Senior Assistant to the Executive Director

Position: Senior Assistant to the Executive Director

Reports to: Senior Advisor for Operations

Location: Remote, with 5%-10% travel

Priority Application Deadline: April 28, 2025

The Challenge and Opportunity

The Institute for Responsive Government helps policymakers find solutions that make government more efficient, accessible, and responsive to the needs of real human beings. We start with the mechanics of democracy: our key focus areas include practical pro-voter policies like Automatic Voter Registration and voter-centric election administration, and resource solutions like predictable federal funding to loosen chronic policy problems. Then, we work to make democracy meet its promises. Government should provide customer service and material benefits at every touchpoint—from health benefits to taxes to the DMV. If we choose to come together with our neighbors to make up a democracy, that government must deliver well enough to make us choose participation. 

The Organization

Building on a decade of success working in partnership with state political leaders from both parties, lawmakers, NGOs, and academic leaders, the Institute for Responsive Government is a hub for policy and technical experts, organizers, and government officials working together to craft pragmatic, human-centered policies designed to make government more responsive to all of us. 

The Person

As the Senior Assistant to the Executive Director you will be the primary support for our Executive Director (ED), helping them to operate effectively across a demanding schedule and navigate rapidly shifting priorities. You are a proactive, exceptionally organized, and tech-savvy  professional looking for a flexible role that helps strengthen our democracy. You’ll balance logistics, communications, and strategy, keeping key internal and external stakeholders aligned while maintaining discretion, efficiency and sound judgment.

Key Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Executive Support and Communications

• Manage the Executive Director’s email inbox and draft timely, high-quality communications
• Triage requests and elevate critical items for review and decision-making, including pulling in other team members as needed
• Track, manage, and prioritize the ED’s tasks  and follow-ups
• Adapt communication channels (email, Slack, Signal) to meet the urgency and nature of each request or task
• Submit accurate and timely expense reports, time tracking forms, and other administrative requirements on behalf of the Executive Director
• Take notes/minutes and track next steps at executive team meetings, board meetings, and other meetings as requested

Calendar and Meeting Management

• Manage the Executive Director’s complex calendar, including daily oversight, proactive conflict resolution, and coordination with staff and external partners
• Serve as the primary point-of-contact for scheduling requests, maintaining alignment across time zones and ensuring meetings are well-prepared and purposeful
• Strategize the ED’s calendar by ensuring that the right meetings are on the calendar and proactively streamlining meetings.
• Attend meetings on behalf of or in addition to the ED to take notes, identify follow-up tasks, and ensure continuity between conversations

Travel and Event Coordination

• Coordinate logistics for the Executive Director’s frequent travel
• Maintain a dedicated travel calendar to support broader team coordination and planning
• Register the ED for events and ensure materials are prepared in advance

Operations and Workflow Management

• Maintain systems for tracking short- and long-term requests, preventing items from slipping through the cracks
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to align the Executive Director’s participation in key organizational efforts
• Handle sensitive and confidential information with a high degree of professionalism and discretion

Skills and Qualifications

The Ideal Candidate is:

• Committed to our core mission of supporting democracy
• Resilient and adaptive in the face of evolving priorities and fast-paced, remote work
• Comfortable with occasional after-hours availability to monitor and respond to time-sensitive requests, including last-minute changes to the Executive Director’s schedule
• A self-starter, with an ability to independently manage small tasks after initial direction
• A strong writer and communicator, with an ability to quickly learn and emulate the ED’s communication style
• Meticulous and detail-oriented, with a strong command of systems for tracking and organization
• Strong at prioritization and time management, especially under tight deadlines
• Respectful of confidentiality and experience in handling sensitive information
• Confident in navigating ambiguity and making decisions with limited guidance
• A do-er and connector, not a “meetings for the sake of meetings” person

Required Tools & Platforms:

• Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Drive, Calendar, Gmail)
• Slack
• Signal
• Zoom
• Airtable
• TripIt
• Docusign
• Concur
• Asana

Education and Experience

• Minimum 3-5 years of experience supporting executive-level staff in nonprofit, political, or government environments
• Experience in elections, politics, or nimble nonprofits preferred. 

The Tangible Good

We are committed to providing our employees with a competitive, comprehensive benefits program that gives staff and their families the support they need to lead healthy, productive lives. The compensation and benefits package for this role includes:

Compensation

• Annualized salary range of $75,000 - $105,000
• 401(k) program with a 3% employer contribution plus a 3% employer match that is fully vested day one
• Monthly cellphone and wellness stipends 

Health and Wellness

• Comprehensive health insurance (medical – platinum PPO, dental, vision) with 100% of premiums fully covered for employees and dependents
• Generous health reimbursement account (HRA) that is 100% employer-paid and is intended to offset co-pay, deductible, and a variety of other health-related expenses incurred by employees and dependents 
• Short and long-term disability and a $50K term life/accidental death benefits that are 100% employer paid 
• Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) and care navigation assistance, up to 12 free video sessions on Talkspace annually, discounts on services provided through OneMedical and Kindbody 

Time-off

• 15 company holidays (including a week long winter break from December 25th through December 31st) and 4 floating holidays
• 20 days of front-loaded vacation time and 10 days of personal leave annually (pro-rated based on start date)
• Reduced Summer Friday schedule, starting the week in which Memorial Day is observed and ending the week in which Labor Day is observed. In 2025, this includes the office being closed every other Friday during this period.