Senior Executive Assistant

Summary: Since its founding in 1968, National Black Theatre (NBT) has continuously served as a hub for the next generation of Black theatre artists by providing training and creative development opportunities to showcase their work, and it has reshaped the American theatrical canon in the process.

The Senior Executive Assistant serves as a trusted administrative, strategic, and operational thought partner to NBT’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Sade Lythcott, and Executive Artistic Director (EAD), Jonathan McCrory. This person is responsible for managing the day-to-day logistics for Sade and Jonathan’s commitments; protecting and maximizing their time and workflow; balancing competing priorities, exercising judgment, and driving the execution of their responsibilities. Stewarding their communications and relationships with donors, partners, and stakeholders with care is a key function. The successful Senior Executive Assistant will be nimble, proactive, and learn to anticipate what Sade and Jonathan need at the micro and macro levels. This role sits at the intersection of arts, philanthropy, government, media, producing, cultural stewardship, and major institutional partnerships. It is an opportunity for a seasoned executive operator who thrives in complex, fast moving environments and takes pride in enabling ambitious leadership and increasing organizational impact. The successful candidate will bring a confidence to hold executives accountable with tact, professionalism, and discretion.

This is a full-time, exempt position with a salary range of $80,000-$100,000. The position is headquartered in Harlem, New York, where NBT currently operates a hybrid work schedule. This position will be expected to work in person 3-4 days per week. Evening and weekend hours are expected occasionally to support CEO and EAD activities or respond to urgent items.

Responsibilities: The Senior Executive Assistant’s responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Proactively manage the CEO’s and EAD’s professional and personal schedules, appointments, and travel itineraries, anticipating particularly demanding periods, ensuring that their time is balanced and productive, and enabling effective communication among internal and external stakeholders

  • Use Google calendar; create and circulate Zoom meetings/invitations

• Monitor, manage and triage CEO’s email inbox, prioritizing communications, identifying urgent matters, coordinating follow-up, and ensuring key business and personal matters are addressed in a timely manner

• Draft email responses, exercising sound judgment about what can be handled independently and what requires executive attention or other escalation

• Communicate directly and on behalf of the CEO and EAD to a wide range of stakeholders, including donors, funders, artists, board members, civic leaders, elected officials, and strategic partners, adapting tone and voice appropriately with minimal direction

• Maintain deep awareness of the ecosystem of executive relationships, ensuring these stakeholders are prioritized thoughtfully, communications are timely, and follow-through reflects NBT’s standards of care, discretion, and discernment

• Provide proactive upward management, ensuring priorities, commitments, deadlines, and follow-through maintain visibility and momentum

• Prepare briefing materials to support executive decision-making and public presentations; conducting research and synthesizing large volumes of information to clearly identify what matters, what requires a decision, what can be delegated, and what next steps are required

• Collaborate with NBT’s development and marketing teams to prepare CEO and EAD for meetings with funders and donors and for attendance at high profile events

• Collaborate with NBT’s development team to ensure the organization’s donor database captures executive cultivation and solicitation opportunities and engagement

• Coordinate with NBT’s PR and marketing teams to update assets such as bios and decks and to share information about the CEO and EAD’s invitations, events, and public appearances

• Collaborate with the producing and development teams to help produce special events, updating invitee and guest lists, copyediting materials, supporting with travel/housing accommodations, and budgeting

• Track agendas for cross-team check-ins; join meetings as needed, taking notes and coordinating action steps with other participants

• Develop systems for project management as it relates to CEO and EAD tasks and deadlines across teams, ensuring that their obligations and participation do not fall through the cracks

• Liaise with board members as needed, supporting their onboarding and engagement; support with the maintenance of board records, governance documents, committee materials, and compliance files

• Handle CEO and EAD expenses reconciliations by collecting, coding, and submitting receipts into NBT’s accounting system; track down missing details and documentation as needed

Experience / Qualifications:

• Appreciation for NBT’s mission and the power of theater and storytelling; knowledge of the performing arts sector a plus

• Five to seven years of experience performing executive assistant support in a fast-paced setting involving high-volume scheduling and high-stakes deliverables

• Comfort and discretion handling personal matters

• Experience drafting correspondence; excellent written and verbal communications

• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail

• Team player with the confidence to take the lead and guide other employees and make strong recommendations; a self-starter who is motivated to take initiative while also collaborating across the organization

• Adaptable and able to pick up new tools and systems quickly

• Calm under stressful circumstances

• Exceptional judgment, diplomacy, polish, political acuity, and ability to navigate high-profile relationships and sensitive situations, maintaining confidentiality

• High degree of curiosity and comfort asking questions even amidst a fast-paced environment

• Proficiency in Google Workspace

• Proficiency in Raisers Edge (preferred)

  
  

  Benefits at NBT:

  • 75% employer-covered health, dental, and vision insurance

  • Flexible Spending Account

  • Unlimited paid time off (PTO) policy, plus two annual office-wide closures (theatrical performance schedule permitting), holidays and up to 10 days of unplanned/sick time per year

  • $500 annual (December) wellness stipend after completing one year

  • 401(k) with automatic employer contributions after the first year

  • Dedicated professional development resources

  
  

  National Black Theatre is an equal opportunity employer. NBT recruits, employs, trains, compensates and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, veteran status, and other protected status as required by applicable law.