Assistant to the Executive Director

Assistant to the Executive Director

Requirements

• Hold an Associate’s degree and 4-6 years of relevant experience or equivalent combination
• Have experience in and/or demonstrated commitment to supporting diversity, equity, access, inclusion, and wellbeing
• Have experience working directly with people from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds
• Cultivate and develop inclusive and equitable working relationships with students, faculty, staff, and community members
• Have a proven record of handling confidential issues and providing a high level of executive support
• Display ability to work well under pressure and handle personnel matters with discretion
• Maintain confidentiality and diplomacy in dealing with internal and external constituencies
• Have prior experience working in a fast-paced, high-performance workplace
• Have exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal, with an ability to respect, relate, and articulate effectively, both internally and externally to individuals and organizations of diverse backgrounds
• Work well in group problem solving situations
• Demonstrate organizational skills and good judgment. Must be able to change direction/tasks quickly
• Initiative and have the ability to work independently
• Display original thinking and creativity; meet challenges resourcefully
• Be highly capable in working with software packages, including spreadsheet (such as Excel), word processing (such as Word) and presentation (such as Power Point), internet software, virtual meeting platforms (such as Zoom and Teams) and others
• Have the ability to work weekends and evenings when required

Responsibilities

• Provide senior-level administrative and organizational support to leadership
• Coordinate and facilitate meetings, administrative activities, and special projects
• Act as a primary liaison between leadership and internal/external stakeholders
• Manage highly confidential information, communications, and materials with discretion
• Draft and prepare correspondence, reports, and other key documents
• Oversee complex scheduling and travel arrangements
• Represent the Executive Director and Director of Administration with professionalism
• Maintain strong relationships with internal teams, university offices, donors, alumni, and industry professionals
• Conduct independent research and decision-making on special projects

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with five or more year’s related experience
• Prior high level administrative support experience in a non for profit or academic setting helpful
• Knowledge of Cornell accounting procedures helpful
• An appreciation of birds and conservation is preferred