Executive Assistant to the President and Executive Vice President - Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago

The Commercial Club of Chicago and Civic Committee Overview

The Commercial Club of Chicago is a membership organization of senior leaders in the region. Our members span the business, education, civic, cultural, and philanthropic sectors - unified by excitement for the future of Chicago. We believe cooperation and an open exchange of ideas are fundamental to success. We have helped tackle the most pressing issues facing Chicago and have been instrumental in some of the City’s most visionary efforts. Today, the Commercial Club continues to address social and economic issues of importance to the Chicago region.

The Civic Committee’s mission is to make the Chicago region a great place for everyone to live, work, and do business. Originally formed in 1983, the Civic Committee is tasked with identifying key issues facing the State of Illinois and the greater Chicago region and providing leadership, high-quality research, long-term policy recommendations and programmatic actions for the benefit of the city, region and state and all who live here. The Civic Committee is composed of the leaders of the Chicago region’s leading private sector employers and works with public officials and other civic organizations on transformational initiatives to promote our region's social and economic well-being. The Civic Committee generally serves as the Club’s lead on policy and programmatic initiatives and our focus areas currently include efforts in public safety, business diversity, transportation and infrastructure, and state and local finance.

We also work alongside, and partially fund, the organizations established by us to tackle key issues head-on:

• Civic Consulting Alliance
• Kids First Chicago
• P33

Terms of Employment

This is a full-time exempt position with benefits, reporting to the President and Executive Vice President. Initial employment will be on a introductory basis, with detailed evaluations and feedback at the 30-, 60-, and 90-day marks.

Position Overview

The Executive Assistant (EA) supports the President and the Executive Vice President (EVP) in the day-to-day management of the Organization and its Affiliates. The EA serves as the contact and coordination person for internal and external constituencies, including the CEOs of the major Chicago area corporations and leaders throughout the state as well as their offices on all matters pertaining to the President and EVP. The individual must have the ability to exercise good judgment in a variety of situations, with strong written and verbal communication, administrative, and organizational skills, and the ability to maintain a realistic balance among multiple priorities. The EA will serve as a key point person to communicate to staff and members on certain issues when directed to do so, have the ability to work independently on projects, from conception to completion, and must be able to work under pressure at times to handle a wide variety of activities and confidential matters with discretion. A positive attitude, flexibility and team working abilities are critical.

The individual in this role is also responsible for the operational objectives of the Civic Committee and Board of Directors of the Commercial Club and Civic Committee.

Position Responsibilities

• Manages all administrative tasks for the President and EVP including: their active calendars of appointments; coordinating, finalizing and distributing background materials for meetings and various operating committees with Civic Committee/Commercial Club entities; completing expense reports; composing and preparing correspondence that is sometimes confidential; arranging detailed travel plans, itineraries, and agendas.
• Researches and compiles basic briefing materials, including bios of meeting attendees, advance information provided by the meeting attendees, and other pertinent background information.
• Plans, coordinates and ensures the President and EVP’s schedule is followed and respected. Provides "gateway and gatekeeper" role, creating win-win situations for direct access to the President’s and EVP’s time and office.
• Coordinates and develops a rapport with other Executive Assistants, internal and external, to manage complex schedules and tasks.
• Orchestrates and communicates with President and EVP to keep them well informed of upcoming commitments and responsibilities, following up appropriately. Acts as a "barometer," having a sense for the issues taking place in the environment and keeping all necessary parties updated.
• Communicates directly, and on behalf of the President and EVP when asked to do so, with committee members on matters related to programmatic initiatives.
• Communicates directly, and on behalf of the President and EVP when asked to do so, with staff members of the Civic Committee and related entities, on matters related to programmatic and operational initiatives. Provides a bridge for smooth communication; demonstrating leadership to maintain credibility, trust and support with senior management staff. Works well with other members of Civic Committee and Commercial Club staff.
• Follows-up on outstanding issues, prioritizes and researches, as necessary, important items, including those of a sensitive or confidential nature.
• Successfully completes critical aspects of deliverables with a hands-on approach, including drafting acknowledgement letters, personal correspondence, and other tasks as needed.
• Prioritizes conflicting needs; handles matters expeditiously, proactively, and follows-through on projects to successful completion, often with deadline pressures and ambiguity.
• Works with the Director of Membership and Events to schedule meetings and confirm locations for the Civic Committee and Board of Directors Meetings.
• Partners with Director of Membership and Events and EVP to strategize outreach to prospective Commercial Club and Civic Committee members, including scheduling meetings between the President and prospects and ensuring planned correspondence is sent.
• Provide planning and meeting support for Commercial Club and Civic Committee meetings including tracking attendance, electronic and hardcopy material assembly, passing out name tags, providing directions, running slide presentations, assistance to attendees, and other duties as needed

Position Requirements and Compensation

Education and Experience Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree
• Strong work tenure: five to 10 years of experience supporting C-Level Executives, preferably in a non-profit organization.
• Experience and interest in internal and external communications
• Expert in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams and Power Point), Adobe Acrobat, Zoom,
• Experience in Salesforce preferred.
• Experience in board book platforms such as Govenda, BoardVantage, or others preferred.
• Basic writing and editing skills.
• Able to take general guidance regarding the content of a communication or edits to a document and create a grammatically correct, formatted document that is ready for review and distribution.
• Must be comfortable consolidating feedback from multiple sources into one document.

Additional Qualifications

• Strong organizational skills that reflect ability to perform and prioritize multiple tasks seamlessly with excellent attention to detail.
• Very strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build relationships with members, staff and external partners.
• Expert level written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated proactive approaches to problem-solving with strong decision-making capability.
• Emotional maturity, flexibility and humor.
• Highly resourceful team-player, with the ability to also be extremely effective independently.
• Proven ability to handle confidential information with discretion, be adaptable to various competing demands, and demonstrate the highest level of customer/client service and response.
• Demonstrated ability to achieve high performance goals and meet deadlines.
• Forward looking thinker, who actively seeks opportunities and proposes solutions.

Working Environment

The position is in Chicago. Regular travel within the city is required. We believe that the path to achieving our missions requires our organizations and teams to regularly collaborate, work in teams, maintain collegiality, and provide a space for thought-partnership, all of which are best accomplished in person. However, we also recognize that appropriate flexibility is beneficial to the effectiveness of our employees and our organizations. With that in mind, we offer opportunities for employees to work in a combination of in-person and remote work (“hybrid” option).

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The Club and its affiliated organizations are equal opportunity employers and do not unlawfully discriminate against employees or applicants for employment on the basis of any legally protected characteristic, whether actual or perceived, including, including, but not limited to, an individual’s race, religion, color, creed, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, marital status, pregnancy, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or other legally protected status. This policy applies to all terms, conditions, and privileges of employment, including recruitment, hiring, placement, compensation, promotion, discipline, and termination

Compensation

Commensurate with experience, starting at $80,000; the Club offers a competitive benefits package, subject to specific policy eligibility guidelines.