Executive Assistant to the Managing Director, SPARC

About the Milken Institute

The Milken Institute is a globally minded, publicly supported, non-partisan, and nonprofit think tank headquartered in Santa Monica, with offices in Washington, DC, New York, London, Abu Dhabi, and Singapore. For the past three decades, the Milken Institute has served as a catalyst for practical, scalable solutions to global challenges by connecting human, financial, and educational resources to those who need them. Guided by a conviction that the best ideas, under-resourced, cannot succeed, we conduct research and analysis and convene top experts, innovators, and influencers from different backgrounds and competing viewpoints. We leverage this expertise and insight to construct programs and policy initiatives. These activities are designed to help people build meaningful lives, in which they can experience health and well-being, pursue effective education and gainful employment, and access the resources required to create ever-expanding opportunities for themselves and their broader communities.

The Milken Institute's events and programmatic activities, involve the exchange of ideas with leaders from around the world. The Institute hosts more than 200 events each year, with our annual flagship event, Global Conference, bringing together 4,500+ participants from around the world, featuring more than 900+ speakers throughout 200+ sessions over the course of the event.


About Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy

One of four pillars at the Milken Institute, Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy advises individuals, corporations, and foundations on the most strategic ways to ensure their philanthropic investments make an equitable, transformative impact, and offers tools and recommendations for making philanthropy more effective. Since its launch in 2015, the pillar has influenced more than $3.1 billion of philanthropic capital. In addition to in-depth research, reports, and guides, we design and build programs including funding initiatives, research collaboratives, large-scale innovation programs, and high-level events. Finally, we foster peer learning communities to accelerate knowledge-sharing and promote partnership. Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy's three portfolio of programmatic work include SPARC (Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration), Environmental & Social Innovation (ESI), and Philanthropy Leadership Collective (PLC).

About the Position

Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy SPARC (Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration) is looking for a proactive and adaptable executive assistant to support portfolio leadership. The role involves managing complex scheduling, handling travel logistics and expenses, helping with prep for meetings and organizing task management. This role requires independence and task-level ownership, as well as flexibility and the ability to work collaboratively. The ideal candidate can handle structured tasks with minimal oversight, while actively learning and applying best practices to support evolving business needs.

Responsibilities

• Effectively manage complex schedules, events, and tasks, ensuring all communications are organized and leaders are well-prepared
• Anticipate needs and maintain an efficient workflow
• Excel in sharing information clearly and efficiently, adapting communication styles for different audiences, including internal stakeholders and external partners
• Establish systems to track and log interactions with key external partners, keeping leaders informed and prepared for meetings
• Balance the calendars and priorities, demonstrating prioritization skills and agility in adapting to shifts in priorities, while maintaining accuracy and meeting deadlines
• Operate with minimal oversight, always looking for ways to optimize processes and schedules, and taking initiative to improve efficiency; this includes strategic planning for key events and managing time challenges effectively
• Build strong connections within immediate team and across other departments, becoming a trusted partner to leaders. This includes an understanding of team dynamics, priorities, and stakeholders, facilitating seamless coordination on high-stakes projects
• Duties as assigned

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required; 5+ years of experience in an executive support role or similar support function
• Experience having managed and optimized extremely busy calendars
• Professionalism and Discretion - you understand the balance between transparency and confidentiality
• Detail oriented - set up good systems to manage work with functional skills, like mastery of Asana, bullet-system, etc.
• Exceptional Communication Skills - being able to tailor a message appropriate to a specific audience
• Stays calm under pressure
• Independent task level operator
• Very fluent in Outlook, Word, Excel, PPT, etc. and other modern productivity software, and are excited to learn and use new tools

Working Conditions & Travel Requirements

This position will work in a professional office environment on a hybrid schedule consisting of four (4) days per week reporting in-person to the Washington, DC office location (Monday - Thursday), with the remaining day working remotely. Please understand, this schedule is subject to change at the Institute's sole discretion.


This person will also be required to travel occasionally to other offices and/or venues to assist with events as needed, requiring occasional work outside of traditional hours. Additionally, this position requires interacting virtually on a regular basis with Milken Institute staff based in other locations in the United States and around the world.


Note

The statements herein are intended to describe the overall nature and level of work being performed by employees and are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. Furthermore, they do not establish a contract for employment and are subject to change at the discretion of the employer.


We are interested in qualified candidates who are eligible to work in the United States. Please note, we are not sponsoring visas at this time, being authorized to work in the U.S. is a precondition of employment.

Please submit resume and cover letter illustrating how your experience and skills will contribute to the department and any unique qualities you bring to the position. If applying via Indeed, please upload your resume and any supporting documentation as one attachment. Any application that does not include both a resume and cover letter will be rejected . If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact our Human Resources department to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process.

Our Culture

The Milken Institute is proud to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, disability or status as a veteran.


Every person at the Milken Institute is treated with respect, supported with resources and training, and exposed to a broad range of experiences. We foster a space for growth with opportunities to share knowledge and passion with both clients and colleagues. We are committed to building a diverse workforce and creating an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive. Our leadership is actively involved in our commitment to diversity and inclusion, and fostering a culture that creates opportunities for everyone.


Benefits

• Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Retirement Plan - 403b (5% match)
• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
• Paid Time Off (Personal, Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
• Family Leave (Maternity & Paternity)
• Fertility Support
• Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
• Flexible Spending Account (FSAs)
• Pet Insurance Discount
• Training & Development:
• LinkedIn Learning - over 15,000 self-guided classes offered
• Annual Mentor Program
• Wellness Resources:
• Employee Assistance Program
• CALM app membership