Executive Assistant

To Apply: Fill out this application

Due date: Applications accepted on a rolling basis

Position: Executive Assistant to the Founder, full-time preferred (part-time 80% possible)

Location: Hybrid (Bay Area office near Oakland, CA) Remote candidates will be considered

Preferred Start Date: April 14, 2025

Compensation: $65-80K depending on experience, plus benefits

POSITION SUMMARY

Reel Medicine Media is seeking an experienced Executive Assistant (EA) who will partner with the Founder to achieve the organization’s goals. This EA is primarily responsible for supporting the Founder in communications, fundraising, operations, speaking, and event management support. The EA is expected to exercise discretion and independent judgment in the fulfillment of their duties.

The ideal candidate holds a bachelor's degree and has experience supporting executives and organizations.

ORGANIZATION DESCRIPTION

Reel Medicine Media is a small non-profit organization whose mission is to humanize healthcare through the power of storytelling. Founded by ICU/Palliative Care doctor Jessica Zitter, Reel Medicine Media uses documentary films and storytelling to inspire healthcare providers to connect to their sacred work with purpose, community, and compassion for the benefit of all. Our thought leadership, speaking, programs and other influencing activities explore a variety of topics in this space, including caregiving, spirituality, implicit bias, end-of-life decision making, death education, medical culture, decision-making in medically intense environments, physician moral distress and burnout, and other subjects relevant to caring for patients with serious illness.

Dr. Zitter is a national speaker and advocate for improving the way we die in America. Her essays and articles have been published widely in The New York Times and other publications. Her first book, Extreme Measures: Finding a Better Path to the End of Life, offers an insider’s view of intensive care in America and its impact on how we die. Her work is featured in the Oscar and Emmy-nominated short documentary Extremis, available on Netflix. She produced and directed the award-winning, 2020 short documentary Caregiver: A Love Story, and is currently working on her third film, The Chaplain and the Doctor, a film (releasing spring 2025) that explores the harms of bias and prejudice in the healthcare setting. You can learn more about Dr. Zitter and Reel Medicine Media at www.reelmedicinemedia.org.

PAY AND BENEFITS

• 10 days paid time off, plus one week off Dec 25 - Jan 1
• Paid sick days
• Health benefits
• Employee Retirement Plan

EDUCATION AND PREFERRED EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university
• 3+ years experience as an EA with proficiency in calendar and email management, meeting coordination, contact management systems, and workflow/project management
• Experience managing events and coordinating programs
• Strong communications experience (website, social media)
• Familiarity with fundraising, grant writing, donor relations, and development operations
• Understanding of nonprofit bookkeeping practices, including expense tracking and coding
• Fluency with a variety of software platforms for communications, CRM, fundraising research, bookkeeping, office and file management, email campaign and newsletter management, project management, basic graphic design/layout and web site updates (e.g. Salesforce for Nonprofits, Quickbooks Online, Candid, Google Workspace, InDesign, Dropbox, Microsoft Office, Squarespace, Asana, Monday.com, Trello, Mailchimp, Zoom)
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to prepare clear, concise, and impactful communications for internal and external audiences

PERSONAL QUALITIES

• Proven ability to prioritize tasks, manage deadlines, and maintain a high level of organization in a fast-paced environment.
• Comfortable “managing up”: building a constructive relationship with a busy leader, understanding her priorities and communication styles, and aligning your work to support those goals
• Collaborative, flexible, and adaptable to changing priorities, schedules and deadlines
• Strong emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills
• Excellent communication and writing skills
• Technically savvy and undaunted by new software or applications
• Excellent analytical, problem solving, and organizational skills with attention to detail and commitment to high quality work.
• Strong judgment and discretion in handling confidential matters.
• Interest in media, healthcare, medical education, end of life / serious illness a plus

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Organizational leadership support: Act as a trusted thought partner to the Founder.
• Workflow & task management: Manage competing priorities, track and update the Founder's To-Do List daily, and ensure timely resolution of incoming requests. Coordinate with consultants to align workflow schedules and priorities.
• Internal and external relations: Act as frontline liaison between Reel Medicine Media and funders, partners, organizations, collaborators, and consultants.
• Contract management: Invoice and pay consultants, contractors, and vendors; maintain contract documents and schedules of deliverables.
• Correspondence & email management: Draft and review correspondence in the Founder's voice and style, track key messages, ensure timely responses, and maintain accurate contact records.
• Communication management: Maintain and update website, social media accounts, and newsletter. Liaise with freelance designers and manage review and approval processes to create graphics and external communications materials. Manage schedules for and draft website updates, social media copy, biannual newsletters, press releases, one-sheets, and other collateral materials.
• Calendar & meeting management: Maintain and optimize the Founder's highly dynamic calendar, balancing external commitments, internal meetings, and Founder’s personal commitments while ensuring sufficient work time.
• Conduct research, collect information, and create relevant lists: Research opportunities for potential individual or organizational partners or collaborators. Present findings to the Founder and Executive Director.
• Meeting preparation, note taking & follow-up: Ensure the Founder and Executive Director are fully briefed for meetings by gathering and organizing materials, agendas, and documents in advance. Track and record follow-ups and to-dos for meeting participants.
• Document organization & retention: Organize and maintain digital and printed materials.
• Expense & travel coordination: Collect and submit expense reports to bookkeeper, ensure timely reimbursements, and reconcile receipts. Book travel and related needs.
• Technology & systems coordination: Maintain logins and access to IT systems, support the Founder with IT needs, coordinate with IT consultant for troubleshooting as needed, and ensure seamless use of technology onsite and when traveling. Manage CRM platform for databases, contact lists, and donor management.
• Speaking and event support: Coordinate with Founder’s speaking agent, review and route inbound speaking inquiries, manage pro bono and small events, conduct research for speaking opportunities to provide speaking agent.
• Fundraising and development: Support Executive Director and Founder in fundraising efforts for the organization, maintain funder database, conduct prospective funder research, prep and track LOIs and proposals. Manage calendar for grant applications and reporting for existing grants, enter gifts, track and record all donations and revenue, draft and send donor communications and acknowledgements letters.

ORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIP

• EA reports to Founder
• Works in close collaboration with Executive Director and consultants
• Interacts regularly with diverse collaborators, including board members, funders, advisors, partners, consultants, and vendors, community members, and volunteers

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Physical demands include continual sitting, typing, and repetitive computer use for eight hours a day. Person will need to attend some events and do the physical work of setup, breakdown, and other tasks.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The position is primarily virtual, but the ideal candidate is based in the Bay Area and available for occasional work onsite in Oakland. However, remote candidates are encouraged to apply. Schedule is Monday-Friday, 40 hours/week, but requires flexibility based on the dynamic nature of the position and the Founder’s travel schedule, with occasional weekend or evening work required.

Strict non-smoking environment. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination required (unless medically contraindicated).

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

Reel Medicine Media is an equal opportunity employer that values diversity as central to our work. We comply with all applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. Our practices are in alignment with our commitment to workplace equity, diversity, and inclusion. We foster a work environment where our current and future staff feel welcomed without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity, national origin, sex, age, disability or sexual orientation.