The CAFE Group is a transformative organization committed to advancing educational equity and redefining philanthropy. Under the leadership of CEO and founder, Liz Thompson, we embrace a love-centered approach that creates real pathways to opportunity: investing millions in visionary leaders through The 1954 Project, exposing emerging talent to careers in philanthropy through our LEAD internship program, and building powerful networks that amplify impact across education and social change.
We are seeking a highly organized, experienced Administrative Assistant to support two senior leadership team members.
POSITION OVERVIEW
The Executive Assistant will provide high-level Executive to members of the Senior Leadership Team. This role requires a seasoned professional with the ability to manage complex priorities, anticipate needs, and facilitate the smooth running of day-to-day operations. The ideal candidate will be based in Chicago, supporting executives who are not full-time residents of the city.
Key Responsibilities
- Manage calendars, scheduling, and meetings for both executives, ensuring efficient use of time and prioritization of key responsibilities.
- Manage the inboxes of both executives, ensuring timely responses and prioritization of urgent matters
- Draft, edit, and manage communications on behalf of the executives, ensuring tone and accuracy align with organizational brand / standards
- Provide Executive support, including handling receipts, expense reporting, document preparation, and meeting agendas.
- Coordinate logistics for internal and external meetings, events, and travel arrangements.
- Assist in project management by helping to identify bottlenecks, move tasks forward, and ensure deadlines are met.
- Collaborate across teams to ensure communication and workflows are seamless, especially between programmatic (CIO) and communications (CCO) functions.
- Support hiring and onboarding processes for new team members and manage external vendors/contractors.
- Help in organizing and facilitating events, both large-scale and ad-hoc, as needed.
- Maintain a high level of confidentiality and discretion in handling sensitive information.
- Organize and lead regular meetings with the CCO and CIO, ensuring clear communication, tracking progress on key initiatives, and proactively following up on action items.
- Coordinate with other administrative staff to ensure seamless support for other tasks as assigned.
Qualifications
- Minimum of 5 years of experience as an Executive Assistant or in a similar high-level Executive role.
- Strong organizational skills with a proven ability to manage competing priorities and move projects forward.
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
- Experience working with executives who lead both large teams and smaller, more agile teams.
- Manage competing priorities effectively while balancing the distinct requirements and workloads of executives.
- Ability to work proactively, anticipate needs, and solve problems independently.
- Familiarity with event planning and coordination, both in-person and virtual.
- Must be based in Chicago and able to provide on-site support to executives who do not live in the city full-time.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and other relevant software tools. Experience with Salesforce or other databases a plus.
Why The CAFE Group?
This is a unique opportunity to support two dynamic leaders in an organization dedicated to making a tangible impact on education and philanthropy. If you're a detail-oriented, problem-solving individual who thrives in a fast-paced environment and is looking to contribute to meaningful work, we’d love to hear from you.