Executive Assistant

Job description

Moonshot believes that marginalized people in society — including people of color, Indigenous people, people from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, women, Disabled and LGBTQIA+ people — must be centered in the work we do. We strongly encourage applications from people with these identities or who are members of other communities who are currently underrepresented in our workforce. All qualified applicants will be afforded equal employment opportunities without discrimination because of race, creed, color, national origin, sex, age, disability or marital status. We know a diverse workforce will enable us to understand drivers behind violent extremism and online harms in an in-depth way and do better work to counter them.

About the role:

Moonshot is seeking an exceptional Executive Assistant to support its US Leadership team while contributing to our Toronto operations. Moonshot’s offices are based in Toronto, Canada. We offer flexible work options including hybrid and remote arrangements. While we are open to candidates from across Canada, you will be required to work eastern timezone.

As the Executive Assistant, you will be essential in managing schedules, coordinating travel, supporting US project coordination, and facilitating various special projects. The Executive Assistant plays a vital role in coordinating activities and facilitating connections within our expanding project portfolio and business development efforts, serving as a trusted partner to ensure that leadership can focus on strategic initiatives and business development.

The successful candidate will have a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by senior executives, particularly in managing their time, energy, and complex travel arrangements. You will need to demonstrate exceptional organizational skills, a proactive mindset, and the ability to handle difficult, often high-stakes, situations with professionalism and discretion. Managing competing priorities, navigating diverse stakeholders - ranging from internal teams to external partners, clients, senior government officials, and journalists - and ensuring that the executive’s time is optimized will be at the heart of your role. Additionally, your time will be split helping the operations team.  You will be responsible for a wide array of administrative activities and furthering office procedures across the organisation. As part of the operations team, you will ensure high levels of organisational effectiveness while creating and maintaining a functional and pleasant work environment that supports the team.

We are looking for someone with experience in fast-moving commercial or political environments, who can balance the demands of the executive while maintaining a calm and organized approach. The nature of this role requires the candidate to have exemplary time management skills, the ability to anticipate needs, and the capacity to prioritize effectively amidst various demands. The individual will navigate this dynamic role with professionalism, interacting seamlessly across a diverse spectrum of individuals, from Moonshot’s management team to external partners, clients, senior government officials, and journalists.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Directly manage the executive’s calendar, scheduling meetings, appointments, and speaking engagements with discretion and foresight. Exercise sound judgment when committing the executive’s time, ensuring optimal use of their schedule and evaluating the urgency and importance of requests.
• Oversee all aspects of domestic and international travel, including flight arrangements, visa requirements, accommodations, transportation, and logistical coordination. Ensure time zone considerations are factored in when scheduling travel and meetings, optimizing travel time and minimizing disruptions.
• Manage the executive’s incoming emails, prioritizing and triaging urgent client, partner, and team communications. Draft timely, professional responses as needed, ensuring that no client emails go unanswered for more than 24-48 hours. Build and maintain strong relationships with key clients and partners, ensuring proactive and consistent follow-up.
• Track high-priority tasks and follow up on ongoing requests to ensure timely completion. Keep the executive informed of progress and ensure deadlines are met without compromising quality.
• Assist US leadership team with project coordination support across the US program portfolio  including scheduling team and client meetings, updating project plans in spreadsheets or project management software, and coordinating review and issuance of contracts for consultants, suppliers, and partners
• Prepare, reconcile, and submit expense reports in a timely manner, ensuring accuracy and compliance with company procedures.
• Support budget development and project financial monitoring in consultation with project managers and the finance team (e.g., tracking expenditures, updating budgets, reviewing and reconciling project profit and loss statements, and reviewing supplier invoices).
• Assist in the preparation of special projects, including creating PowerPoint presentations, financial spreadsheets, reports, and agenda materials. Provide support for project documentation and the production, formatting, copy editing, quality assurance, and distribution of project deliverables.
• Develop agendas and take detailed and accurate meeting minutes, ensuring that actionable items are clearly identified and communicated to relevant stakeholders for follow-up.
• Oversight of expenditures and finances for the day to day running of the office including managing the office Pleo account and ordering/shipping items to the team.
• Providing general administrative and tech support to the wider team, working closely with our IT provider and managing our Google Workspace.
• Assisting the global operations team with their responsibilities, which includes but is not limited to global compliance processes.
• Handle day-to-day administrative tasks including printing, mailing, copying, and managing emails. Maintain organizational systems to ensure smooth operations.
• Draft and prepare routine correspondence for the executive’s signature.
• Other additional and/or alternative duties as assigned from time to time.

Essential:

• Strong commercial or political background experience, demonstrated through previous roles that involved strategic planning, stakeholder management, or policy development. Experience navigating complex landscapes and managing high-level priorities is essential.
• Significant experience managing complex international and domestic travel arrangements.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with exceptional writing, editing, and proofreading abilities.
• Skilled in protecting the professional and personal needs of a busy Executive.
• Proven experience in managing client communications, prioritizing urgent requests, and maintaining professional relationships with partners and stakeholders. Comfortable handling high volumes of email and correspondence with clients.
• Strong organizational skills, with the ability to handle multiple responsibilities simultaneously.
• Ability to handle ambiguity, think on your feet, and adjust to shifting priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• A proactive, positive attitude with a commitment to delivering tasks efficiently.
• Exceptional attention to detail, with the ability to assess and prioritize tasks quickly and efficiently, ensuring that critical matters are addressed in a timely manner.
• Highly trustworthy and ability to maintain confidentiality and use discretion and diplomacy in both written and verbal communications.
• Strong IT skills, with proficiency in relevant software and tools.
• Willingness to work outside regular working hours where required.
• Commitment to Moonshot’s mission.
• In addition, we require and will check on candidates’ eligibility to work in Canada.

Desirable

• Proficiency in Google Suite.

• Experience of project management, specifically Monday.com

• 25 days paid vacation leave, plus Statutory Holiday

• Full private healthcare package, including coverage for partners and children.

• Dental & Vision Insurance.

• Life & Disability Insurance.

• ²⁴⁄₇ access to free counseling via our Employee Assistance Program.

• Generous maternity and paternity leave: 26 weeks paid maternity leave, 8 weeks paid paternity leave.

• All permanent employees are granted share options upon employment.

Salary: 65,000 CAD - 73,000 CAD depending on experience