Executive Assistant

Executive Assistant

Nashville, TN

The Executive Assistant serves as a trusted partner to the President & CEO, providing high-level executive and administrative support that strengthens the CEO's effectiveness and ensures the smooth operation of the Executive Office. The primary focus of this role is managing a high volume of email, meeting requests, scheduling, and follow-up. The Executive Assistant actively monitors and organizes the CEO's inbox, prioritizes requests, coordinates responses, and ensures that internal and external stakeholders receive prompt, professional, and friendly communication. The position also ensures the CEO is fully prepared for meetings and engagements, supports Board relations and governance, and coordinates closely with Chamber staff and external stakeholders.

Essential Functions:

Inbox Calendar and Executive Workflow Management

• Manage the CEO's high volume of email, voicemail, meeting requests, text-based requests, and calendar activity as a central responsibility of the position.
• Draft, send, or delegate responses on behalf of the CEO when appropriate, maintaining a prompt, friendly, professional, and consistent tone across all communication channels.
• Manage a high volume of meeting requests, determining priority, timing, and participants based on the CEO's objectives, relationships, commitments, and schedule.
• Maintain an organized system for tracking requests, messages, commitments, decisions, and follow-up so that important matters do not fall through the cracks.
• Proactively identify calendar conflicts, scheduling pressures, incomplete information, and required preparation, resolving issues whenever possible before elevating them to the CEO.
• Protect the CEO's time while ensuring that Board members, investors, staff, elected officials, community partners, and other stakeholders receive excellent service and appropriate access.
• Maintain accurate contact information, correspondence records, and relationship details.

CEO Operations and Executive Support

• Coordinate day-to-day activities and ensure the CEO is prepared for meetings, speaking engagements, media appearances, events, travel, and other commitments.
• Coordinate with Chamber team members to assemble comprehensive briefing materials, including background information, participant profiles, agendas, talking points, presentation materials, prior correspondence, and logistical details.
• Develop strong knowledge of the Chamber's strategy, programs, organizational responsibilities, key stakeholders, and regional priorities to anticipate needs.
• Organize and oversee travel arrangements, event itineraries, and related logistics for the CEO.
• Coordinate the CEO's business schedule with relevant personal commitments.
• Prepare and submit expense reports, organize receipts, reconcile executive expenses, and manage other routine administrative matters accurately and promptly.
• Draft and manage CEO correspondence and communications outside routine inbox responses.
• Support execution of the CEO's quarterly, annual, and five-year priorities by aligning schedules, tracking commitments and progress, and reinforcing accountability.
• Coordinate regular one-on-one meetings with Executive Team members and departmental check-ins, including scheduling, preparation, documentation, and follow-up as needed.
• Provide occasional support outside regular business hours for time-sensitive matters, meetings, events, and travel-related needs.

Board of Directors

• Manage Board and Executive Committee administration, including calendar planning, meeting logistics, agenda coordination, materials preparation and distribution, minutes, presentation and virtual-meeting support, attendance records, and follow-up.
• Coordinate Board communications, onboarding, governance records, and other governance-related processes in partnership with the CEO and Executive Team.
• Serve as a responsive and professional liaison between the Executive Office and members of the Board, supporting effective engagement and information flow.

Position Requirements:

Knowledge / Education and Experience Required:

• Bachelor's degree preferred.
• 5-7 years of experience in executive-level administrative or operational support roles, with demonstrated leadership responsibility.
• Experience supporting C-level executives, managing high-priority initiatives, and coordinating complex logistics and communication.
• Experience with nonprofit governance or board support preferred.

Skills and Abilities Required:

• Exceptional organizational, time-management, writing, and communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage a high volume of communications, scheduling requests, and competing priorities with accuracy, responsiveness, and consistent follow-through.
• Strong judgment in determining what requires immediate attention, what can be handled independently, what should be delegated, and what can wait.
• Exceptional discretion, confidentiality, and professionalism in handling sensitive information.
• A service-oriented approach that combines responsiveness and hospitality with the ability to protect the CEO's time and priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to anticipate needs, identify potential problems, and take initiative without waiting for detailed direction.
• Strong relationship-building skills and the ability to secure information and follow-through from colleagues and stakeholders without formal authority.
• Exceptional attention to detail and ability to synthesize information from multiple sources.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to quickly learn and effectively use digital tools that support executive productivity, information management, CRM administration, workflow collaboration, and AI-enabled work.

Supervision:

• None

Fiscal Responsibility:

Supports Executive Office budgeting, expense management, travel coordination, and governance-related administrative functions.

Project Management:

Supports execution of Executive Office priorities through coordination, scheduling, logistics management, follow-through, and administrative support related to CEO priorities, meetings, events, and governance functions.

Physical Demands / Requirements:

• Combination of desk work and occasional on-site event support.
• Occasional lifting of light objects (less than 24 pounds).
• Intermittently walking, standing, bending, and carrying.
• Requires use of safe work practices with office equipment and adherence to safety regulations.
• Manual dexterity, visual and auditory acuity needed.
• Some repetitive motion is involved.
• Valid driver's license required.
• Ability to travel locally and regionally.
• Requires attendance at events before or after normal business hours.

Application Instructions:

If interested in working with the Nashville Chamber Area of Commerce, please email [email protected].