Executive Assistant to the Deputy Director

The Whitney Museum of American Art seeks a highly organized, resourceful Executive Assistant to support the Deputy Director and help ensure the smooth day-to-day operation of the office. This role offers broad exposure to museum administration through collaboration with Legal, Finance, the Office of People & Culture, Government & Community Affairs, senior leadership, and the Board of Trustees, with a particular focus on support for the Office of the General Counsel. 

Strict confidentiality, exceptional discretion, and sound professional judgment are essential to this position. The Executive Assistant regularly handles highly sensitive institutional, personnel, legal, financial, Board, and labor-related information. Success requires protecting that information while keeping authorized colleagues informed and priorities moving forward. 

As a central point of contact for internal and external partners, you will manage a complex calendar, prepare the Deputy Director for meetings, coordinate follow-through, and support cross-functional projects with professionalism, accuracy, and diplomacy. 

Responsibilities

Executive and Office Support 

• Manage the Deputy Director’s complex calendar, balance competing priorities, resolve scheduling conflicts, and protect time for strategic work. 
• Coordinate routine and ad hoc meetings, prepare agendas, briefings, presentations, and talking points, and arrange meeting rooms and virtual meeting technology. 
• Serve as a professional, discreet first point of contact for the office; welcome guests and coordinate communication with staff, Trustees, consultants, and external partners. 
• Arrange travel and itineraries, process expenses, manage office supplies, and provide back-up administrative support as needed. 
• Maintain organized, secure digital and physical filing systems for critical and confidential documentation in accordance with Museum policies. 
• Coordinate across the Deputy Director’s senior team, track action items and deadlines, take meeting notes, and follow through on commitments. 
• Provide confidential administrative and meeting support for union and other contract negotiations. 

Meeting Preparation and Follow-Through 

• Assemble briefings, agendas and materials so the Deputy Director arrives at every meeting fully prepared.
• Support preparation for Board committee meetings including scheduling, coordination, and preparation of materials for Finance, Audit, Investment, and Building committees, in coordination with the museum’s Board liaison.
• Supports the Deputy Director’s Union and all Contract Negotiations
• Take meeting notes, track action items, and follow up to ensure commitments are met on time.
• Draft and edit presentations on behalf of the Deputy Director including coordination of inputs from across the organization as needed

Legal, Compliance, and Governance Support 

• Coordinate annual government compliance filings and renewals, including charitable solicitation registrations and New York City and State ethics and lobbying filings, tracking requirements and ensuring timely completion. 
• Maintain the internal Legal SharePoint site, including contract templates, institutional policies, FAQs, and vendor terms-and-conditions resources. 
• Process vendor invoices through Concur, maintain departmental records, and assist with budget tracking. 
• Coordinate application materials for insurance renewals and additional institutional coverage needs. 
• Administer the staff Code of Ethics disclosure process and, with the General Counsel, the annual conflict-of-interest questionnaire process for Trustees and staff leadership, safeguarding sensitive disclosures and records. 
• Coordinate Audit, Finance, Investment, and Building Committee meetings with the Board liaison, including agendas, minutes, materials, and follow-up. 
• Partner with the Director’s Office on Executive and full Board meeting support and maintain professional relationships with Trustees and their offices. 
• Obtain and maintain a notary commission and provide notarization services for Museum documents.

Board Related Administration

• Coordinate meetings of the Audit, Finance, Investment, and Building committees of the Board of Trustees including preparing agendas, minutes, and materials.
• Work with the Director’s Office to provide additional support as needed for Executive and Full Board meetings; 
• Maintain good working relationships with Trustees and their offices; 
• Working with the General Counsel, prepare and administer the Annual Conflict of Interest (COI) Questionnaire process for Trustees and Staff Leadership;

Special Projects and Cross-Functional Coordination 

• Coordinate recruitment logistics for critical hires, including confidential candidate communications, interview scheduling, and candidate tracking. 
• Partner with Finance on tracking and reporting for art acquisition committees, including restricted funds, and coordinate timely reporting to Curatorial, Advancement, and Research Resources. 
• