Executive Assistant to the President and CEO

JOB POSTING

Executive Assistant to the President & CEO

Posted: Open to internal and external applicants

Reports to: President & CEO

Status: Full-time, salaried, benefitted position

Hours of Work: Standard Monday – Friday workweek, generally 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Occasional need for weekend or after-hours work in support of events and projects.

Dated Needed: July 2025

Posting Expires: Open until filled; priority given to applications received by May 8, 2025

Position description:

The Seattle Aquarium, a leading marine conservation organization, is looking for an Executive Assistant to join our team. The Executive Assistant provides support to the President/CEO and serves as the primary point of contact on all matters pertaining to the office of the President/CEO. The Executive Assistant serves as a liaison to the board of directors, executive team; organizes and coordinates executive outreach and internal and external relations efforts consistent with the President/CEO’s organizational vision. Assignments range from administrative to project based and involve work of a confidential and/or complex nature requiring a comprehensive understanding of organizational operations, procedures and company policy. Oversees the work of the Administrative Assistant who supports the COO and members of the Executive Team.

We are looking for someone who enjoys diving into complex schedules, logistics, correspondence and procedures with grace, bringing organization and focus. The Seattle Aquarium provides access to aquatic nature for close to 1 million people each year. We are one of a small number of aquariums accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, (AZA), for providing exceptional animal care and welfare in addition to awe-inspiring guest experiences. We are champions of conservation who lead and collaborate on a wide variety of programs - from exciting and informative experiences on site to school, public and community programs. Our programs, research, policy and species recovery initiatives help advance the aquarium's mission of inspiring conservation of our marine environment. We envision a future in which ocean and coastal communities survive and thrive, where we can meet the needs of the present while building more resilient and equitable systems for the future.

Primary Responsibilities:

President and CEO Support

• Manage a robust and highly dynamic calendar of appointments. Plan, coordinate and ensure the President/CEO's schedule is accurate, followed and respected. Approve all requests for President/CEO’s time. Provide first line of contact support or gatekeeper ensuring nothing slips through the cracks, creating direct access to the President/CEO's time and attention.
• Communicate directly, and on behalf of the President/CEO, with staff, board members, donors, governmental officials and external parties on all matters related to President/CEO’s time, initiatives, achievements and vision consistent with the Seattle Aquarium mission and strategic objectives.
• Research, track, prioritize, and follow-up on incoming requests, issues and concerns addressed to the President/CEO. Determines appropriate course of action, referral, or response.
• May coordinate a diverse range of special projects and or complete critical aspects of deliverables for the President/CEO, some of which may have organizational, board and or donor impact.
• Assist with composing and preparing official correspondence that may be confidential or public in nature such as drafting acknowledgement letters, personal letters and reports. Oversees the production of the quarterly CEO report.
• Create, obtain and solicit items for weekly and monthly agendas and power points including executive team, managers and supervisors, all staff, board of directors and committee meetings; compiling and disseminating documents for meetings; makes certain the President/CEO is prepared and equipped for anything.
• Track and stay current on incoming AZA communications, conferences and membership requirements including travel for President/CEO, tracking staff travel and planning staff dinner.
• Plan and coordinate complex and detailed travel plans and itineraries including local logistics.
• Prioritize conflicting needs; initiates work and takes on responsibility with perseverance and accountability, handles matters expeditiously, proactively, with a positive can-do attitude and follows-through on projects to successful completion, often with tight deadlines and quick turn-around.
• Attend support to President/CEO at outreach events where presentations are given.

Board Support

• Support the President/CEO in coordination with the VP of Philanthropy to ensure a highly effective and engaged board of directors. Handle all interactions with a high degree of professionalism, accuracy and confidentiality.
• Schedule meetings and assist with creating agenda and power points for board committee meetings often consulting with the board committee chairs.
• Maintain positive communications and relationships with all board members.
• Plan and execute special events for board members including board retreats, social events and field trips.
• Adhere to compliance with Seattle Aquarium bylaws regarding board and board committee matters, including handling requests for visitors and public comment at board meetings, ensuring quorums are met and advance distribution of agendas and materials before meetings in electronic/paper format.
• Create and administer monthly board packet materials and power points.
• Coordinate monthly board meeting scheduling and setup, along with accompanying materials, logistics and hospitality. Track RSVPs, record attendance and produce meeting minutes.
• Produce annual board handbook.
• Support and craft board communications and announcements.
• Update board member information in rosters, lists, website and database.
• Process new and retiring board members and schedule new board member orientations.
• Maintain historical board meeting records.

Executive Team Support: Provide general administrative support for various department directors as requested. This will include but is not limited to:

• Create, obtain and solicit agenda items for the weekly CEO cabinet meeting and monthly executive team meetings and several staff-chaired committee meetings. Take notes, record action items and assist with follow-up.
• Schedule meetings and assist with creating agendas and power points for board committee meetings as needed.
• Assist with planning and coordinating executive team offsite retreats and schedule, plan and execute executive team social gatherings.
• Support campus-style environment through coordination with administrative assistant and receptionist on matters related to maintaining key offices supplies and collateral, meeting and hospitality arrangements.
• Review of documents prior to deliverables (formatting, proofreading, content review). Document production per company procedures (letters, reports, proposals, transmittals, specifications and other documentation).
• Review and approve timecards for CEO direct reports.
• Handle other project-oriented assignments with cheerful professionalism.

