Executive Assistant

Role Overview & Responsibilities

Position: Executive Assistant

Reports to: President & CEO

Location: Fully remote (must be UK based)

Salary: £35,000 per annum

Revised: December 2022

Organization Overview

The Ehlers-Danlos Society is a global community of individuals, caregivers, healthcare professionals, and supporters, dedicated to saving and improving the lives of those affected by the Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS), hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD) and related symptoms and conditions. We are proudly working to provide global learning conferences, collaborative research and education initiatives, awareness campaigns, advocacy, community-building, and care for the EDS and HSD population: Giving HOPE to all those whose lives are affected by EDS and HSD.

Overview of Responsibilities

The Executive Assistant will provide high-level administrative support to the President & CEO. Serving as the primary point of contact for both internal and external contacts on all matters pertaining to the President & CEO. This role also serves as a liaison to the board of directors/trustees. The dynamic nature of this role requires the ideal candidate to have exemplary time management skills and the ability to identify and anticipate the President & CEO’s needs through cultivating a strong, trusting relationship.

Key Responsibilities/Essential Functions

The major responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to:

Executive Support

• Managing an extremely active calendar of appointments. Planning, coordinating, and ensuring the CEO’s schedule is followed and respected. Providing a “gatekeeper” and “gateway” role.
• Working closely and effectively with the CEO to keep her well informed of upcoming commitments and responsibilities. Ensuring the background/context of upcoming meetings is shared, required materials (such as presentations) are submitted etc.
• Attends meetings alongside, or in place of, the CEO capturing minutes and detailed actions/deadlines. Tracking all actions across internal and external meetings managing the prioritization and completion of each requirement.
• Planning and coordinating complex travel requirements for the CEO (national and international) including flights (on occasion onward travel from each destination), other forms of transport, accommodation, transfers, dining options, etc. Creating detailed itineraries and agendas for work trips and completing any travel-related documents ahead of time i.e.: visa applications.
• Accompanying the CEO on travel both nationally and internationally to support with on the ground arrangements ensuring all elements of travel and meetings runs smoothly. The right candidate will need to be able to commit to periods of travel throughout the year.
• Receiving and screening the CEO’s cold calls/contact forms/emails, asking, and answering a variety of questions with tact and diplomacy. Determining priority of matters of attention for the CEO, directing them to the relevant Society representative, or handle matters personally, as appropriate.
• Managing correspondence on behalf of the CEO including emails, letters, social media messages, etc.
• Coordinating the development of presentations and reports on behalf of the CEO for both internal (i.e.: staff/board meetings) and external audiences (i.e.: speaking opportunities).
• Ensuring the CEO’s bio and professional CV is kept updated.
• Managing and maintaining the CEO’s website and social media accounts, uploading and advertising VLOGs, promotional posts around speaking engagements, etc.
• Preparing, reconciling, and submitting expense reports on behalf of the CEO.
• Providing a bridge for smooth communication between the CEO and internal departments, maintaining trust and support with Society team members.
• Prioritizing conflicting needs; handling matters expeditiously, proactively, and following through on actions to successful completion, often with deadline pressures and matters of a sensitive, confidential nature.
• Performing other related duties as requested or responsibilities dictate.

Board Support & Liaison

• Serving as the CEO’s administrative liaison to the Society’s board of directors and trustees.
• Coordinating annual board meeting schedules and logistics. Schedule meetings, draft agendas, develop/compile/distribute materials ahead of meetings, and record meeting minutes and actions.
• Adhering to compliance with applicable rules and regulations set in the organizations’ bylaws regarding board and board committee matters.
• Playing an active role within the Governance Committee, assisting to develop and implement governance structures for the organization.
• Cultivating relationships with board members, always maintaining discretion and confidentiality.
• Maintaining board information and documentation.

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Work Environment

Under normal conditions, this role is a fully remote position, working from home. However, due to the international nature of the Society’s work, staff may require regular travel to company events, meetings, and conferences as well as some evening and weekend work.

Requirements

• Experience of working as an Executive Assistant, Personal Assistant, or demonstratable similar role at an executive level required.
• Passion for and familiarity with the non-profit sector is preferable.
• Exceptional organizational skills that reflect ability to perform and prioritize multiple tasks seamlessly with impeccable attention to detail.
• High degree of professionalism in dealing with diverse groups of people, including board members, senior executives, staff, community members, donors, medical professionals, and other external stakeholders.
• Ability to execute work with a diversity, equity, and inclusion lens.
• Expert level written and verbal communication.
• Technical proficiency and problem-solving skills related to IT infrastructure, support/troubleshooting, and cloud-based environments.
• A solution orientated mindset with the ability to react with appropriate levels of urgency to situations and events that require quick responses or turnaround.
• Ability to maintain a high level of integrity and discretion in handling confidential information.
• High level of emotional intelligence.
• Excellent judgement is essential.
• Highly resourceful team-player, with the ability to also be extremely effective independently.
• Forward looking thinker, who actively seeks opportunities and proposes solutions.
• Experience in the timely preparation and submission of clear and concise reports.
• Experience in working with stakeholders across different time zones.
• Expert proficiency in using Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Experience with online meeting platforms such as Zoom and Teams.
• Experience of using platforms such as Slack, Aircall, and Monday.com would be beneficial but not required (training will be provided).
• Stable internet connection required for video calls and cloud-based services as this is a fully remote role.
• In-person attendance at two staff retreats (1 UK & 1 US based).
• In-person attendance at our annual Global Learning Conference, and other events as required from time to time.
• Ability and willingness to accompany the CEO on work travel, both nationally and internationally, sometimes for extended periods of time.

Diversity Statement

The Ehlers-Danlos Society’s commitment to diversity and inclusion drives the four pillars of our mission forward: research, education, advocacy and support, and awareness. We are a global, multicultural organization, as such we seek to increase opportunities for individuals of diversified backgrounds and are committed to building an inclusive culture that celebrates the diverse voices in our team and community. The Ehlers-Danlos Society actively recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes opportunities regardless of race, nationality, ethnicity, gender, marital or civil partner status, caring responsibilities, disability, gender identity, age, social class, sexual orientation, religion, and other protected status as required by applicable law.

Job Type: Permanent

Pay: £35,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Additional leave
• Casual dress
• Company events
• Wellness programme
• Work from home

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Monday to Friday

Application question(s):

• Are you comfortable working in a Remote setting?
• Are you comfortable committing to regular international travel?
• Which social media platforms do you have experience using?
• What steps would you take to identify a target audience/How would you increase awareness of Lara Bloom’s social accounts?
• What metrics would you use for monitoring performance?
• What would be your approach to managing negative social media engagement?

Experience:

• Executive Assistant: 2 years (required)

Work Location: Remote