Executive Assistant

We are seeking an Executive Assistant to provide high-level administrative support to the President and Executive Director (ED) and occasional support to other executives for specific projects. Supervised by the Vice President of Operations and Finance, with dotted line reporting to the Executive Director, this new role at ReFED is being created to move us to the next level of operational excellence and will be a critical member of the Operations Team of the organization. The Executive Assistant will provide administrative leadership to streamline daily operations, manage communications, and coordinate projects that align with the organization’s mission and goals across a fully remote work team located across North America. This role requires exceptional organizational skills, excellent written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to handle multiple priorities concurrently in a fast-paced nonprofit environment. 

About The Organization

ReFED is a U.S.-based nonprofit working to catalyze the food system to take evidence-based action to stop wasting food. We do this by cultivating and convening the food community, delivering actionable evidence and insights, and seeding and accelerating food waste solutions. Starting with the 2016 Roadmap to Reduce U.S. Food Waste, ReFED has produced first-of-their-kind tools and resources, providing a full-supply-chain picture of U.S. food waste, cost-effective solutions to reduce it, and methods to track progress. In 2021, ReFED launched the Insights Engine, an online data center serving as the next generation of data, insights, and guidance on U.S. food waste reduction. Reducing food waste will have a significant impact on mitigating climate change, optimizing the use of water, land, and other resources, and providing meals for the over 47 million people in the United States who currently face food insecurity. We are growing our team to further build our capacity to achieve our vision of a sustainable, resilient, and inclusive food system that makes the best use of the food we grow.

We are a team of doers, and we get a lot accomplished. We create outsized impact, and everyone on the team contributes to accomplishing our shared goals. Learning and professional development are heavily embedded in ReFED’s culture. We promote cross-functional work to embrace diverse perspectives, experiences, and skills to ensure we are an inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you are excited about this role but your experience does not align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.   

• Executive Administrative Support: For the organization’s most senior executives – the President and Executive Director – provide direct, high-level administrative support. This includes managing calendars, scheduling meetings that often include senior external stakeholders, document management and drafting of materials, and coordinating travel. As requested for external and internal meetings, prepare agendas, take minutes, and follow up on action items from meetings with stakeholders.
• Leadership Administrative Support: For the organization’s leadership team (Vice President-level) assist in scheduling meetings, preparing agendas, assuring meeting documentation, and following up on action items from meetings when requested. Also when requested and as needed, sit in on leadership meetings to record relevant actions and track follow-up accountabilities.
• Presentation Support and Document Integrity: Provide design and technical assistance to develop presentations for executive leadership of the organization for external-facing and Board-facing presentations. Serve as a proofreader and directly ensure all external-facing documents (i.e., letters, reports, white papers, etc.) represent ReFED in the best possible light. Work with the Communications department effectively on all proofing of final externally-facing documents.
• Communication and Correspondence: Serve as a point of contact for internal and external communications, including handling inquiries and drafting correspondence. Maintain positive relationships with stakeholders, donors, and project partners by demonstrating a service-first commitment in every interaction.

• Board of Directors Coordination: Provide administrative support to the Board of Directors, including scheduling meetings of the Board and its operating committees, coordinating board packets, and maintaining board records. This team member will serve as the primary travel, lodging, catering, and events coordinator for all in-person meetings of the Board of Directors, and will be the on-site event coordinator for these gatherings. 
• Project Coordination: Assist with planning and tracking special projects, events, and board initiatives. Examples of this work include the regular strategic planning process, regional outreach events, and special events in association with national meetings hosted by partner organizations. Coordinate logistics, ensure deadlines are met, and provide support as needed and requested.
• Operational Management: Assure operational tools are utilized across the organization and that team members fully realize the assets ReFED offers to support their administrative functionality. Organize and maintain electronic records and files, ensuring confidentiality and accessibility of records to relevant internal stakeholders. Develop, deploy, and maintain appropriate Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for organizational records management. 
• Supervision: As ReFED prepares to build its capacity organizationally, the Executive Assistant will prepare a hiring plan with the Director, People and Culture, to adequately staff the administrative needs of the full organization. The Executive Assistant will serve as the leader of the administrative support team, providing direct supervision and growth opportunities for junior staff.

