Strategic Advisor to the CEO

Description

Job Title: Strategic Advisor and Executive Coordinator to the CEO

Supervisor: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Job Status: Full-Time / Exempt

Job Hours: 35 hours per week, On-Site

Location: New York, NY (Midtown Manhattan)

Compensation: $95,000- $125,000 (commensurate with experience) plus annual performance bonus.* 

*Candidates must have the required qualifications to be considered for the position. The salary offer will be determined based on the candidate’s relevant experience in the same or a comparable position, as well as their overall qualifications, skills, and additional preferred credentials. Consideration may also be given to the scope and complexity of the candidate’s prior responsibilities and demonstrated expertise.

About Encore: Known widely as Broadways longest running act of loving care, Encore’s mission is to improve the quality of life for older New Yorkers so they are not just surviving, but thriving. Through a robust array of programming, Encore takes a “no wrong door approach” to ensure Seniors are able to age in place comfortably for as long as possible. Encore is recognized as one of the most respected and trusted nonprofit organizations providing services for older New Yorkers in New York’s City. Encore is on the cutting edge in the human service field and is a staunch advocate not only for older New Yorkers, but also for the essential human service employees who serve as the City’s safety net. Do not miss this chance to work for a mission-oriented organization, which centers employees as its number one resource.  

Position Summary: The Strategic Advisor to the CEO (Chief Executive Officer) is a high-leverage, force-multiplier role designed to maximize the effectiveness, strategic reach, and time optimization of Encore’s CEO. Operating as a direct extension of the CEO, this partner acts as a sophisticated liaison, operational strategist, and executive proxy. Crucially, this is a high-impact individual contributor role with no direct reports. It is built for a politically savvy, high-performing professional who can seamlessly navigate relationships with the Executive Team, Board of Directors, private donors, city officials, and community leaders. The ideal candidate ensures flawless operational rhythm and stakeholder alignment without creating an unnecessary organizational barrier or hierarchy between the CEO and his direct reports.

Benefits: Encore's comprehensive benefits package includes medical insurance (with employee contributions), employer-paid dental and vision coverage effective on the first day of full-time employment, generous paid time off (vacation, personal, sick, and earned floating holidays), a 403(b) retirement plan with a 3% employer match after one year of eligible service, and access to Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), Dependent Care, and commuter/transit benefits.

Requirements

Executive Support and Strategic Coordination

• Serve as a trusted advisor and strategic partner to the CEO;
• Manage and prioritize matters requiring the CEO's attention;
• Prepare the CEO for high-level meetings, presentations, hearings, site visits, and external engagements;
• Draft executive briefings, talking points, correspondence, and follow-up communications;
• Identify issues requiring CEO involvement and recommend appropriate courses of action.

Stakeholder and External Relations

• Represent the CEO, when appropriate, with Board members, government agencies, donors, community leaders, and external partners;
• Maintain strong relationships with key internal and external stakeholders;
• Coordinate follow-up after meetings, events, funding discussions, and advocacy activities;
• Communicate the CEO's priorities and expectations with professionalism and diplomacy.

Board and Executive Team Support

• Work with the Executive Team to ensure Board reports and supporting materials provided by the Executive Team are accurate, strategic, and aligned with the CEO's priorities;
• Develop executive level agendas, briefing materials, and recommendations for meetings requiring CEO participation;
• Track key decisions and CEO-directed commitments resulting from the Executive Team and Board meetings to ensure appropriate follow-up.

Executive Calendar and Time Management

• With the administrative support of the Human Resources Assistant provide oversight for the following;
• Strategically manage and prioritize the CEO's calendar;
• Prioritize meetings and engagements based on organizational priorities and the CEO's strategic objectives;
• Anticipate scheduling conflicts and make adjustments as priorities change;
• Protect time for strategic planning, fundraising, Board engagement, and other high-priority activities.

Project and Accountability Management

• Track commitments and deadlines assigned by the CEO to members of the Executive Team and other leaders;
• Follow up on outstanding assignments and identify potential delays or barriers;
• Maintain project trackers and ensure important deadlines remain on schedule;
• Coordinate cross-departmental initiatives requiring executive oversight.

Research and Executive Intelligence

• Research government agencies, funders, community partners, elected officials, and other stakeholders;
• Prepare concise background briefs and recommendations for the CEO;
• Monitor relevant developments affecting Encore's programs, funding, partnerships, and strategic priorities;
• Identify opportunities, risks, and emerging issues requiring executive attention.

