Executive Assistant and Philanthropy Operations Coordinator

The Opportunity:

Children's Hospital Foundation seeks an experienced Executive Assistant & Philanthropy Operations Coordinator to serve as a trusted partner to the Vice President of Philanthropy and a key operational resource for the Foundation’s frontline philanthropy team.   

This role is at the center of a fast-paced, highly collaborative philanthropy operation. The successful candidate will provide high-level executive support to the Vice President while helping the broader frontline team stay organized, prepared, connected and focused on its highest priorities. From managing complex schedules and preparing leadership for critical meetings to coordinating team workflows, tracking deliverables and ensuring the details behind donor activity are handled seamlessly, this position helps create the infrastructure that allows philanthropy professionals to do their best work.  

The ideal candidate is an experienced executive assistant, senior administrative professional or operations-minded project coordinator who enjoys anticipating needs, bringing order to complexity and serving as the trusted link among leaders, colleagues and partners. While the position works closely with the Foundation's fundraising team and supports donor-related activity, it is not a frontline fundraising role. 

Reporting to the Vice President of Philanthropy, the Executive Assistant & Philanthropy Operations Coordinator will exercise considerable judgement, discretion and initiative in managing confidential information, coordinating competing priorities and ensuring that projects and tasks move forward. The successful candidate will be highly organized, calm under pressure, adaptable to a fast-paced complex environment, service-oriented and comfortable working with senior leaders and representing the organization in public settings.  

Key Responsibilities:

Executive Support to the Vice President of Philanthropy 

• Serve as a trusted partner and primary administrative support to the Vice President, anticipating needs and helping maximize the VP’s time and effectiveness. 

• Manage a complex and dynamic calendar, balancing competing priorities and proactively ensuring the Vice President is prepared for team and leadership meetings, high-level donor interactions, and key organizational initiatives. 

• Prepare the Vice President for meetings by coordinating agendas, briefs, meeting materials; record meeting notes and track follow-up actions as needed. 

• Coordinate travel arrangements, documentation, reimbursements, invoices, and other executive administrative processes. 

Philanthropy Team Operations and Project Coordination 

• Help ensure the smooth day-to-day operation of the philanthropy team by coordinating meetings, communications, schedules, deadlines and shared priorities. 

• Maintain systems and processes that help frontline fundraisers stay organized, prepared and accountable for follow-up. 

• Coordinate administrative workflows involving proposals, gift agreements, approvals, signatures, documentation and distribution of materials. Track cross-functional  projects including timelines, action items, and key deliverables, proactively identifying outstanding items and helping work move forward. Maintain tracking systems, reports, and records that support fundraising activity and team performance. 

• Coordinate team meetings, retreats, planning sessions and other internal activities, including agendas, logistics, materials, notes and follow-up. 

• Identify opportunities to improve administrative processes and make it easier for the philanthropy team to accomplish its work. 

Coordination of Donor and Fundraising Activities 

• Provide logistical and administrative coordination of philanthropy-related events, foundation visits, donor meetings, and departmental initiatives. 

• Coordinate schedules and logistics among donors, fundraisers, physicians, hospital leaders and other stakeholders. 

• Prepare donor and foundation briefing materials, meeting packets, proposals, presentations and related materials at the direction of the philanthropy staff.   

• Support the timely movement of donor-related documents and communications among internal and external partners. 

• Help ensure that donor and partner interactions are well organized and professionally executed, while leaving relationship management and fundraising strategy to the appropriate frontline staff.

Departmental Administration and Project Support 

• Coordinate office resources, supplies, procurement, promotional materials and other operational needs for the philanthropy team. 

• Support special projects and initiatives led by the Vice President or other members of the philanthropy leadership team. 

• Develop and maintain organizational tools and processes that improve team-wide consistency and efficiency. 
• Collaborate across Children's Hospital Foundation and Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU to ensure effective communication, coordination, and execution of departmental priorities. 

Required Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree  

• 5+ years of executive support, senior administrative support, project coordination, development operations, or related experience, preferably supporting senior leaders and/or complex teams. 

• Proficiency  in Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and CRM systems, preferably Blackbaud NXT. 

• Demonstrated experience managing complex calendars, coordinating multiple priorities and anticipating the needs of senior leaders. 

• Exceptional organizational, multitasking, and time management skills , with a demonstrated ability to bring structure to complex workflows. 

• Strong written and verbal communication  skills, including the ability to communicate professionally with senior leaders and a wide range of internal and external stakeholders. 

• Proven ability to build relationships with diverse stakeholders  

• Ability to work independently and maintain attention to detail in a fast-paced environment , while also functioning effectively as part of a highly collaborative team. 

Additional Requirements:

• Service-oriented mindset and genuine enjoyment of making other people more effective 

• Intellectual curiosity and willingness to learn the organization, its people and its priorities 

• Comfort working in a complex, matrixed organization with multiple stakeholders and competing priorities. 

• Demonstrated ability to relate well and respect individuals from diverse backgrounds, roles and levels of seniority. 

• Must possess attention to detail, initiative, leadership, creative energy, well-refined organizational skills, strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to take calculated risks. 

• Ability to remain composed, flexible and solutions-oriented in a fast-paced environment. Strong written, presentation, verbal, organizational, and interpersonal skills 

• Demonstration of strong judgement, professionalism, discretion and the highest standards of ethical conduct 

Physical Requirements

• Ability to operate standard business equipment and computers for extended periods. 

• Sufficient mobility to manage active, fast-paced environments. 

• Strong verbal and written communication capacity to navigate communications over the phone, digitally, and in person. 

Schedule:

Children's Hospital Foundation offers a hybrid work environment. Due to the highly collaborative and donor-facing nature of this role, regular onsite presence is required to support leadership needs, team priorities and organizational activities. The successful candidate should expect to work onsite approximately three to four days per week; schedule dependent on scheduled activities, which can differ week-to-week. Occasional evening and weekend work may be required to support fundraising events, donor meetings, and other special activities.

About Children's Hospital Foundation:

Children’s Hospital Foundation is an independent 501(c)3 that works to maximize philanthropic impact in children’s health at Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU. We are dedicated to raising and stewarding philanthropic resources that will enable CHoR to become a top, nationally ranked children’s hospital. With roots going back more than 104 years to the incorporation of Richmond’s original children’s hospital on Brook Road in 1920, we are proud to work with generous members of our community to drive excellence in patient care, education and research. 

Children’s Hospital Foundation is currently engaged in a $195 million comprehensive campaign focused on four key pillars: Expand to Heal, Empower Growth, Nurture Every Step and Shape the Future.  

Salary range:

$60,000-$75,000; competitive and commensurate with experience.

To apply, please email a resume and cover letter to careers@chfrichmond.org. Please be sure to list the position title in the subject. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.

Children's Hospital Foundation is an equal opportunity/affirmative action organization providing access to employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, political affiliation, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or disability.