Executive Assistant - Executive Office

Position Overview

Rare Overview  

Rare is a global leader in reducing coastal overfishing and revitalizing coastal fisheries. Rare is working across eight countries to strengthen how communities protect and manage coastal areas and habitats. In the Philippines, Rare has worked with 796 communities to establish 1.2+ million hectares of Managed Access Areas, of which ~10,000 hectares are no-take reserves, benefiting over 1.2 million community members.  

Position Overview 

The Executive Assistant (EA) provides high-level executive, administrative, and operational support to the Vice President (VP) and Senior Director (SD), enabling the Executive Office to operate efficiently and effectively. Serving as a trusted partner, the EA manages executive priorities, coordinates complex schedules and logistics, facilitates information flow, and ensures seamless execution of administrative and operational responsibilities. 

The role works closely with leaders and teams across the organization to support effective communication, coordination, and alignment on organizational priorities. Success in this role requires exceptional organizational skills, sound judgment, discretion, adaptability, and a proactive approach to anticipating and addressing the needs of the Executive Office. 

Key Responsibilities 

Executive Calendar, Scheduling, and Travel Management 

• Manage the VP's and SD's calendars, ensuring efficient scheduling of meetings, travel, and appointments across multiple time zones. 

• Coordinate internal and external meeting requests, balancing competing priorities while anticipating scheduling conflicts and organizational needs. 

• Plan and coordinate all executive travel arrangements, including flights, accommodations, visas, itineraries, and briefing materials. 

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of executive commitments, travel, meetings, and key deadlines. 

Executive Meeting Management 

• Review executive calendars to ensure meetings are well-prepared with clear objectives, agendas, and supporting documentation. 

• Prepare briefing materials, presentations, talking points, and background information for meetings and engagements. 

• Coordinate with internal teams and external partners to gather information, presentations, and other materials required for executive engagements. 

• Record meeting notes, document decisions, and monitor follow-through on action items as assigned. 

Executive Communications and Stakeholder Coordination 

• Serve as the primary administrative point of contact for the Executive Office by managing correspondence, screening requests, and facilitating professional communication with internal and external stakeholders. 

• Coordinate communication and information flow between the Executive Office and country program teams. 

• Assist in drafting and preparing executive communications, announcements, and organizational updates as needed. 

• Handle confidential and sensitive information with the highest level of professionalism and discretion. 

Information and Document Management 

• Maintain organized, accurate, and accessible records of executive documents, presentations, reports, and reference materials. 

• Ensure appropriate document version control, confidentiality, and secure information management practices. 

Administrative and Operational Support 

• Prepare and process executive timesheets, expense reports, reimbursements, and other administrative requirements in a timely manner. 

• Coordinate procurement and vendor-related administrative processes in collaboration with Finance and Operations teams. 

• Plan and manage logistics for Executive Office meetings, leadership retreats, workshops, and hybrid or in-person organizational events. 

Continuous Improvement and Special Projects 

• Provide administrative and coordination support for strategic initiatives and special projects assigned by the VP and SD. 

• Proactively identify opportunities to improve Executive Office processes, systems, and administrative efficiencies. 

• Monitor emerging issues and escalate time-sensitive matters requiring executive attention. 

• Perform other duties consistent with the responsibilities of the role. 

Qualifications 

The successful candidate is highly organized, detail-oriented, resourceful, and capable of thriving in a dynamic and fast-paced connected environment. They demonstrate sound judgment, exceptional professionalism, and the ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining strict confidentiality. 

Education and Experience 

• Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience. 

• Minimum of 3-5 years of experience providing executive-level administrative support in a complex, fast-paced, or matrixed organization. 

Knowledge, Skills, and Competencies 

• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple competing priorities with accuracy, efficiency, and sound judgment. 

• Excellent organizational, planning, and time management skills with exceptional attention to detail. 

• Strong interpersonal, communication, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build effective working relationships across all organizational levels. 

• Ability to exercise discretion and maintain confidentiality when handling highly sensitive information. 

• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to anticipate needs, identify solutions, and take initiative with minimal supervision. 

• Comfortable working in a multicultural and globally distributed environment. 

• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft 365 applications, Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, and executive calendar management tools. 

• Experience using AI-enabled productivity tools (e.g., Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, or similar platforms) to enhance administrative efficiency, workflow management, and productivity is highly desirable. 

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English. 

Other Duties 

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time. 

Rare is an equal employment opportunity employer and is committed to a proactive program of affirmative action and diversity development. Rare will continue to recruit, hire, train, and promote into all job levels without regard to race, religion, gender, marital status, familial status, national origin, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, source of income, or veteran status. All employment-related decisions are based solely upon legitimate, job-related factors such as skill, ability, past performance, attendance and length of service. Discrimination of any type will not be tolerated under any circumstances. 

Applicants must be legally authorized to work on a full-time basis in the country where the position is based. We are unable to provide visa or work authorization sponsorship