What are the responsibilities and job description for the Executive Assistant position at Eugene O'Neill Theater Center?
About the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center:
The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center is the country’s preeminent organization dedicated to the development of new works and new voices for the stage.
From its 11-acre campus in Waterford, Connecticut, the O’Neill has been home to more than 1,000 new works for the stage and thousands more emerging artists. O’Neill programs include the National Playwrights Conference, National Music Theater Conference, National Critics Institute, National Puppetry Conference, Cabaret & Performance Conference, and the National Theater Institute, which offers six credit-earning undergraduate training programs.
The O’Neill is committed to diversifying the future of the American theater through the stories we tell, the artists telling those stories, the staff supporting our work, and the audiences in our theaters. We strive to cultivate a healthy and diverse community that recognizes the value of each individual and helps foster safety, civility, and respect for all people.
About the position:
The O'Neill is seeking an experienced theater administrator to assume the role of Executive Affairs Assistant (EA). This person is the principal administrative support staff for the Executive Director (ED) and performs a variety of strategic functions to assist the ED in the execution of her responsibilities. This person reports directly to the ED. They will assist the Executive Director with projects and program initiatives and will work closely with the External Relations department to support fundraising activities and stewardship of donors and board members. The EA will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the Executive Office and will provide essential interface for communications and logistics between the Executive Director and staff, board members, donors, artist and external partners on a day-to-day basis. The Executive Assistant will also manage the ED’s calendar, including making appointments, prioritizing the most time-sensitive matters, coordinating travel and preparing communications on behalf of the ED.
Candidates who may thrive in this position possess a strong administrative background, excellent verbal and written communication skills, are highly organized, diplomatic, and comfortable advancing projects with minimal supervision. The successful candidate will work proactively, anticipate needs and have a high degree of integrity while managing sensitive and confidential information.
Principle Duties:
- Prepare communications for the ED including agendas and remarks for internal and external meetings
- Implement best-practices to enhance the efficiency of the Executive Office and support the communication among departments
- Prepare the ED for upcoming meetings and presentations with detailed briefing materials, financial reports and analyses
- Attend internal meetings and taking and distributing minutes
- Advanced ‘scheduling Tetris’; including meeting organization, travel booking, video-conferencing management, and coordination with external organizations and their teams
- General office management for the Executive Office; including manning the executive office phones, sorting mail for the Executive Office, and various filing/ organizational duties, tracking expenses and managing reimbursements for the ED
- Creating presentations for Board and committee meetings.
- Develop and maintain positive interpersonal relationships with all levels of staff, Board of Trustees, donors, artists and external partners
- Working with the Department of External Relations to coordinate ED’s public facing events
- Partnering with the External Relations staff to plan and execute donor cultivation events and meetings
- Participate in/support organization wide events related to the O'Neill's 7 professional and education programs; attend performances when possible
- Identify opportunities to support company morale and plan staff events that promote interactions among staff members and the ED
- May require work / travel outside of normal business hours
Attributes/Skills:
- 2 years of professional experience in an administrative support role (theater administration experience preferred)
- Experience working directly with executive leadership
- Expert knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, and Google Workplace; familiarity with CRM databases (Salesforce a plus)
- Familiarity with work management tools (Trello, Airtable, Slack, etc.)
- Familiarity with calendar and scheduling tools such as Doodle, Whentomeet; Propared
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Comfort with taking notes in meetings and preparing meeting minutes
- Superior time managements skills with an exacting attention to detail
- A motivated and intuitive self-starter with the ability to work independently and with teams, prioritize tasks, and problem solve in a multi-faceted environment with minimal supervision
- Ability to treat confidential information with appropriate discretion
- A welcoming personality, sense of humor, strong interpersonal skills and professionalism
Must reside locally or be able to relocate
Salary $40,000 - $45,000 DOE; standard company health and dental benefits
Applicants should submit a cover letter, a work resume, and contact information for at least two references. Applicants should name all attached files with this format: "Last Name, First Name - Document.”
The O’Neill is committed to diversifying the future of the American theater through the stories we tell and the people we hire. We highly encourage talented artists, technicians, and administrators from all underrepresented groups to apply.
Salary : $40,000 - $45,000