Senior Manager, Executive Assistant

About the California Academy of Sciences

The California Academy of Sciences is a globally renowned scientific and cultural institution located in the heart of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Home to a world-class planetarium, aquarium, research center, and natural history museum—all under one living roof—our mission is to regenerate the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration.

Our extensive collections span plants, animals, fossils, and cultural artifacts from across the globe and throughout history. We are a diverse team of leading biodiversity scientists, educators, storytellers, designers, and communicators who work collaboratively to advance knowledge and inspire action through science and storytelling.

When you join the California Academy of Sciences, you become part of a mission-driven community that values curiosity, collaboration, and innovation. Whether you're working behind the scenes in research or engaging the public on the museum floor, your work will help connect people to the natural world and empower them to protect it.

About the Opportunity

The Executive Assistant to the Executive Director serves as a highly trusted strategic partner responsible for ensuring seamless executive operations in a fast-paced, high-visibility environment. This role requires exceptional judgment, discretion, responsiveness, and organizational discipline. The Executive Assistant acts as gatekeeper, liaison, project manager, and operational lead for the Executive Director and Senior Leadership Team—managing complex scheduling, communications, travel, events, board coordination, and special cross-functional initiatives. The position demands professional presence, emotional intelligence, discretion and confidential judgement, and the ability to anticipate needs before they arise. This is an in-office role requiring a strong commitment to operational excellence and executive support.

The Executive Assistant supervises and partners closely with the Board Liaison to ensure seamless coordination of board communications, meeting logistics, materials preparation, and follow-through on governance-related action items.

Organizational Culture
Join a team dedicated to the Academy’s mission, vision and values! Currently, the Academy has a new strategic plan including three initiatives – Hope for Reefs, Thriving California, and Islands 2030 – that leverage biodiversity science, environmental learning, and collaborative engagement to regenerate fragile ecosystems around the world. Learn more at https://www.calacademy.org/about-us/major-initiatives.

We hope you are inspired by what we do and are excited to contribute to our mission. The mission of the California Academy of Sciences is to regenerate the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration. The Academy is looking for candidates who do great work, and we know they may come from a number of different backgrounds and experiences. We encourage you to apply even if you do not believe you meet every qualification for the position.

This position is based in San Francisco, California. The specific onsite/hybrid schedule for this position is listed below.

Key Responsibilities

Executive Support and Executive Office Lead

• Serve as partner and primary gatekeeper to the Executive Director’s time, assessing urgency and prioritizing access strategically.
• Manage complex calendar scheduling, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities and eliminating conflicts.
• Prepare daily agendas including meeting purpose, participants, background materials, and recommendations.
• Track Executive Director’s commitments and deadlines, helping to ensure that plans and commitments are executed in a timely manner.
• Conduct background research on individuals, organizations, and topics to support executive preparation.
• Reply to invitations and correspondence on behalf of the Executive Director, maintaining tone and style consistency.

Communication and Relationship Management

• Act as primary liaison between the Executive Director and board members, donors, senior leadership, staff, and external partners.
• Draft, edit, and proofread correspondence, presentations, reports, and meeting materials.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Support participation in external organizations, membership groups, and sector convenings.

Senior Leadership and Board Support

• Lead planning and execution of senior leadership meetings, retreats, and extended team sessions.
• Develop meeting agendas, compile materials, and track action items with weekly follow-up summaries.
• Supervise the Liaison to the Board of Trustees.
• Approve time and expense submissions for the Executive Assistant team and Executive Directors direct reports.
• Support onboarding of Senior Leadership Team members.
• Anticipate and coordinate quarterly performance meetings between Executive Director and members of the Senior Leadership Team
• Approve timekeeping for direct reports.

Travel and Logistics Management

• Develop comprehensive domestic and international travel itineraries, including flight selection, seating preferences, accommodations, and ground transportation.
• Coordinate visa applications and required travel documentation.
• Manage travel reimbursements and expense reconciliation.
• Remain available to adjust travel plans in real time as needed.

Budget and Expense Oversight

• Develop and manage the Executive Office annual budget in coordination with the CFO.
• Process, code, and approve monthly credit card expense reports.
• Track reimbursements and maintain organized financial documentation.

Event and Meeting Coordination

• Lead logistics for non-advancement events for the Executive Director including catering, invitations, RSVPs, guest communications, and run-of-show coordination.
• Support high-level internal and external gatherings including museum consortium meetings and visiting dignitaries.
• Organize logistics for board meetings, executive meetings, and senior leadership offsites.
• Oversee event details including materials, catering, parking, and guest experience.

Office and Operations Management

• Oversee day-to-day office operations to ensure a smooth and professional working environment.
• Support management of office technology and tools.
• Create and refine administrative processes to improve executive and Senior Leadership Team productivity.
• Maintain organized systems for records and document retention.

Executive Assistant Team Leadership

• Serve as non-supervisory lead for the Executive Assistant team.
• Support collaboration and coordination across the Executive Assistant group.
• Manage group administrative projects.

Project and Strategic Support

• Assist with special projects, presentations, data compilation, and reporting.
• Summarize donor and government affairs engagements for annual leadership review.
• Track key meetings, connections, and institutional touchpoints throughout the year.
• Identify process improvements and proactively implement solutions.

Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications: 

Success Criteria

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Commitment to Quality – Exceptional attention to detail with consistently high-quality work product.
• Discretion and Integrity – Absolute confidentiality and sound judgment.
• Self-Management – Ability to prioritize independently in a dynamic environment.
• Initiative – Anticipates needs and acts without prompting.
• Project Management – Plans, organizes, and executes complex projects and tasks effectively.
• Positive Professional Presence – Maintains composure and professionalism under pressure.
• Strategic Prioritization – Accurately assesses urgency and importance across competing demands.

Qualifications

• Associate’s Degree required; Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• 8+ years of Executive Assistant experience supporting C-level executives. 
• Minimum of 3 years of direct supervisory experience, including providing coaching, performance feedback, and oversight of administrative or support staff preferred. 
• Experience in a fast-paced, production, nonprofit, cultural, technology, or financial services environment preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to manage confidential and sensitive information.
• Efficient, proactive, resourceful, and very well organized.
• Advanced proficiency in Google Workspace, teleconferencing platforms, and expense management systems.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Professional presence representing both the organization and executive leadership.
• Experience supporting board-level leadership strongly preferred.

Leadership Characteristics

• Highly organized and detail-oriented.
• Calm under pressure.
• Strong interpersonal instincts.
• Diplomatic, perceptive, and discerning.
• Service-oriented with high accountability.
• Proactive and solutions-focused.
• Collaborative team player with leadership presence.

Physical Environment:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions. 

Compensation and Benefits:
The salary range for this position is $135,000.00- $145,000.00. Actual compensation will be commensurate with the final candidate's qualifications and experience, including skills, knowledge, relevant education, certifications and aligned with the internal peer group. We believe in fair and equitable compensation practices and are committed to providing competitive salaries within the industry and market standards. The Academy offers a total compensation package that emphasizes both base salary and comprehensive benefits based on the hours per week worked. Further details regarding compensation and benefits will be discussed during the interview process.

Schedule: Full-time, 40 hours per week; hybrid schedule with 3 days onsite.

How to Apply:

Interested candidates should submit a resume and application through our Careers Page portal.

The California Academy of Sciences will give full consideration for employment to all qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance (SF Police Code, Article 49).