Executive Support Specialist

Executive Support Specialist Location: Knoxville, TN 37921 Job Type: Full time About the job We are looking for an experienced and passionate Executive Support Specialist to join our team.
The ideal candidate will play a pivotal role in facilitating seamless operations within the executive office.
This dynamic position involves providing high-level administrative support to the CEO, managing complex schedules, coordinating executive communications, and executing diverse administrative tasks.
The successful candidate will act as a gatekeeper, ensuring efficient use of the CEO's time, and will contribute to the overall effectiveness and success of the executive leadership team.
Strong organizational skills, exceptional discretion, and the ability to anticipate and address the CEO's needs are key attributes for success in this role while adhering to the voice, principles, and philosophy of United Way of Greater Knoxville (UWGK).
About United Way of Greater Knoxville UWGK is part of a global organization that directly impacts our local communities.
By creating a space for diverse voices from community members, businesses, and organizations, we are working to create a more equitable Knoxville where our neighbors have stable housing, financial security, early care and education, access to food, and more.
YOU are an essential part of making our mission a reality.
Join a team of great people, collaborate on meaningful work, and serve the communities you call home while you do it.
Role and Responsibilities Executive Support: Provide high-level administrative support and assistance to the CEO and other assigned leadership staff.
Maintain the CEO’s calendar, including scheduling meetings, appointments, speaking engagements, and travel arrangements.
Exercise discretion in committing time and evaluating needs.
Determine priority of matters of attention for the CEO; redirect matters to staff to handle or handle matters personally, as appropriate.
Keep the CEO advised of time-sensitive and priority issues, ensuring appropriate follow-up.
Performs clerical and administrative tasks, including drafting letters, memos, invoices, reports, and other documents for senior staff.
Facilitate meeting preparations, ensuring necessary documentation and resources are available, attending to logistics of meetings, taking notes, and recording minutes.
Prepare the initial draft of minutes and summaries.
Supports effective use of remote and hybrid meeting technologies.
Handle follow-up tasks arising from meetings and executive interactions.
Complete various special projects, including creating PowerPoint presentations, financial spreadsheets, special reports, and agenda material.
Works to organize special events on an ad hoc basis.
Other additional and alternative duties as assigned occasionally, including supporting other departments or Executives as needed.
Board of Directors (and other volunteer committee) Support Coordinates and supports the following volunteer committees: Board of Directors, Executive Committee, Operations and Finance Committee, Investment and Endowment Committee, Nominations Committee, and others as assigned.
Preparation for meetings includes but is not limited to coordinating meeting logistics, calendar management, room set-up, ordering meals, creating and sending pre-read materials, minutes, follow-up materials, and filing official documents.
Maintains Board of Directors and other committee terms and other administrative details, committee rosters, coordinates onboarding, orientation, and offboarding.
Supports other UWGK Board of Director activities as assigned.
On a Typical Week In a dynamic week, our Executive Support Specialist orchestrates strategic planning, scheduling, and travel arrangements for the CEO.
They craft compelling documents and presentations, ensure seamless remote meetings, and coordinate committees like the Board of Directors.
The week wraps up with administrative finesse, managing committee rosters, onboarding, and occasional special projects or support for other departments.
This role demands versatility, attention to detail, and proactive engagement in executive and board-level activities.
You may also be part of the Culture Club, which organizes staff events like cookouts, holiday parties, retreats, and volunteer events, to name a few.
Get to know your co-workers by having lunch in the breakroom with a micro-market for food, drinks, snacks, and a coffee lounge area, complete with sofas to relax on.
Take a wellness break in the fitness room.
We have flexible start and end times to help accommodate your life activities outside of work.
About You The ideal candidate will have: High School diploma or equivalent required; bachelor's degree preferred.
Lived experience relevant to this role will also be considered and can supplement instead of an educational experience.
5+ years of executive administrative experience.
Demonstrated ability to work within a team-based environment and build and maintain relationships across diverse staff, board, and members.
Strong customer service experience: proactive approach, delighting the customer.
Strong written and verbal communication and experience preparing meeting minutes.
Proficient in Microsoft Office computer applications including Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, and Excel and able to execute at an intermediate or above level.
Adobe Creative Suite, database experience, project management tools.
We Offer To model equitable hiring practices, UWGK strives to include a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role.
Determining this range includes several factors not limited to skill set level, experience and training, and licensure and certifications.
To support the ability to reward merit-based performance, UWGK typically does not hire individuals at or near the top of the range for their role.
Compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case.
A reasonable estimate of the current range is $45,000 - $60,000/year.
Our benefits include: Inclusive Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance options that start on the first of the month after your start date.
100% paid Basic Life and Long-Term Disability 100% paid Family Medical Leave, including four additional weeks of Paternal leave.
401k with a matching contribution Four weeks of Paid Time Off annually Five days of Volunteer Time Off Plus 11 Paid Holidays! How we think: Our human capital is the most valuable asset we have.
The collective sum of individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, inventiveness, innovation, self-expression, unique capabilities, and talent that our employees invest in their work represents a significant part of our culture, our reputation, and the organization’s achievement.
When you join UWGK, you become a trusted advisor, collaborating with colleagues and community stakeholders to bring forward actionable insights that deliver meaningful and sustainable outcomes.
In 2022, we celebrated the United Way of Greater Knoxville's centennial year and unveiled our plans for the next 100 years.
As the Modern United Way, we are broadening our scope to include systems-level work in economic mobility, food and health, and education.
We will continue acting as a nonprofit funder and supporter, but we will also advocate on a larger scale to create lasting, systemic change in our community.
At UWGK, we recognize the richness that diversity brings.
We strive to create a work culture where all belong and collaborate with local businesses, partner agencies, and community organizations in building more inclusive communities.
We embrace and encourage our employees’ differences that make our employees unique.
As an equal opportunity employer, we want to empower all our teammates to succeed and grow.
Please let us know if you require accommodation at any point during the recruitment process.
We will be happy to assist.
How to apply If you are a dynamic and proactive Graphic Designer looking to contribute to our organization’s success, we’d love to hear from you.
Please submit your resume and a cover letter detailing your qualifications, salary requirements, and how you can contribute to our team’s success.
About the application process Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, ethnicity, ancestry, color, sex, religion, creed, age, national origin, citizenship status, disability, pregnancy, medical condition, military and veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, and gender expression, familial status, political affiliation, genetic information, or any other legally protected status or characteristics.
UWGK provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities.
All UWGK offers of employment are contingent upon the ability to complete a background investigation successfully.
Background investigation components can vary depending on specific job criteria.
UWGK will consider employment-qualified applicants with arrests and conviction records in accordance with all local regulations and ordinances.
UWGK will not discharge or, in any other manner, discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant.
However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with UWGK's legal duty to furnish information.