide variety of views and backgrounds we need to achieve our vision.  

ABOUT THIS POSITION 

The Senior Executive Assistant is a highly trusted partner who provides strategic, administrative, and operational support to Interfaith America's senior leadership. This role serves as the primary executive assistant to the Managing Director, ensuring that the executive's time, priorities, communications, and commitments are managed effectively to advance organizational goals. 

In addition, this position supports the Senior Director of President's Strategic Initiatives and key President's Office priorities, including database administration, travel planning, research, and special projects. The successful candidate will be highly organized, proactive, detail-oriented, and skilled at managing multiple priorities while working with senior leaders, donors, VIP stakeholders, consultants, and partners. 

This role requires exceptional judgment, discretion, and communication skills, along with the ability to anticipate needs, solve problems independently, and thrive in a dynamic, mission-driven environment. The Senior Executive Assistant plays a critical role in helping Interfaith America's leadership operate efficiently and build meaningful relationships that advance the organization's mission. 

Responsibilities

Managing Director’s Office 70% 

• Serve as a strategic partner to the Managing Director by anticipating needs, managing competing priorities, and proactively stewarding calendars, agendas, and workflows to ensure the Managing Director’s time is used effectively and efficiently. 
• Serve as the executive facilitator by creating agendas for leadership meetings, track action items, and follow up with executives and team members on behalf of the Managing Director. 
• Lead ad hoc projects assigned by the Managing Director ensuring that all items are completed within scope, budget and timelines.  
• Serve as a “gatekeeper” for the Managing Director’s schedule and communicate directly and on behalf of the executive, with donors, VIP partners, media contacts, Interfaith America staff, and others. 
• Managing email correspondence and inbox workflow 
• Manage a dynamic calendar of appointments and travel for the Managing Director while keeping her well-informed of upcoming commitments, projects and weekly to-dos. 
• Schedule internal and external meetings and respond to meeting requests in a timely, respectful manner. 
• Optimize engagement with VIPs, prospective funders, and other key relationships by maintaining contacts and uploading email correspondence in Salesforce, managing email strategy when asked, managing VIP relationship lists, communicating with other teams about VIP engagement, and proposing additional relationship management opportunities. 
• Drive post engagement follow-through, overseeing communications, task tracking, and coordination of deliverables to ensure commitments are met. 
• Arrange complex and detailed travel plans for the Managing Director including all logistics, itineraries, bios of meeting participants, agendas, and other materials for related meetings inclusive of post travel action items; ensure seamless coordination across internal contributors. 
• Facilitate planning and coordination of events (i.e., conference receptions, convenings) as relevant to the executives’ responsibilities. 
• Anticipate, source content, create and format presentations in PowerPoint as needed, copyedits and proofreads materials, and drafts correspondence and memos on behalf of the Managing Director. 
• Research various programmatic topics for the Managing Director. 
• Oversee budgets, recommend spending and savings, provide quarterly reports to the executive on her budget status. 
• Process reimbursements for the Managing Director and others as assigned, completes credit card reconciliations, and submits check requests. 
• Using knowledge of Interfaith America programs, strategy, and information management, provide flexible administrative support to external consultants and advisors on a case-by-case basis. 
• Support the Managing Director with personal affairs when necessary. 

President’s Office 30% 

• Manage and maintain Salesforce data entry, including VIP contact records and newsletter campaign information. 
• Enter and track pending invitation details in shared databases and spreadsheets 
• Conduct research and compile biographical information for dossiers, briefing materials, and upcoming meetings. 
• Research and coordinate domestic and international flight and travel options. 
• Assist with scheduling and calendar coordination as needed. 
• Process vendor payments and reimbursement requests, ensuring accurate documentation and timely submission. 
• Maintain and organize the President’s archive of events, publications, and related records. 

Requirements

Required Qualifications: 

• A Bachelor’s degree 
• 5-8 years of Executive Assistant experience 
• 10+ years of work experience, preference for nonprofit experience 
• Ability to represent the organization with outside partners 
• Proven skillset in utilizing good judgement and independent discretion  
• Proven experience in navigating a dynamic workplace  
• Ability to balance and prioritize multiple ongoing projects from multiple stakeholders 
• Ability to meet deadlines and work well under pressure 
• Excellent communication skills and versed in communicating with VIPs 
• Proven client service skillset especially as it relates to working with VIPs 
• Strong attention to detail 
• Strong competence in Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) 
• Willing to learn and utilize organization-wide constituent relationship management software (Salesforce) 
• Authorization to work in the United States 

Preferred Qualifications (not required): 

• High level of religious literacy and fluency in diversity, pluralism, and inclusion 

Supervisor: Sr Director of President's Strategic Initiatives 

Leadership Level: Assistant Director (non-supervisor) 

Location:  working from our Chicago Loop office 2 days per week on average (with occasional weeks with a maximum of 4 in-office days) at 141 W Jackson Blvd. #3200 Chicago, IL 60604  

Hours: Occasional evening and weekend hours will be required to address travel or other timely executive responsibilities. 

 Regular hours 9am-5pm, Monday-Friday 

Compensation: $80,000 - $90,000 annually. For more information about our benefits, see our careers page. 

Application Closes: 9/29/2026

Other Requirements: This position requires the ability, with or without reasonable accommodation, to: maintain regular attendance; travel across the US; work cooperatively with others; adhere to Interfaith America personnel policies and safety rules; sit and/or stand for extended periods of time; operate standard office equipment, including computers, telephones, photocopiers, and projectors; communicate orally, in writing, and via computers and digital devices; and requires close visual acuity to prepare and analyze data and figures, transcribe, view a computer terminal and other office equipment. 

Interfaith America is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and does not discriminate on the basis of religion, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, marital status, or any other status protected by applicable law. Reasonable accommodation will be provided as needed to enable qualified applicants with a disability to participate in pre-employment procedures.