Special Assistant to the CEO

ABOUT THE ROLE:

As a member of the Executive Office, the Special Assistant (SA) to the CEO plays a pivotal role in enabling the CEO to maximize his time, focus, and impact. As a trusted partner and right-hand support, the SA ensures the smooth running of the CEO’s day-to-day activities while contributing to the overall efficiency of Founders Pledge through project management.

This dynamic role involves a mix of administrative, organizational, and project-based responsibilities, requiring someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment, is proactive, and has exceptional attention to detail. The SA will work closely with the CEO and report directly to the Chief of Staff.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Day-to-Day Support

• Proactively manage the CEO’s diary, including anticipating and resolving scheduling conflicts, managing frequent changes, and booking meeting rooms.
• Organize and oversee the organisation’s weekly “office hours” with the CEO and the COO.
• Greet and coordinate with external visitors to ensure a professional and welcoming experience.

Project Support

• Provide project-based support for the CEO, COO, and Chief of Staff, including leading or contributing to ad hoc initiatives that improve efficiency, service delivery, or fundraising efforts.
• Support to the CEO in preparing for events, fundraising pushes and external engagements, ensuring follow-ups are handled promptly and effectively.
• Maintain and update the Strategic Partnerships & Collaborations database on a quarterly basis.

Travel & Expense Management

• Plan and coordinate the CEO’s travel, including booking transport and accommodation.
• Manage and process expense claims in a timely and accurate manner.
• Reconcile the CEO’s business-related receipts and expenses, including but not limited to travel reimbursements, lunch meetings, subscriptions, office equipment, and other purchases.

Communication & Inbox Management

• Manage and triage the CEO’s email inbox, drafting responses in his tone of voice and making recommendations for action.
• Prepare event invitations and other communications on behalf of the CEO, including presentations.
• Respond to internal and external queries directed to the CEO, ensuring clarity and professionalism.

Meeting Support

• Collaborate with the CEO, Advisory, Community, Growth Team, and Fundraising Lead to create, commission, and draft meeting briefs and agendas.
• Take meeting notes as needed and ensure follow-up actions are tracked and completed.
• Maintain accurate records of external contacts and meetings in Salesforce.

Ad Hoc Support

• Office management and administrative cover during the Senior Operations Assistant’s vacation or sick leave.
• Other duties as required.

ABOUT YOU:

You’ll thrive in this role if you:

• Have exceptional organizational and time management skills, with the ability to juggle competing priorities and deadlines.
• Are a strong communicator, capable of drafting professional correspondence in another person’s tone of voice.
• Have experience managing complex diaries and coordinating schedules with multiple stakeholders.
• Demonstrate a proactive and solutions-oriented mindset, with a willingness to lean into any task that comes your way.
• Are tech-savvy, with proficiency in tools like Google Workspace, Salesforce, Slack and Notion (or a willingness to learn).
• Are discreet and professional, capable of handling sensitive information with the utmost confidentiality.

Nice-to-Have Skills & Experience

• Previous experience supporting C-suite executives or working in a fast-paced startup or non-profit environment.
• Familiarity with fundraising, event planning, or project management.
• A passion for Founders Pledge’s mission and a desire to contribute to impactful philanthropy.

Personal Attributes

• You’re adaptable and thrive in a fast-moving, ever-changing environment.
• You’re detail-oriented, ensuring nothing slips through the cracks.
• You’re approachable and collaborative, building strong relationships with colleagues and external stakeholders.
• You’re resourceful and take initiative, finding creative solutions to challenges as they arise.

Location & Travel Requirements

The Special Assistant to the CEO must be based within commutable distance of the London office. While some flexibility is offered, the SA is expected to align their schedule with the CEO to provide on-hand support for ad hoc tasks. They should expect to work from the office 4-5 days a week.

The SA is part of the wider Executive Office team and is required to attend team meetings (either remotely or in person) once a week.

Additionally:

• All staff may be required to attend team offsites once a year (location TBC).
• All staff may also be required to attend a global offsite once per year (likely UK).

Annual Working Patterns

The SA’s workload will fluctuate based on the CEO’s schedule, with busier periods following events or travel.

WHY WORK WITH US?

You can find more about the benefits we offer here, but what makes us truly special is both our mission and our people. We’re a diverse team, from both charitable and commercial backgrounds, who believe that amazing things can happen when we tackle problems together. We offer a flat structure and an opportunity to help shape the future of philanthropy.

We bring the global team together once per year for a global offsite. This is a week of collaborative learning, ideas generation and socialising. In addition to this, each team has the opportunity to meet together at least once per year.

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at Founders Pledge. We seek people with different strengths, experiences and backgrounds, who share our drive to understand and solve complex social challenges.

We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. Finding solutions to the world’s most pressing problems requires different perspectives and unique ways of thinking and we are committed to building an inclusive and diverse workplace where everyone can do their best work.