Issue Management

• Serve as a first point of contact for complex matters requiring executive review;
• Assess issues, gather relevant information, and recommend potential solutions;
• Resolve matters independently when appropriate and escalate significant issues to the CEO with appropriate context and recommendations;
• Maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment when handling sensitive matters.

Illustrative Examples

· Provide the CEO with context, recommendations, and strategic considerations before high-priority meetings or decisions so the CEO can engage effectively with internal and external stakeholders.

· Review incoming requests and operational issues, determine which matters require CEO involvement, and redirect routine matters to the appropriate Executive Team member.

· Prepare a concise executive brief before a meeting with a City agency, including relevant contract information, historical issues, key attendees, and the CEO's objectives for the meeting.

· Develop talking points that balance technical information for a government meeting with mission- and impact-focused messaging for a donor or community engagement.

· Evaluate a complex client or staff concern, gather relevant information, identify potential solutions, and elevate the matter to the CEO only when executive intervention is necessary.

· Attend a high-level coalition meeting on behalf of the CEO and communicate Encore's position and priorities when the CEO is unable to attend.

· Research and maintain knowledge of key stakeholders' priorities, relationships, and areas of alignment with Encore's programs and strategic initiatives.

· Draft a tailored follow-up communication from the CEO after a site visit that references specific information about Encore's programs and the community served.

· Communicate the CEO's expectations to internal or external stakeholders while maintaining diplomacy and preserving strong working relationships.

· Review a draft financial presentation to ensure the information is appropriately contextualized within the CEO's strategic priorities rather than presented only as raw financial data.

· Transform a general Executive Team update into a focused, time-bound agenda centered on resolving a specific organizational or budgetary issue.

· Document commitments and deadlines from a high-level meeting and enter them into a project tracker so responsible leaders can be followed up with before deadlines are missed.

· Periodically review the CEO's calendar to ensure sufficient time is dedicated to high-value activities such as donor cultivation, strategic planning, Board engagement, and other organizational priorities.

· Redirect a routine operational matter to the appropriate Executive Team leader so the CEO can remain focused on a critical strategic priority.

· Reorganize the CEO's schedule on short notice when an urgent government hearing or other high-priority engagement arises, while ensuring the CEO has the necessary preparation.

· Protect dedicated blocks of time for strategic planning and donor cultivation rather than allowing the calendar to become dominated by routine operational meetings.

· Follow up with a department head on a grant proposal due to the CEO, identify missing information, and help resolve barriers before the deadline.

· Check in with responsible leaders before a CEO-directed deadline, identify missing information or resources, and escalate significant barriers when necessary.

· Maintain a shared tracker for commitments from major projects, including compliance deadlines and deliverables agreed upon with external partners.

· Coordinate follow-through among multiple departments on a strategic initiative, ensuring responsibilities, timelines, and deliverables remain aligned with the CEO's expectations.

· Research a prospective foundation trustee's philanthropic history and public statements to identify potential alignment with Encore's strategic priorities before a CEO meeting.

· Prepare a two-page background brief for a meeting with a government agency leader, including current performance information, historical challenges, and specific objectives for the discussion.

· Monitor developments in New York City government funding and social services that may affect Encore's programs, contracts, advocacy priorities, or partnerships.

· Identify potential political, financial, operational, or stakeholder risks and provide the CEO with context and recommended next steps.

· Screen complex stakeholder requests, client concerns, or operational bottlenecks and determine whether they can be resolved at the appropriate leadership level or require CEO involvement.

· Gather information from relevant departments regarding a complex concern, assess the available options, and present the CEO with a concise summary and recommended course of action.

· Resolve routine high-level stakeholder or operational issues independently while escalating matters with significant reputational, financial, political, or organizational implications to the CEO.

· Handle sensitive personnel, client, Board, donor, and stakeholder matters discreetly and share information only with those who have a legitimate need to know.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree required.
• At least three (3) years of experience supporting a CEO, Senior Executive, Board, government agency, or nonprofit leadership team required;
• Experience in a nonprofit, government, social services, or similarly complex organization preferred;
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills required;
• Strong project management and organizational skills;
• Excellent judgment, discretion, and emotional intelligence;
• Ability to manage competing priorities and work effectively under pressure;
• Strong relationship-building and interpersonal skills;
• Ability to synthesize complex information into concise, executive-ready materials;
• Familiarity with New York City government agencies, nonprofit organizations, philanthropy, or social services required;

Key Competencies

• Executive judgment
• Strategic thinking
• Political awareness and diplomacy
• Written and verbal communication
• Project management
• Relationship management
• Organization and follow-through
• Problem-solving
• Conflict Management
• Confidentiality and discretion
• Ability to work independently