Executive Assistant

Executive Assistant

Reports to: CEO

Type: Full-Time

Salary: $75,000 $90,000

Location: Lowell, MA

About UTEC Inc.: UTEC's promise is to ignite and nurture the ambition of our most disengaged youth to trade violence and poverty for social and economic success. UTEC's outcomes-focused model begins with intensive street outreach, reaching proven high-risk youth where they're at. UTEC engages youth in workforce development and educational programs and provides mental health services and intensive case management. Social justice and civic engagement are embedded in all programming.

UTEC is committed to its vision for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion which pledges to honor the lived experiences and expertise of individuals; create community and celebration of cultures; challenge all forms of oppression; and embody a culture that leans into discomfort and recognizes it as a growth opportunity. UTEC is dedicated to fair and equitable compensation practice, the health, mental health, and overall well-being of young adults and staff and to creating an environment that supports work-life balance and the individual and professional growth of all.

We strongly encourage people of color, individuals from historically marginalized communities, and those with lived experience related to the communities we serve to apply. UTEC is also proud to be a second-chance employer. We believe that past involvement with the legal system should not be a barrier to meaningful employment, and we welcome applicants regardless of criminal record.

Job Summary:

UTEC, Inc. is seeking an experienced, highly organized Executive Assistant to provide high-level administrative and operational support to senior leadership from our Lowell office. This role reports directly to the CEO and provides direct support to the CEO and senior leaders, including complex scheduling, communications and email management, meeting preparation, and confidential administrative support requiring discretion and sound judgment. This role requires the ability to act proactively and independently in a fast-paced environment. The Executive Assistant will serve as a key partner to senior leadership, anticipating needs, navigating competing priorities, and leveraging online tools to support efficient operations.

In addition to executive support, this role is responsible for the administration and coordination of Leadership Team meetings and Board meetings, ensuring high-quality preparation, documentation, and follow-through. This role also provides oversight of front desk reception to ensure consistent coverage and a welcoming visitor experience, in close coordination with the Program team.

Key Responsibilities

Executive Support & Administrative Leadership (CEO and Senior Leaders)

• Manage complex calendars and scheduling for the CEO and senior leaders; prioritize requests, resolve conflicts, and proactively adjust schedules, and anticipate needs across multiple leaders with minimal direction.
• CEO calendar and email management: monitor, triage, and respond to the CEO's email as appropriate; draft responses, route messages, flag urgent items, and alert the CEO to communications requiring their direct attention and decisions.
• Draft, edit, proofread, and format correspondence, internal communications, and meeting materials with professionalism and discretion.
• Coordinate meeting logistics (rooms, A/V, attendees, catering as needed, printing/materials preparation) and support effective meeting readiness.
• Maintain organized systems for contacts, templates, records, and highly confidential files; ensure timely follow-through on requests and commitments while exercising strong discretion and judgement.
• Leverage digital tools (e.g., Google Workspace, Microsoft Office, and other platforms) to streamline administrative processes, improve organization, and support senior leaders in effectively navigating technology.

Leadership Team (LT) Meeting Management (1012 members)

• Manage the end-to-end cadence and logistics of Leadership Team meetings.
• Gather agenda items from LT members, draft the agenda, and obtain final agenda approval from the CEO.
• Identify and confirm meeting facilitators (including coordinating facilitation rotation as applicable) and ensure facilitators are prepared with materials, goals, and timing.
• Take and distribute meeting notes highlighting decisions, action items, owners, and deadlines.
• Maintain an action-item tracker and proactively follow up with LT members between meetings to ensure completion; escalate barriers and risks as appropriate.

Board Meeting Support & Governance Administration

• Support the Board meeting process end-to-end to ensure readiness, accuracy, and timely distribution of materials.
• Draft Board meeting agendas at the direction of the CEO and Board Chair and coordinate review/approval.
• Schedule all Board meetings and coordinate calendars, logistics, and meeting location/technology.
• Gather, compile, and format all materials needed for Board meetings; manage version control and timely distribution.
• Take Board meeting minutes and coordinate review/finalization per internal governance practices; track Board action items and follow up with owners as needed.

Front Desk Reception Oversight (in coordination with Program)

• Oversee front desk reception scheduling and coverage planning to ensure the front desk is staffed during all work hours; coordinate backup plans for PTO/absences.
• Coordinate with the Program team to ensure reception coverage and practices align with programming hours, participant flow, and safety considerations.
• Maintain clear reception procedures and escalation pathways; serve as an escalation point for complex issues requiring judgment, discretion, and the ability to handle sensitive situations appropriately.

Travel, Expense & Administrative Processing (as applicable)

• Coordinate travel logistics and itineraries; troubleshoot changes as needed.
• Prepare and reconcile expense reports and administrative documentation in accordance with UTEC policies. Gather and submit receipts as requested.

Special Projects / Project Management (as assigned)

• Support or lead special projects and project management assignments as directed by the CEO, including developing workplans, coordinating stakeholders, tracking milestones, and driving follow-through.
• Support planning, coordination and implementation of agency events at the request of the CEO and senior leaders.

Role Flexibility / Evolving Responsibilities UTEC is an evolving organization. Should structural or operational needs change, this role may be adapted to meet organizational priorities, which may include supervising additional employees or taking on expanded administrative/operational responsibilities.

Required Qualifications

• 57 years of progressively responsible administrative/executive support experience; experience supporting multiple senior leaders strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise independent judgment, act proactively with limited direction, and effectively prioritize work, triage communications, and handle highly sensitive and confidential matters with discretion.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; strong editing, formatting, and document preparation capability.
• Strong organizational systems, attention to detail, and consistent follow-through.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (especially Outlook) and/or Google Workspace; ability to learn new tools quickly.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, on-site office environment with frequent interruptions.
• Bilingual a plus.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting a CEO and senior leadership team in a mission-driven or community-based organization.
• Experience supporting Board meetings (agenda development, packet compilation, minutes).
• Familiarity with project tracking/collaboration tools (e.g., Teams, Slack, Asana, Trello).

Work Expectations

• Full-time, exempt, on-site role based in UTEC's Lowell office.
• Occasional travel to other UTEC sites,
• Early/late hours may be needed for Board deadlines, leadership meetings, events, or urgent operational needs.

Compensation

The salary for this role is $75,000 $90,000. UTEC offers a competitive benefits package that starts with 3 weeks of vacation plus a week off between the Christmas and New Year holidays, 12 holidays, 10 sick days, 2 personal days, and 3 bereavement days, as well as health, dental, and vision insurance starting day one. We also offer life insurance, first-time homeowners down payment assistance, cost-of-living increases, a paid sabbatical after three years, and a 401K retirement plan with up to $2,000 savings match. See more about our benefits here.

UTEC provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, UTEC complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location where the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion,