Opportunities

Executive Assistant to Melissa K. Nelson

Title: Executive Assistant to Melissa K. Nelson
Wage: $35,000 – $45,000 depending on experience
Time of Work: 20 hours per week, flexible schedule
Location: Remote but ideally based in the San Francisco Bay Area
Travel: Occasional travel as needed

A newly created position, the Executive Assistant will play a critical support role to Melissa K. Nelson, Ph.D. (Anishinaabe, Cree, Métis, and Norwegian, and proud member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians). Melissa is a leader who works at the intersection of higher education, philanthropy, the sciences, and grassroots Indigenous-led movements. She is seeking a highly effective and organized Executive Assistant to provide administrative and programmatic support for her full suite of professional and leadership roles. The Executive Assistant will have a close one-on-one working relationship with Melissa and will serve as liaison to Tamalpais Trust and many of Melissa’s other organizations and teams. While the position is administrative and supportive in nature, the Executive Assistant must be creative, entrepreneurial and relationship-oriented. The successful candidate will provide Melissa greater capacity and ease in carrying out her many leadership responsibilities, while assisting her to maintain healthy work life balance. The position is a great opportunity to be an understudy or apprentice to a seasoned and dynamic leader and professional.

Position Summary:

The Executive Assistant will play a crucial role in partnering and supporting Melissa with managing her various responsibilities. Melissa is the Lead Navigator of Tamalpais Trust and a full-time Professor of Indigenous Sustainability in the College of Global Futures at Arizona State University. She also serves in leadership roles on several boards reflecting Melissa’s intersectional interest in higher education, philanthropy, the sciences, and grassroots Indigenous-led movements. This position is initially 50% FTE but may increase over time. The position is remote, but the ideal candidate would ideally be based in the San Francisco Bay Area to be able to meet in-person from time to time at Tamalpais Trust’s offices in San Rafael, California.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

  • Manage Melissa’s email accounts and calendars, and effectively organize emails and appointments to ensure communication and scheduling are smooth, timely and optimize Melissa’s efforts.
  • Facilitate scheduling and management of Melissa’s extremely active and complex calendar(s), successfully utilizing technology to streamline processes. Plan, coordinate and ensure that Melissa’s schedule is followed and respected, including time off.
  • Work closely with Melissa to keep her informed of upcoming commitments and responsibilities, following up appropriately. Be a project management partner to Melissa, including prioritizing tasks and following through on commitments.
  • Research, prioritize, and follow up on incoming issues and concerns addressed to Melissa, including those sensitive or confidential. Recommend appropriate course of action, referral, or response.
  • Provide a bridge for smooth communication between Melissa and all organizations; demonstrate leadership to maintain credibility, trust, and support with all staff.
  • Prepare and edit correspondence that is sometimes confidential.
  • Assist with meeting and event preparation, including compiling documents, and preparing summaries, presentations, packets of information, and other material or supplies. Attend and take notes, as needed.
  • Ensure that Melissa’s bio is kept updated and respond to requests for materials.
  • Assist Melissa in better utilizing technology, including Microsoft Office, Zoom, GSuite, Trello, Tableau, and setting up tools such as email labeling. Serve as a bridge to appropriate tech support.
  • In coordination with travel agent and/or organizers, arrange complex and detailed travel plans, itineraries and agendas. Provide travel package with background, briefings, maps, bios, and logistical information.
  • Compile receipt and invoices; prepare and submit expense reports; organize W-9s.
  • Conduct research and content analysis, as needed, on partners, programs, and research projects.
  • Serve as a self-care partner to Melissa and assist in forecasting and scheduling time off.
  • Other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

  • College BA/BS degree or equivalent experience
  • Five or more years of administrative experience
  • Experience working with Native communities and non-profits
  • Strong attention to detail and strong organizational skills and systems thinker
  • Ability to schedule across time zones
  • Ability to judge the relative importance of issues and quickly and accurately analyze problems and identify appropriate solutions
  • Computer savvy (Macintosh operating system, Microsoft Office, Trello, Slack, Asana)
  • Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills
  • Ability to handle sensitive matters with discretion
  • Tact, poise, professionalism, diplomacy and good sense of humor
  • Self-starter with ability to work effectively and efficiently with minimal supervision and ability to work well in teams
  • Experience working across diverse sectors, including philanthropy and higher education
  • Preferred but not required: Experience working globally
  • Preferred but not required: Experience maintaining web and social media content

Application Process:

Interested applicants should email the items below to opportunities@tamtrust.org. Position is open until filled, but preferred deadline is November 15, 2024, with a preferred start date of January 2025.

  1. Letter of Application (1 – 2 pages about your professional background and why you are qualified for and seeking this position)
  2. Resume/CV (1 – 4 pages)
  3. Sample of work (for example, memo, press release, or travel itineraries)
  4. Names and contact information for three references (previous employers/supervisors)