Executive Assistant

ABOUT NIA TERO

Nia Tero is a global bridging organization that brings Indigenous Peoples and allies together to advance what we call Indigenous Peoples’ guardianship[1]. Our partnerships with Indigenous Peoples’ are explicitly structured to honor self-determination, respect time-honed knowledge and ways of being and build trust while upholding the sacred value of reciprocity. To achieve this, we work in solidarity with Indigenous Peoples to safeguard their ancestral thriving territories and ways of being, collaborating on essential global efforts towards a vibrant and habitable future Earth.

  • Our vision is that Indigenous Peoples’ guardianship is enabled everywhere possible on Earth as part of a just and vibrant future.
  • Our mission is to directly support Indigenous Peoples’ guardianship and elevate the role and influence of Indigenous Peoples as essential to ensuring planetary health and habitability.

Our team is international and based across South America, the Pacific Islands, Asia, and North America, with a large contingent at our Seattle headquarters. We speak many languages, including English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and a wide range of Indigenous Peoples’ languages.

Nia Tero is entering the first year of our new five-year strategy and is seeking candidates who thrive in a fast-paced environment, adapt quickly to change, and seek to strengthen the impact of a mission-driven organization.

ROLE SUMMARY

The Executive Assistant will be a trusted professional, providing high-level administrative and organizational support to Nia Tero’s Executive Leadership, ensuring time and resources are focused on advancing Nia Tero’s strategy and mission. This role requires a proactive and highly organized person who thrives in a dynamic environment, balancing logistics and strategy with thoughtfulness and intention. Strong oral and written communication skills are essential for this role as the Executive Assistant is responsible for drafting comprehensive briefing materials, reports, presentations, and communication on behalf of Executive Leadership. This role is also responsible for managing calendars, coordinating meetings, handling correspondence, and managing travel arrangements, while utilizing discretion, and confidentiality. The successful candidate should be able to multitask and prioritize these tasks effectively.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES 

  • Efficiently manage complex scheduling across multiple time zones, prioritizing key relationships and aligning with the organizational priorities.
  • Complete a broad variety of administrative tasks including completing expense reports; composing and preparing correspondence ensuring clarity and cultural sensitivity; and arranging complex and detailed travel plans and agendas.
  • Manage correspondence and relationship management with funders, external stakeholders, and core collaborators ensuring timely and effective follow up.
  • Prepare comprehensive briefing materials, reports, and presentations to support meetings, decision-making and public engagements.
  • Track key action items and commitments, ensuring thoughtful and timely follow-up
  • Organize and staff relevant internal and external meetings and events, with exceptional attention to detail.
  • Support alignment between Executives and other staff ensuring clarity on timelines, priorities and communication.
  • Work effectively and collaboratively with other Executive Assistants as a core support team of senior leadership.
  • Engage in fostering a collaborative and supportive environment within the Executive Team, the Executive Assistants, and across the organization.
  • Handle sensitive and confidential information with the highest level of trust and discretion.
  • Travel as needed to support meetings, events, and internal gatherings.

PEOPLE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES

This position will not directly supervise anyone or have direct financial oversight. The position requires discretion, confidentiality, and cultural sensitivity.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience Requirements*

  • 7+ years supporting C-level executives, preferably in a global non-profit organization.
  • Demonstrated expertise in written communication, with the ability to craft clear, thoughtful, and culturally aware messages, emails and documents on behalf of executive leadership.
  • Demonstrated success working with nonprofit organizations, non-governmental or other mission driven entities, preferable within global, environmental, Indigenous rights sectors.

*A combination of education, training, and experience which has provided theoretical and practical knowledge will be evaluated for equivalency.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities 

  • Strong organizational skills that reflect the ability to perform and prioritize multiple tasks seamlessly, with excellent attention to detail.
  • Strong interpersonal skills, with ability to respond tactfully and diplomatically with a wide range of global leaders, executives, and community members.
  • Exceptional written and verbal communication skills in English.
  • Demonstrated proactive approaches to independent problem-solving and ability to execute workplans.
  • Proven ability to handle confidential information with discretion, adapt to various competing demands, and demonstrate the highest level of service.
  • Demonstrated ability to prioritize conflicting needs; handle matters proactively; and follow through on projects to successful completion.
  • Experience working in global settings, multiple time zones, and with diverse internal and external partners from a wide range of cultures and backgrounds.
  • Expert proficiency with Microsoft Office; ability to design and edit graphic presentations and materials.

Ideal:

  • Proficiency in multiple languages
  • Working knowledge of a CRM system
  • Lived experience working directly with Indigenous Peoples and communities and demonstrated understanding about issues and challenges facing Indigenous Peoples and communities.
  • Visually or otherwise identify, observe, and assess distance, color and depth; Required to regularly communicate with others and exchange accurate information.
  • Able to operate a computer and other office productivity equipment; able to remain stationary at a computer for extended periods of time and move around his/her assigned workspace.

WORKING CONDITIONS AND TRAVEL

This full-time position is ideally based in Seattle, WA with the flexibility to work some evenings and weekend hours as needed. Occasional day and night domestic travel and some international travel is a potential (up to 15%).

Physical Requirements: 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job:

  • Visually or otherwise identify, observe, and assess distance, color and depth; Required to regularly communicate with others and exchange accurate information.
  • Able to operate a computer and other office productivity equipment; able to remain stationary at a computer for extended periods of time and move around their assigned workspace.

HOW TO APPLY:

If interested in this role, please email cover letter and resume to jobs@niatero.org and include “Executive Assistant” in the subject line.

Nia Tero is an Indigenous Peoples serving global organization that strives to have an inclusive, equitable, and diverse work culture. We encourage people from historically excluded groups to apply.

The salary for this position is USD $87,000-$100,000 annually based on experience. Our compensation program is U.S. based and pay ranges are representative of compensation in the U.S. market.  For positions outside of the U.S., pay rates are determined based on the applicable local regional market.

This is a full-time permanent position and qualifies for healthcare benefits (medical, dental and vision), 401K and paid time off (including vacation leave, sick leave, and personal days).

Assignment Category:Full-Time
Classification:Exempt /  Salary

[1] Indigenous Peoples’ guardianship - the ability of Indigenous Peoples to act upon an inherent right and acceptance of responsibility to govern and manage collective territory using their own laws and values. Nia Tero honors the diverse ways in which people understand this term; for us it is linked to cultures, languages, and practices that have developed in tandem with thriving land, water and place, and has a vital inter-generational dynamic.

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