Executive assistant to the executive director: job description template
A template for the role most nonprofits write badly. Of the 20,100 postings in our archive, 1,391 are executive assistant roles, and the ones that get answered describe board work and state a salary. The ones that do not get silence.
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Use this
Copy the sections below into the posting form and replace what is in brackets. Everything here is in the shape search engines and answer engines read, which is the reason the structure is this specific.
Job title. Executive Assistant to the Executive Director
Not "Administrative Assistant" and not "Executive Support". The title is what people search for and what sets the salary expectation on both sides.
About the organization
[Two or three sentences. What the organization does, who it serves, how big it is. Name the annual budget and the headcount; a candidate for this role is reading for scale.]
About the role
[The executive assistant to the executive director at [organization] is the person who keeps the executive office running. Say who the role reports to, who else it works with, and whether it carries board responsibility.]
What you will own
- [Board governance: meeting calendars, packets, minutes, follow-up on resolutions, and committee coordination.]
- [The executive director's calendar, correspondence and decision queue.]
- [Confidential communication with trustees, funders and senior staff.]
- [Travel, expenses and the operating rhythm of the executive office.]
- [Any policy administration, compliance filing or regulatory reporting support.]
What we are looking for
- [Years of experience supporting an executive at this level.]
- [Board or trustee experience, and what kind.]
- [Judgment with confidential information. Say it plainly.]
- [Software the role actually uses.]
Compensation and work setting
[$X to $Y. State the range.] [On-site, hybrid or remote, and if hybrid, how many days.] [Benefits worth naming: retirement match, health coverage, leave.]
How to apply
[Where to send it, what to send, who reads it, and when you will respond. Say when you will respond.]
Questions employers ask about this role
How does the executive assistant role impact the organization's mission?
The executive assistant to the executive director acts as a strategic gatekeeper and mission enabler, directly managing board governance, stakeholder communications and leadership workflows to maximize organizational impact.
What level of experience is required for this mid-level leadership position?
This is a mid-level to senior operational role requiring extensive experience supporting executive leaders, navigating board relations, and managing confidential nonprofit or public sector administrative workflows.
Should the posting state a salary range?
Yes. State it. Postings that name a range get materially more qualified applicants, several states now require it, and an executive assistant role that hides its pay reads as clerical when it is not.
What should an executive assistant posting never say?
Avoid "other duties as assigned" as a substitute for describing the work, avoid "fast-paced" and "wear many hats" in place of naming the actual scope, and do not call the role administrative support if the person is running board governance.
How long should the posting be?
Long enough to name the board work, the confidentiality expected, who the role reports to and what the pay is. Usually six to nine hundred words. A posting that cannot say what the person will own does not get answered by the people worth hiring.
Where will the posting appear?
On ExecSearches and on nonprofit-jobs.org under operations and mission support. If the description names board governance, regulatory reporting or policy administration, it also cross-posts to grccareers.org, where governance professionals read.