Executive Administrator

Executive Administrator

Location: Greater Boston Area, MA. United States

Job Description:

ERS is a national non-profit that empowers school system leaders to make transformative shifts in resources, structures, and practices so that all students-especially those with the greatest learning needs and those furthest from opportunity-attend a school where they can learn and thrive. At ERS, we embrace teamwork and innovation to influence sustainable, equitable change in some of the country's largest school districts.

If you want to join a team of talented and committed professionals within a mission-driven and collaborative culture, this is the place for you.

Position Overview

The Admin team at ERS consists of five professionals who leverage expertise and service to meet the needs of the organization via sound, accurate processes and attention to detail. Each member of the Admin team utilizes their professional knowledge and experience to facilitate effective partner relationships and to lead work related to their area of focus.

The Executive Administrator reports directly to the Associate Director of Administration and to the two or three partners they directly support.

A successful candidate embodies the core skills and passion needed to thrive as an administrative professional. They support management of their partners' time and focus to amplify organizational impact. They also embody agility with excellence, enabling them to adapt to shifting priorities using a strategic approach that honors the big picture. Administrative professionals at ERS are highly collaborative, honoring others' strengths and cultivating trust internally and externally. ERS seeks a well-rounded, impactful professional who leverages their administrative experience, strategic approach, attention to detail, and interpersonal skills to deliver high-quality work.

The starting salary range for this role is currently $66,000 to $73,000. In the spirit of transparency, it is important to note that we typically do not offer starting salaries at the top of this range to create opportunities for team members to earn raises throughout their tenure in a role.

This role is based in our headquarters office in Watertown, MA and requires in-person work at least three days per week with the option to occasionally add more remote days or weeks.

Applicants must be authorized to work for an employer in the United States. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa for new team members at this time.

Responsibilities

Overview

• Provide strategic and direct administrative support to organization partners.
• Develop into a strategic thought partner for the partners they directly support; anticipate next steps and help leaders operationalize their work in alignment with ERS' strategic priorities.
• Support partners in preparing for critical meetings, project planning, research, gathering and analyzing data, preparing summaries and reports, etc.

Complex Calendar Management

• Manage complex scheduling and recurring meeting cadences for ERS partners and external stakeholders, ensuring alignment with priorities.
• Build and communicate purposeful meeting invitations, resolve conflicts, and uphold effective calendar norms through ongoing maintenance and org-wide guidance.
• Submit timesheet data for partners and provide backup coverage for other partners during Admin team absences.

Travel Arrangements & Expense Reporting

• Build effective travel itineraries that best accommodate partner goals. This includes researching and booking flights/trains, hotel reservations, ground transport, conference registrations, collaboration with third party organizations, and creating travel summaries.
• Create and submit accurate expense reports for partners. This includes proper coding, documentation, identification of per diem allowances, and execution of any special considerations for reimbursements from a third party.

Other Responsibilities

• Provide just-in-time support as it relates to editing materials, responding to requests, and navigating technical challenges.
• Support the management of all internal ERS events, including assisting with catering, set-up, run of show, activities, etc. Help to root these events in a vision that impactfully enhances organizational culture while simultaneously executing critical details seamlessly.
• Create, develop, and leverage Standard Operating Practices (SOPs), thoroughly documenting all steps and processes for knowledge management purposes.
• May include research, collating news articles, creating Google alerts, proofreading, editing, graphic design, scanning, copying, printing, collating, filing, or other organizational duties.
• Other duties as assigned.

Focus Area: Unique Extension of Each Admin's Role at ERS

• In addition to direct partner support, as needed, each Admin Team member may have a unique focus area that develops organically based on their skill sets and org need. This focus area may or may not be intertwined with direct partner support and is individually tailored to harness productivity and promote impact. The work performed within these focus areas is critical to our organizational success.

Qualifications

ERS is an organization committed to developing inclusive, empowered teams, therefore candidates do not need the preferred qualifications outlined below to advance in our search. These are not mandatory requirements. As you will see below, connection to our mission, values, and impact is critical.

Required

• 3-5 years of professional experience as an Executive Assistant, Administrative Assistant, or similar role supporting managers, directors, or C-suite executives (partners)
• Strong organization skills and attention to detail (i.e., demonstrates a commitment to accuracy, attention to detail and deadlines, accountability, efficiency)
• Embodies intellectual curiosity and a proactive, empathetic approach that fosters collaboration and trust
• Thrives in team environments while managing up effectively, tailoring messages to audiences and engaging key stakeholders with clarity, diplomacy, and solution-oriented thinking
• Masterful at resourceful, contextual decision making; outside-the-box strategist
• Software: Microsoft Office Suite (especially Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint); Zoom or Microsoft Teams
• Experience with complex scheduling, travel management, and expense reporting (for Manager level or above)
• Proactive and self-motivated problem solver with a discerning ability to prioritize urgent needs and manage competing priorities in alignment with shared goals
• Develops and leverages logical, structured, and integrated structures and systems
• Commitment to social impact work and ERS' values exemplified through work experience, leadership opportunities, or community involvement

Preferred

• Software/tools knowledge: Salesforce, Sage (timesheets), Google Suite, Concur, Corporate Travel Management (CTM), PowerPoint design or other graphic design experience.
• Experience using AI (ChatGPT, Gemini, CoPilot, NotebookLM, etc.) for research, editing, problem solving, or other administrative functions.

About Education Resource Strategies

Since 2004, ERS has worked hand-in-hand with more than 100 school system leaders and several states on data (analysis and benchmarking), design (strategy, resource trade-offs, and consensus-building), and implementation (planning and monitoring). In all our work, we focus on the larger picture: how resources work together to create high-performing systems.

Our district and state partners view ERS as a national authority on school system strategy and resource use, as well as a trusted advisor and partner. We participate in the transformation struggle, create insights with our district partners, and build consensus to develop individualized, actionable recommendations.

Benefits of Working at ERS

• Opportunity for impact: ERS works with some of the largest, most influential and innovative districts in the country to truly transform their practices. Your work will change the lives of thousands of students.
• Entrepreneurial spirit: We aren't afraid to lean into challenging conversations to inspire continuous improvement. We encourage innovative ideas, appreciate honest feedback, and invest in our team members' ongoing learning and development.
• Collaborative work environment: We do most of our work in teams. We bring our collective wisdom and expertise to everything we do, often tapping the expertise and leadership of colleagues across the organization.
• Healthy work/life balance: We support every member of the ERS team in balancing meaningful work and professional growth with a healthy personal life throughout their career.

Commitment to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Belonging

We value diverse teams and the unique talents each member brings. In that light, we encourage candidates who have life experiences similar to those of the children, teachers, and leaders in the districts we serve to apply.

The value we place on diverse teams is mirrored by our commitments to foster and sustain an inclusive culture. We regularly evaluate our organization's processes and policies through the lenses of inclusion and equity. We commit to developing inclusive, empowered teams by honoring individual strengths, engaging in multi-directional feedback, ensuring team members have the information and support to meaningfully contribute, and investing in each other's success.

We view these commitments as essential to our work with each other and our district partners, as we seek to drive equity and excellence for all students through school system transformation.

ERS is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, ancestry, pregnancy, or military service.