Executive Assistant to the CEO

Israel Policy Forum has a new opportunity for an Executive Assistant to the CEO (EA) to provide high-level administrative, communication, and execution support to the CEO, helping to empower leadership to focus on mission-driven priorities and advancing Israel Policy Forum’s ability to operate effectively and have a meaningful impact. This role will be part of the Operations team, working under the supervision of the COO to ensure that the position functions seamlessly within the broader organization.

Acting as a central point of coordination, the Executive Assistant will ensure information flows clearly from the CEO to relevant internal and external stakeholders, track execution of assigned tasks and initiatives, and help maintain momentum across departments.

This role will be integral to strengthening CEO effectiveness in fundraising, donor stewardship, and governance, while ensuring smooth day-to-day executive operations by working in close coordination with the Development team to ensure the CEO’s donor-related priorities are properly scheduled, tracked, and completed. The role will also serve as a liaison to the Board of Directors, supporting proactive CEO–Board engagement.

The ideal candidate is comfortable supporting senior leadership in a relationship-driven environment, managing sensitive donor and board communications, and coordinating complex schedules involving high-level stakeholders.

The ideal candidate will be highly organized and process-oriented, able to bring structure, consistency, and follow-through amid shifting priorities and complex, evolving workflows. They will have strong judgment, discretion, and the ability to anticipate needs, working proactively while navigating executive leadership, cross-functional teams, and Board interactions with professionalism and clarity.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

Calendar and Inbox Management

• Manage the CEO’s dynamic calendar, schedule meetings with Board members, donors, and others.
• Anticipate meeting needs, proactively prepare briefing materials and related correspondence, and share them with the appropriate parties.
• Track meeting follow-up action items using Todoist, Salesforce, and other collaborative tools.
• Manage the CEO’s inboxes and incoming communications across email and other channels.
• Route messages internally and externally based on urgency, importance, and alignment with CEO priorities; track follow-ups and ensure responses and commitments are completed.
• Draft responses, recommend actions, or escalate items as appropriate.
• Act as the CEO’s information hub, streamlining, batching, and prioritizing inputs and outputs so the right information reaches the right people at the right time.

Travel Logistics

• Coordinate and book all CEO travel, including flights and accommodations.
• Anticipate travel needs and ensure logistics align with meeting schedules and priorities.
• Prepare detailed travel itineraries and briefing materials, often in coordination with the Development team.
• Track and submit expense reports and receipts accurately and in a timely manner.

Communications

• Act as a central communication conduit for the CEO, ensuring priorities, decisions, and context are clearly communicated to relevant staff members.
• Work with the COO to translate the CEO’s direction into clear action items, owners, and timelines.
• Track progress and follow up to ensure timely completion.
• Maintain visibility into key deliverables and deadlines, flagging risks, delays, or misalignment early.
• Prepare concise project and task status updates and summaries for the CEO and leadership team.
• Reinforce accountability by ensuring decisions made in executive meetings are executed.

Liaison to Board of Directors

• Schedule quarterly hybrid Board meetings and other committee meetings as needed in coordination with committee chairs and relevant staff.
• Circulate meeting agendas and materials and take minutes.
• Draft weekly Board updates.
• Maintain up-to-date Board contact and committee lists in Todoist, Google Suite, and Salesforce.
• Respond to general Board member inquiries as needed.
• Ensure the CEO maintains regular, proactive touchpoints with the Board of Directors and individual Board members as appropriate.
• Anticipate Board communication needs and recommend timing, cadence, and format for updates.
• Coordinate outreach, scheduling, and preparation for Board check-ins, calls, and meetings.
• Prepare briefing notes and talking points to support effective CEO-Board engagement, often in consultation with the COO and Development team.
• Track Board communications and follow-ups to ensure continuity and responsiveness.

DESIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• A minimum of five years of relevant experience in executive team support, ideally in a nonprofit organization.
• Ability to handle confidential matters with discretion and empathy.
• Excellent judgment and decision-making abilities, ability to maintain a level of calm and professionalism, and effectively address and resolve issues with a strong customer service orientation.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to edit, proofread, and ensure the accuracy of finished work products.
• Outstanding time management skills with an ability to be responsive to revisions and meet deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to execute short-term, deadline-driven daily tasks, as well as to manage multiple long-term projects requiring input from and collaboration with others.
• Ability to take initiative, be resourceful, and exhibit a problem-solving mindset and a desire to learn new skills.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment and build relationships with a variety of cross-functional departments across a geographically distributed team working in multiple time zones.
• Proficiency with Google Suite and Todoist or other project management software.
• Experience with a CRM database, particularly Salesforce, is preferred.
• Knowledge of Israel, the Middle East, and current events, and familiarity with the institutional Jewish community and U.S.-Israel relations is a plus.
• Commitment to Israel Policy Forum’s mission and the vision of a secure, Jewish, democratic Israel.

Israel Policy Forum offers a comprehensive benefits package, including paid time off (vacation, sick leave, Jewish and secular holidays), medical, dental, vision, matching 401K, HRA, FSA, commuter benefits, 12 weeks of fully paid parental leave, and an annual professional development stipend.