Executive Assistant

Meridian Institute has an immediate opening for a full-time Executive Assistant. This position may work in a hybrid fashion based in our Washington, DC office. This is an ideal position for an experienced professional who thrives in high energy work environments, has extremely strong organizational skills, and wants to use these attributes to support the leaders of a mission driven organization.

Meridian is a nonprofit consultancy that engages in dynamic problem solving with global leaders in business, government, civil society, philanthropy, and beyond. We bring people together, helping them navigate the dynamic variables that shape any collaborative search for solutions—from individual relationships to geopolitical considerations. Our work spans industries and sectors and includes projects focused on agriculture and food systems, climate change, forests, oceans and coasts, resilience, and science and technology, among others. Across these areas, we build and support partnerships that address our world’s complex challenges. 

As a member of the Operations Team, the Executive Assistant performs administrative tasks in support of the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Operating & Financial Officer, including scheduling meetings, tracking responsibilities, and managing correspondences. In addition, this role is responsible for management and care of our Washington, DC office. Successful candidates will be self-starters and strong communicators with proven administrative experience in support of executive level staff. It is important that candidates are comfortable with completing complex tasks and responding to requests with the appropriate level of urgency.  

The starting pay range for this position is $32.10 - $36.91 per hour ($66,761 - $76,755 annually), based on the level of education and relevant experience. This is an hourly, non-exempt position eligible for overtime. In following our commitment to principles of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, maintaining pay equity when hiring is extremely important to us. For this reason, salary offers with Meridian are non-negotiable.

Meridian is dedicated to advancing our employees’ professional growth, supporting employee wellbeing, and helping them meet their healthcare and retirement needs. Meridian provides a competitive benefits package, including:

• A dynamic and inclusive work environment with flexible work schedules and locations for proven high performers  
• Professional development opportunities
• Comprehensive medical and dental insurance, including fully employer paid premium options at the employee only level
• A variety of voluntary benefits for employees, their families, and their pets
• Generous vacation and sick time, plus 12 paid holidays
• A robust Employee Assistance Program 
• Meridian partner benefits such as discounts and wellbeing opportunities
• DC Office Employees Only – Metro expense reimbursement for commute into work  
• Remote Workers Only – home office internet allowance  

About the Position:

The Executive Assistant provides high-level administrative support and assistance to the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Operating & Financial Officer. Regular responsibilities include executive level scheduling, coordinating international and domestic travel arrangements, capturing meeting notes and minutes, and providing general administrative support. This role will work closely with the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Operating & Financial Officer to support Board of Directors engagement, internal communications, and special administrative projects, as needed.

This position also manages the operations of Meridian’s Washington, D.C. office space and works to create a hospitable atmosphere for staff and meeting participants. Core office responsibilities include providing onsite support for office operations and serving as the primary point of contact for staff, visitors, and outside vendors.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS 

• At least 5 years of experience in executive level administrative roles (experience with complex scheduling across time zones and/or for high demand participants preferred).
• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in business, finance, marketing or equivalent experience in relevant sectors preferred.
• Experience working for a professional services organization (e.g., legal, consulting, etc.).  
• Extremely strong organizational skills, including time management and ability to track and meet multiple deadlines.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including but not limited to the ability to be clear and effective in communicating with senior-level stakeholders.
• Ability to complete complex tasks quickly with little guidance and react with appropriate urgency to situations that require a quick turnaround.
• High personal integrity, including the capacity to discreetly handle highly confidential and sensitive information.
• Demonstrated commitment to justice, equity, diversity, inclusion (JEDI); ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds with humility, ease, and enthusiasm.
• Passion and curiosity about the issues and areas of Meridian’s work.  
• Fluency in English; professional fluency in an additional language is highly valued, particularly Spanish or French.
• A high degree of proficiency with Microsoft 365 tools, including but not limited to: Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, OneNote, and SharePoint; experience administering and using Airtable for workflow management preferred.

The full job description can be found here.

 How to Apply: 

 The application deadline is Thursday, June 6, 2024 at 11:00pm EST. 

 Please submit the following application materials: 

• Cover Letter and Resume 
• Cover letter – 1 page  Drawing from your personal and professional experiences, please explain how you hope to contribute to Meridian in this role. 
• Resume – 1-2 pages   Detail relevant education, training, experiences, and accomplishments. 
• Three Professional References -   Name, relationship, email address

Please note: All applications will be reviewed by our team. We thank all applicants for their interest and will be in contact only with those chosen to interview. Due to capacity constraints on our hiring team, we are unable to provide specific status updates beyond these parameters. Our ideal start date for this role is July 2024.

 About Meridian Institute: 

Meridian Institute is a mission-driven, nonprofit consultancy that has helped clients and partners develop and implement solutions to complicated, often controversial problems—big and small, global and local—for over two decades. 

Effective collaborative decision-making involves bringing together participants with diverse backgrounds and differing viewpoints. As an organization, we seek staff that reflects and values that same diversity; successful Meridian team members are experienced working in multicultural settings and welcome new opportunities to widen their own perspectives.  We bring integrity, inclusiveness, and respect for differences to every project we undertake. We are working to ensure that Meridian possesses the expertise needed to partner with—and build trust among—marginalized and disenfranchised communities, while advancing justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) within our organization and our work. 

Accommodation 

Meridian Institute complies fully with the relevant Disability Acts and Laws in local countries. If you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation in order to apply for a position with Meridian Institute, please contact us at hr@merid.org. 

COVID-19 Consideration 

At this time, Meridian Institute requires that all employees be fully vaccinated, including booster shots. In circumstances where an applicant communicates that he or she is not able to be vaccinated for COVID-19 because of a sincerely held religious belief, practice, or observance or because of a disability, then Meridian, in accordance with applicable law, will engage in the interactive process to determine if a reasonable accommodation is feasible that will not pose an undue hardship or create a direct threat to safety.  

Equal Opportunity Employment 

Meridian recognizes that our work is made stronger and more impactful by the contributions of diverse groups from around the world. At Meridian, we welcome people from all backgrounds and do not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, national origin, creed, class, ancestry, or other grounds. 

Meridian Institute is a participating employer in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security program, E-Verify. 

Meridian is dedicated to advancing our employees’ professional growth, supporting employee wellbeing, and helping them meet their healthcare and retirement needs. Meridian provides a competitive benefits package, including:  

• A dynamic and inclusive work environment with flexible work schedules and locations for proven high performers   
•  Professional development opportunities 
•  Comprehensive medical and dental insurance, including fully employer paid premium options at the employee only level
•  A variety of voluntary benefits for employees, their families, and their pets 
•  Generous vacation and sick time, plus 12 paid holidays 
•  A robust Employee Assistance Program  
•  Meridian partner benefits such as discounts and wellbeing opportunities 
•  DC Office Employees Only – Metro expense reimbursement for commute into work 
•  Remote Workers Only – home office internet allowance 

How to Apply:  

The application deadline is June 6, 2024 at 11:00pm EST.  

Please submit the following application materials using our application portal here.

• Cover Letter – 1 page 

Drawing from your personal and professional experiences, please explain how you hope to contribute to Meridian in this role.  

• Resume – 1-2 pages  

Detail relevant education, training, experiences, and accomplishments.  

• Three Professional References  

Please note: All applications will be reviewed by our team. We thank all applicants for their interest and will be in contact only with those chosen to interview. Due to capacity constraints on our hiring team, we are unable to provide specific status updates beyond these parameters. Our ideal start date for this role is March 2024.