The Role
Serve as the trusted partner to the President and CEO by managing a complex calendar, triaging communications, coordinating domestic travel, and preparing briefings, agendas, presentations, and talking points. Act as the Board of Directors liaison, organizing meetings, Board books, minutes, and governance records. Coordinate executive meetings, retreats, events, and cross-functional priorities while maintaining confidentiality, exercising sound judgment, and tracking follow-up actions.
Summary Generated by Built In
Location: Arlington, VA (Crystal City)
Schedule: Hybrid — 3 days per week on-site
Salary: $100,000–$120,000 annually, commensurate with experience
Reports to: Chief of Staff
National Council on Aging is looking for an Executive Assistant to the CEO!
100 Million Happier, Healthier Birthdays. Someone Has to Keep That Mission on Schedule.
NCOA has spent more than 75 years fighting for one idea: that every person has the right to age well — with health, independence, and financial security — no matter their zip code. Today that fight runs through a national network of thousands of partners, a Board of Directors, a Capitol Hill advocacy agenda, and a CEO whose calendar is the single most contested resource in the organization. We are looking for the person who will run it.
This is the seat closest to the decision-making. If you are the one who reads the room before it fills, who has the briefing in hand before it is requested, and who can tell a Board chair "no, but here's what I can do" without a single wrinkle — keep reading. If you are looking for a quiet desk and a predictable inbox, this is not your role.
The Opportunity
The Executive Assistant is the trusted partner to NCOA's President & CEO and the primary point of contact for the Office of the CEO. You will sit at the center of executive operations — the connective tissue between the CEO, the Board of Directors, the Executive Team, staff, donors, partners, and national stakeholders.
Three priorities define this role: CEO scheduling, Board liaison, and the positioning of the Executive Office. You will protect the CEO's time, decide what reaches her and what does not, and make sure that every meeting, trip, Board book, and briefing she walks into is already handled.
You will report to the Chief of Staff and work in close partnership with the Executive Team. This is a service role at the highest level of the organization — and the credibility you build here compounds quickly.
What You'll Do
Own the CEO's Calendar and Protect Their Focus
Manage a complex, constantly shifting calendar against strategic priorities. Triage requests, resolve conflicts, and make the call — then inform. You are the gatekeeper, and you will be trusted to act like one.
Serve as the Board's Primary Point of Contact
Act as the administrative liaison to the Board of Directors and its committees. Coordinate meeting schedules and logistics, build and distribute Board books and agendas, sit in as the official recorder, and produce accurate minutes and governance records on time, every time.
Power the Executive Office
Monitor and triage the CEO's correspondence and draft on her behalf. Build the weekly executive briefing package. Prepare agendas, background documents, presentations, and talking points — and then track the follow-up until it is closed.
Stay Two Steps Ahead of Every Trip and Every Event
Manage all aspects of monthly domestic travel — transportation, itineraries, and expense reporting. Think ahead on events: who is on the guest list, where it is being held, and whether this is the right room for the CEO to be in at all.
Coordinate Across the Organization
Run logistics for Executive Team meetings, All Staff meetings, and retreats. Partner with the Chief of Staff on organizational priorities and CEO outreach, and support cross-functional projects and process improvements that make the Executive Office sharper than you found it.
What You Bring
- 5+ years supporting a CEO, Executive Director, President, or comparable senior-most executive
- Direct Board of Directors experience — governance, Board books, agendas, and minutes
- A track record of drafting correspondence, briefings, and talking points on behalf of leadership
- Exceptional judgment and the confidence to make decisions and inform, rather than wait for direction
- Discretion that is absolute when it comes to confidential and sensitive information
- Precision under pressure, and the calm to manage competing priorities without dropping detail
- Direct, efficient communication — you get to the point, and you are comfortable with a leader who does the same
- Coachability and comfort with accountability and candid feedback
- Advanced Microsoft 365 skills (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams) and an appetite for using AI tools to work smarter
- Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience
Why This Role Is Worth Your Next Five Years
NCOA is a hard-working, deeply mission-driven team of subject matter experts who are sought out across the aging field. People here want to know the why. They are collaborative, direct, and all in on the mission. If you value respect, care for others, and integrity — and you want your work to reach millions of older adults — this is the place.
Ready to Apply?
Submit your cover letter, resume, and application to https://nonprofithr.applytojob.com/apply/LOVnBx47Ij/Executive-Assistant-Board-Liaison-National-Council-On-Aging.
Address your cover letter directly to National Council on Aging and share why you would want to support their mission.
Learn more about NCOA's work at ncoa.org.
National Council on Aging is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.
Nonprofit HR, Powered by OneDigital, is deeply committed to fostering equitable and inclusive search practices woven into every aspect of our work.
Skills Required
- 5+ years supporting a CEO, Executive Director, President, or comparable senior-most executive
- Direct Board of Directors experience, including governance, Board books, agendas, and minutes
- Experience drafting correspondence, briefings, and talking points on behalf of leadership
- Exceptional judgment and confidence making decisions independently
- Absolute discretion handling confidential and sensitive information
- Precision under pressure and ability to manage competing priorities
- Direct and efficient communication skills
- Coachability and comfort with accountability and candid feedback
- Advanced Microsoft 365 skills, including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience
Am I A Good Fit?
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The Company
What We Do
As the country's leading full-service human resources firm focused exclusively on the nonprofit sector, we understand the unique needs of mission-driven organizations like no one else. We know that your organization is only as effective as your people. That's where we come in. We partner with nonprofits and associations in talent acquisition, executive search, human resources consulting and education & training, all with the objective of making the nonprofit workforce the best it can be. Since 2000, we have amplified the impact of the world’s most influential nonprofit organizations, from Amnesty International to Greenpeace and Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Nonprofit HR is also widely recognized for nonprofit sector research and thought leadership. We publish the leading annual study on nonprofit employment practices and host a variety of educational events for nonprofit professionals. Need to talk with someone about your organization's talent management priorities? Reach us in your metro market: National Headquarters in Washington, DC: 202.785.2060 New York, NY: 917.246.5042 Philadelphia, PA: 215.367.1642 Boston, MA: 617.412.4050 Los Angeles, CA: 323.789.6419 San Francisco, CA: 650.331.3252
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