Description

• Proactively manage the president & CEO’s calendar, including scheduling, prioritizing appointments and coordinating all internal and external meetings. Optimize the president’s office schedule to create more time for strategic initiatives by efficiently managing conflicting priorities, minimizing time conflicts and notifying participants.

• Provide logistical support for meetings, events, interviews, appointments, travel arrangements and other similar activities for the president & CEO and COS. Coordinate conference rooms for President’s Office meetings and arrange AV and technical support prior to each meeting to ensure the meeting runs efficiently.
• Prioritize and respond to all correspondence(emails, phone calls and voicemail) on behalf of the president & CEO and COS with professionalism and confidentiality. Track incoming and outgoing correspondence, alert responsible parties to execute on required follow-up and maintain records of communications. Serve as first-line point of contact for the president & CEO and COS.
• Design, produce and proofread documents, reports and presentations to support the president & CEO and COS with an eye toward accuracy, clarity and attention to detail. Collect and prepare information for internal and external meetings.
• Monitor and track the President’s Office and Board of Directors’ annual budgets to ensure accurate expenditure of funds. Ensure the accuracy and timely preparation and submission of check requests, expense reports and invoices.
• Maintain physical and electronic historical and institutional files for the President’s Office. Organize and maintain confidential and sensitive information, documents, and files, ensuring easy accessibility and efficient retrieval.
• Monitor deadlines and follow up on action items, ensuring timely completion of tasks and facilitating effective decision-making.
• Conduct research, gather data and prepare reports and presentations to support the leader's decision-making process. Perform other special projects as needed.
• Anticipate and resolve administrative problems and inquiries; recommend efficiencies and best practices where practicable.

• Ensure thorough and high-level administrative support for the Board of Directors including, but not limited to, scheduling meetings, drafting agendas for full board and committee meetings, preparing and distributing meeting materials as needed.
• Provide operational support for the Board of Directors, including scheduling, note taking, updating membership lists and contact information, documenting key correspondence and updating biographies.
• Coordinate meeting arrangements for Board of Directors, including travel arrangements, hotel accommodations, meeting rooms, board dinners and reimbursement of business-related expenses paid by individual board members.
• Draft and distribute minutes for Board and Executive Committee meetings.
• Develop and maintain strong tracking mechanisms to ensure accuracy and integrity of Board records, including contact information, Board books, meeting minutes, annual compliance forms, resolutions lists, election terms and committee information, etc. in the Board portal.
• Respond to requests from the Board as needed.
• Perform all other related duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities for All Defenders

• Ability to accurately maintain electronic and physical records.
• Anticipate and meet the needs of internal and/or external stakeholders delivering excellent service.

• Ability to clearly and accurately communicate with internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to articulate complex ideas clearly, accurately and concisely
• Ability to convey effective messages to broad and diverse constituencies
• Ability and willingness to effectively represent Defenders’ interests in external environments
• Ability to exert influence and build consensus with internal and external stakeholders

• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential matters with discretion
• Strong research and data analysis skills, including ability to gather and synthesize information from multiple sources to produce high quality work products in a consistent, efficient, accurate, and timely manner
• Creative problem-solving and troubleshooting skills with willingness to experiment and innovate new methods.
• Facilitate and promote the integration of diversity, equity and inclusion strategies into Defenders’ work
• Ability to independently exercise appropriate judgment in response to complex and/or fluid environments
• Strategic thinker with the ability to take high-level strategy and translate into relatable points and action steps.

• Ability to work well under pressure and tight deadlines while balancing competing assignments
• Ability to remain flexible and adaptable to shifting priorities while remaining responsive to urgent requests
• Ability to take ownership of a project or process and to use problem solving skills to resolve issues
• Ability to manage deadlines on multiple cross-functional projects in a dynamic environment
• Demonstrated ability in managing competing interests on complex issues
• Ability to independently initiate project and initiative ideas; managing projects and initiatives through to completion

• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to form effective working relationships with diverse constituencies including federal/state agencies; elected officials and their staff; Defenders’ members and donors; private landowners; hunters and anglers; community leaders; religious, scientific, and academic communities; and /or the general public.
• Ability to lead diverse stakeholders in collaborative activities, to anticipate policy issues impacting wildlife and make recommendations within Defenders, other organizations, and coalitions.
• Networking skills to engage with leaders in the conservation community, federal and state agencies, NGOs, and other organizations.