Executive Assistant

Organizational Background

Wildlife Conservation Network is a rapidly growing leader in wildlife conservation. WCN uses its collaborative, entrepreneurial, innovative, and philanthropically generous approach to wildlife conservation to reverse crises facing threatened species. In support of WCN’s mission to protect endangered wildlife by supporting conservationists who ensure people and wildlife coexist and thrive, WCN gives conservation leaders access to donors and a range of resources and tools they need to be successful.

About the Role

WCN’s dedicated and diverse team values the people and relationships behind conservation as much as the science and strategy to save wildlife. The Executive Assistant provides proactive, high-touch administrative and operational support to the CEO and CPO, managing their time, priorities, and communications with care and precision. This role ensures leaders are set up for success, prepared, priorities move forward, and day-to-day operations run smoothly in service of WCN’s mission. This role is accountable for ensuring leaders’ time, priorities, and commitments are effectively managed and aligned

This is a hybrid role with occasional in-person work at our San Francisco office; candidates located within a reasonable commuting distance (approximately one hour) are preferred.

Key Responsibilities

Supports the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Programs Officer with proactive operational support to ensure focus and momentum on WCN’s strategic priorities and growth.

Executive Support

• Provide high-level administrative support to two senior leaders, owning calendar strategy and priority alignment to ensure their time and commitments are effectively managed and competing demands are resolved.
• Own inbox management, including triaging communications, drafting responses, and ensuring timely follow-through
• Anticipate leaders’ needs and proactively solve problems, helping leaders stay focused and prepared
• Serve as a key point of contact for internal and external stakeholders, building strong, trust-based relationships
• Coordinate travel arrangements and itineraries with strong attention to detail

Project Management

• Identify opportunities and tools to improve processes and workflow, organization, ultimately leading to more efficiency
• Track priorities, commitments, and next steps to help ensure strong follow-through
• Schedule team meetings, develop agendas, and capture action items
• Monitor key deadlines and deliverables, following up to support timely progress
• Support cross-functional coordination by aligning schedules, tracking dependencies, and facilitating communication

Meeting/Event Planning

• Ensure leaders are fully prepared for meetings by coordinating logistics, clarifying objectives, and organizing briefing materials in advance
• Prepare polished presentations, documents, and reports to support meetings and decision-making
• Support execution of meetings by tracking agendas, materials, and key details
• Track meeting follow up and ensure next steps are taken

Skills and Experience

• 5+ years of experience providing administrative support to senior level staff
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills across different cultures, with solid customer-service professionalism;
• Aptitude to work independently and in a collaborative, team-oriented culture, with flexibility to work with shifting priorities and dynamic needs
• Exercise strong judgment in prioritizing requests and managing competing demands across leaders
• Experience calendaring in multiple time zones
• Mastery of Google Suite and Microsoft Office tools
• Experience using AI
• Extremely organized and high attention to detail
• Strong project management skills and adept at related software/systems
• Strong commitment and understanding of confidentiality, as well as experience with VIP guests across multiple sectors
• Ability to lift and carry materials weighing up to 25 lbs. and manage occasional physical requirements as necessary
• Mission-driven and deeply committed to WCN’s conservation efforts with strong natural alignment to WCN’s Core Values and integrity beyond reproach.

Compensation and benefits

Compensation is based on qualifications, experience, and location of residence. The annual salary range for San Francisco Bay Area-based candidates is $85,000-$95,000. In addition, benefits include medical, dental, vision insurance contributions, chiropractic/acupuncture, basic life insurance, AD&D, Health FSA and Dependent care (pre-tax payroll dollars), a retirement plan where WCN matches 100% of employee’s contribution up to 6% of employee’s salary, 11 paid holidays with 1 paid floating holiday, 15 days of paid vacation in the first year (+1 day per year worked), paid sick leave, and an employee discount program.

WCN’s Non-Discrimination Policy

WCN is committed to the principles of being an equal opportunity employer (EOE). WCN’s organizational policies, practices, programs, activities and decisions regarding employment are not based on a person’s race, color, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, parental status, housing status, or other protected status, in accordance with applicable law. Black, Indigenous, people of color, women, individuals identifying with the LGBTQIA+ community, or members of other underrepresented groups in the conservation sector are strongly encouraged to apply.