• Have 8+ years of experience as an executive assistant, administrative assistant, or similar role, preferably in a fast-paced environment and with senior executives.
• An Associate’s degree or higher (preferred), professional certification, or equivalent experience in administration or office management in lieu of academic credentials is necessary. 
• Have exceptional time management, attention to detail, and the ability to seamlessly manage multiple tasks simultaneously. Experience managing complex projects, logistics, and expertise in prioritizing tasks and competing deadlines. 
• Have demonstrated written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to interact professionally with diverse stakeholders. An ability to translate complex ideas into visual and verbal messages.
• Are proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Google Workspace, Salesforce or similar CRM, and virtual meeting platforms (e.g., Zoom). Demonstrated ability to learn new software and technologies quickly.
• Are capable of handling sensitive information with integrity and confidentiality.
• Have the ability to support leaders that work in both the MST and PST time zones (preferred).

• Have exceptional organizational skills, excellent written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to handle multiple priorities concurrently in a fast-paced nonprofit environment. 
• Have a service-first orientation – a passion for service that you bring to every interaction. The ability and desire to work effectively in a collaborative, team-oriented environment.
• Are self-motivated and able to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Are mission-driven – a strong commitment to ending food loss and waste, and a desire to contribute to the mission work of ReFED. 
• Have the flexibility for limited travel, approximately 5% of the time. At minimum, the Executive Assistant is expected to be on-site for annual staff retreats and the ReFED’s annual Food Waste Solutions Summit.
• Are available to work on occasional evenings and weekends to meet project deadlines, support events, or address business priorities. Flexibility in scheduling is essential.

• Specific degrees or certifications.
• A specific location.

ReFED values a diverse range of skills and experiences and encourages all interested candidates to apply, even if they don't meet all of the criteria listed. Our organization recognizes that everyone brings unique perspectives and strengths to the team, and we are committed to considering all applicants fairly and thoroughly. If you are passionate about our mission and excited about the role, don't hesitate to apply and tell us about yourself!

Our Recruitment Process

Our recruitment process includes the following steps:

* Initial screening interview over video call.

* 2-3 interviews over video call with different members of the team.

* Skills assessment over video call which may or may not include an assignment to complete beforehand and present during the skills assessment meeting. All necessary information and guidance will be provided in advance.

* References, usually three, will be requested, and reference checks will be conducted.

We strive to maintain clear and frequent communication throughout the recruitment process, however, due to capacity limitations we may not be able to respond to every initial application. Our process always includes input from multiple team members with diverse backgrounds and perspectives from across the organization.

Our Operating Environment

ReFED is a distributed organization, with a team of 20+ working remotely from various locations across the United States. We use a range of digital collaboration and connectivity tools to facilitate our work, including Google Workspace, Slack, Zoom, Airtable, Salesforce, Miro, MS Office, Adobe, and Insperity. 

Our remote culture is built through a variety of means, including 2-3 annual in-person gatherings. These events include our annual team retreat, department retreats, and the Food Waste Solutions Summit, a national convening of the food waste movement that we host annually. We also foster team connections through informal virtual get-togethers, ask-me-anything sessions with our Board and Advisory Council members, and peer recognition on our shoutouts channel in Slack. We also have a “Big Dill” spot bonus program and engage in conversation through our watercooler channel in Slack. Our in-person events are essential for team building, learning, and fun.

Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Commitment

ReFED is committed to creating an inclusive work environment where all individuals have equal opportunities to contribute and grow. We recognize that our success is rooted in the diverse perspectives and backgrounds of our team members, and we strive to foster a culture of belonging where everyone feels valued and respected. As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to recruiting, hiring, developing, training, and promoting individuals regardless of their gender identity, sex, race, religion, age, national origin, political affiliation, ancestry, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status. We acknowledge that systemic barriers limit opportunities for certain groups, and we are dedicated to actively working to remove those barriers and promote justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) in all aspects of our organization. Our commitment to JEDI is an ongoing journey, and we are committed to continuously learning, listening, and improving our practices to create a more equitable and inclusive workplace for all.

Shawn Shepherd is the hiring manager for this position. All correspondence should be addressed to Shawn. Applications must be received by January 5, 2025, to be fully considered.