Supervisory

• Directly supervise the Administrative Assistant. Carry out supervisory responsibilities including: hiring, training; planning, assigning, directing work, appraising performance and guiding and supporting their development.

Additional Responsibilities

• Attend and provide support as requested for major Seattle Aquarium donor events or functions.
• Assist with as requested special Seattle Aquarium tours and experiences for out-of-town visitors, guests, and VIPS.
• All Aquarium staff and volunteers are expected to participate in advancing and integrating into their work Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Regenerative practices in alignment with our S.A.L.I.S.H. Values.
• Other duties as assigned as appropriate to the scope and level of the role.

B. Skills, Abilities and Other Requirements

• A positive attitude and the ability to take initiative.
• Solid verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills with the demonstrated ability to work with internal and external individuals at all levels. Multilingual and multicultural communication skills and experience are preferred.
• Proven organizational, problem resolution and critical thinking skills as well as the ability to prioritize work.
• Proficiency with MS Outlook (email and calendar management), Word, PowerPoint and Excel in order to prepare high-quality reports, presentations or other documents.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a collaborative team environment with a dynamic range of people.
• Ability to stay organized, focused, even-tempered and congenial when faced with managing a continuous workflow in a high-volume, multi-tasking environment.
• Ability to maintain strictest confidentiality.
• Skills in exercising initiative, judgment, discretion and decision-making to achieve organizational objectives.
• Self-starter who enjoys working independently.
• Demonstrates an understanding of the Aquarium’s Mission and Values, including Regenerative and Equity work.

C. Education and Experience

• BA preferred. Business, Communications or related degree.
• Minimum of five years’ experience supporting a President/CEO, board of directors and or other high level executive level staff, ideally at a nonprofit organization.
• Experience with heavy calendar management.
• Demonstrated experience with internal and external communications, partnership development, and knowledge of donor relations.

D. Working Conditions: Work is performed in a typical office setting with frequent interruptions. Must be able to stay in place for long periods of time, type/keyboard for extended periods of time, and do local errands. Flexibility to work some evenings and weekends in support of special events. Must be able to move between Aquarium buildings in all types of weather.

Salary and Benefits: $92,000 - $102,000/year, Dependent on experience. Please include salary expectations in your materials. Full-time staff are eligible for the Seattle Aquarium’s comprehensive benefits package to include medical, vision, dental, an employer-funded health reimbursement account, medical and dependent care flexible spending accounts, life insurance, long-term disability, 403b retirement fund with employer match, access to a subsidized ORCA pass, a Seattle Aquarium Family Plus membership and generous paid time off.

How to apply: The Seattle Aquarium is committed to expanding a diverse, equitable, and inclusive conservation movement. We are invested in building an Aquarium with a wide variety of backgrounds, identities, languages, cultural ways of knowing, and life experiences. We know research shows that society has conditioned communities of color, trans and gender non-conforming people, immigrants, people with disabilities, and other marginalized candidates to more frequently not apply to a job because they don’t feel that they meet all of the qualifications listed even if they are qualified. If you meet some of the requirements and you are passionate about our mission and our ocean, we encourage you to apply and look forward to learning more about you.

Interested candidates should upload a résumé to our online application to be considered. Application review will begin immediately.

SeattleAquarium.org/careers

Please let us know if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for this job by emailing us at jobs@seattleaquarium.org.

Note: If offered the position, candidates must pass a background check. Conviction record is not an automatic disqualifier; we are a second chance employer.

About the Seattle Aquarium:

The Seattle Aquarium is a respected authority on Puget Sound, the Salish Sea and the world’s one ocean. Our passionate staff increases awareness and drives the change needed to preserve and protect our marine environment by providing an inspiring visitor experience, engaging daytime and evening events, conservation education programs for people of all ages and backgrounds, community outreach to marginalized populations, research that advances understanding of animals in our care and their counterparts in the wild, advocacy and policy work, an award-winning volunteer program, high-impact marketing and communications, and more.

Our values, developed in conjunction with our staff, include commitments to adopting and promoting sustainable practices, creating awe-inspiring experiences, constantly learning and improving, fostering an inclusive community, maintaining scientific credibility through evidence-based practices and honoring our unique place by using our location and history as a lens for larger understanding.

Proudly accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, we’re among the top 10 aquariums in the U.S. by attendance, and we welcome over 850,000 people each year. Guided by our mission of Inspiring Conservation of Our Marine Environment, we’re working to substantially increase our conservation impact by expanding our campus with a new building, the Ocean Pavilion. Learn more at SeattleAquarium.org.