Executive Assistant

The Organization: Merit America

The American economy is broken. Today, 53 million working adults–nearly half of the U.S. workforce–do not earn a living wage. These talented workers have few options to advance: college is too long and expensive, full-time boot camp programs don’t offer enough flexibility, and online courses don’t have the structure or support to translate learning into a new career. The result? Talented workers, disproportionately people of color and women, get stuck in low-wage roles with no way to build a better life for themselves and their families.

Merit America is a national nonprofit that creates pathways to family-sustaining careers for Americans stuck in low-wage work. Our fast, flexible solutions are built for working adults: We start by analyzing tens of millions of job postings to identify in-demand, high-paying tech careers and then work with industry-recognized partners to train for these roles with part-time programs that combine flexible online learning with best-in-class coaching. Finally, we support our learners in their job search, helping them connect with a broad constellation of local and national employers such as JPMorgan Chase and Infosys to land higher-earning, family-sustaining jobs. Merit America is on a mission to build a scalable pathway for workers to join the middle class through merit, not money. Since our founding in 2018, we’ve generated a projected $1 billion in near-term wage gains for our learners.

Note: Merit America generally operates on a four-day workweek; however, due to the nature of executive support, this role follows a five-day schedule (Monday–Friday).

Role Overview:

The primary mission of the Executive Assistant to the Co-CEOs is to support the Co-CEOs in working as efficiently and effectively as possible, managing complex calendars, coordinating executive travel, streamlining operations, and serving as a trusted liaison between the Co-CEOs and internal and external stakeholders.

The Executive Assistant will report directly to Lia Bonamassa (Chief of Staff) and work primarily with the Co-CEOs of Merit America. This role offers the opportunity to grow into expanded responsibilities over time, including supporting strategic projects, Board coordination, and executive communications.

Responsibilities:

The responsibilities of the Executive Assistant to the Co-CEOs will include, but are not limited to, the following:

Executive Calendar & Schedule Management (50%)

• Manage complex calendars for two Co-CEOs, scheduling meetings with critical stakeholders, typically within 24 hours of request
• Proactively identify and resolve scheduling conflicts, prioritizing meetings aligned with CEO goals and organizational priorities
• Coordinate across both Co-CEOs' schedules to ensure alignment and efficiency
• Prepare daily/weekly schedule briefings with context, materials, and priorities
• Monitor and respond to scheduling requests with urgency when needed (note: while responses outside business hours are appreciated for urgent matters, they are not required)

Travel & Logistics Coordination (20%)

• Plan and coordinate executive travel, including flights, accommodations, ground transportation, and detailed itineraries
• Manage travel logistics for conferences, board meetings, donor visits, and strategic partner meetings
• Handle expense reconciliation and travel reimbursements
• Anticipate travel needs and prepare travel-related briefing materials

Communication & Stakeholder Management (20%)

• Draft and edit emails, correspondence, meeting agendas, and post-meeting action items on behalf of the Co-CEOs
• Serve as a professional point of contact for internal teams, board members, partners, and external stakeholders
• Manage the Co-CEOs' inboxes, flagging priority items and drafting responses as appropriate
• Maintain discretion with sensitive and confidential information

Operational Support & Project Coordination (10%)

• Streamline workflows and systems to align with CEO priorities and deadlines
• Coordinate logistics for leadership meetings, team offsites, and organizational events
• Support cross-functional initiatives and strategic projects as needed
• Maintain organized systems for tracking action items, deadlines, and follow-ups
• Assist with Board coordination, including meeting minutes and follow-up actions (as role expands)

Skills & Competencies

We recognize that some individuals from underrepresented backgrounds may hesitate to apply if they don’t meet 100% of the listed qualifications.  Please don’t let that discourage you from applying! We value the unique skills, experiences, and perspectives that each applicant brings, and we encourage you to apply if you believe your background demonstrates the required skills and competencies:

Must Haves for all roles at Merit America: 

• Committed to Merit America’s mission to pave pathways to family-sustaining careers, break the poverty cycle, and create upward mobility for low-wage workers
• Demonstrated history of embodying our values, which inform our work and drive our organization's culture
• Shared sense of responsibility and ownership for our collective work in making a positive impact on the community we support, true to our value of Win & Lose Together
• Committed to continuous learning and growth in advancing inclusive excellence and closing gaps across lines of difference
• Passionate about fostering a workplace culture that embraces and values individual differences, aligned with our core value of inclusivity

Must Haves for this role:

Executive Support & Calendar Management

• Experience as an Executive Assistant or in a similar high-level administrative role
• Proven expertise managing complex calendars for senior executives, with ability to prioritize and coordinate across multiple stakeholders
• Track record of anticipating needs and proactively solving problems before they arise

Communication & Stakeholder Management

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with ability to draft professional correspondence on behalf of executives
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build positive relationships with internal and external stakeholders at all levels
• Ability to serve as a professional liaison between executives and board members, partners, and teams

Organization & Project Coordination

• Strong organizational skills with ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously in a fast-paced environment
• Experience coordinating complex travel logistics, including international travel arrangements
• Ability to streamline workflows and implement systems to improve executive efficiency

Technical Proficiency & Adaptability

• Proficiency with Google Workspace, Slack, Zoom, and other collaboration tools
• Comfort working in a fully remote environment with a distributed team
• Ability to learn new tools and systems quickly

Discretion & Professionalism

• Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with the utmost discretion
• Sound judgment in prioritizing issues and knowing when to escalate
• Flexibility to respond to urgent matters outside standard business hours when needed

Nice to Haves for this role:

• Experience supporting C-suite executives at a nonprofit or mission-driven organization
• Experience in a startup or high-growth environment
• Background in education, workforce development, or social impact sectors
• Experience supporting large-scale events or offsites

Other Logistics 

• This position is full-time: Monday-Friday, 40-50 hours/week
• Location: Remote
• Salary: $100,000
• Priority Application Deadline: Friday, February 6th

Our goal is to have competitive and equitable compensation.  We have a market-based compensation approach, which means we benchmark each role from reputable data sources. We compare our benchmarks against similarly sized non-profit organizations with comparable annual budgets and geographical areas. We pay the same rate for the same roles and adjust to comply with statutory mandates.

We take care of our employees by providing the following perks and benefits (please note that some of the benefits do not apply to temporary employees): 

• Medical, Dental and Vision insurance (100% Paid Employee Only Coverage)
• Flexible Spending Account and Health Savings Account
• Dependent care Flexible Spending Account
• Health Reimbursement Account fully funded by Merit
• Education & personal development reimbursement
• Catalog of courses for professional learning and development
• Short and long-term disability
• Unlimited vacation (after a 90-day introductory period)
• Paid Parental Leave and Adoption benefits (after 1 year of employment)
• 11 federally recognized holidays
• 2 week holiday office closure in December/January
• 401(k) retirement plan with automatic Merit contribution
• Wellness Benefits/Wellness Resources
• Discount perks at work program
• Phone/technology stipend
• Home office setup stipend
• Affinity groups and community building via virtual, in-person, and/or regional meetups
  

*Eligibility for some benefits may vary based on employment status, full-time or part-time. Eligibility will be outlined during the hiring process.

Remote Work & Sponsorship

Candidates must reside within the 50 states or District of Columbia and have full authorization to work in the 50 U.S. states & the District of Columbia (international work abroad, including the U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, and other islands are excluded). In addition, Merit America doesn't offer employment visa sponsorship.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Building an inclusive, high-performing team that is diverse across lines of personal identity is integral to our success and we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

This means we do not discriminate against any job applicant or employee because of their race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This applies to all terms and conditions of employment.

We actively strive and evolve to develop and maintain workspaces that are fully inclusive. We encourage candidates from underrepresented groups to apply.

Still excited about our work?  You can learn more about our work in this video we made with our founding partner, Google.

Fair Chance Ordinance

Applicants who have arrest or conviction records and are in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County will be considered in accordance with the state’s fair chance ordinance law. Employment under the ordinance includes part-time work, seasonal work, contract work, contingent work, work on commission, and work through the services of a temporary or employment agency.

E-Verify Statement

This employer participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. If E-Verify cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, this employer is required to give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or Social Security Administration (SSA) so you can begin to resolve the issue before the employer can take any action against you, including terminating your employment. Employers can only use E-Verify once you have accepted a job offer and completed the I-9 Form.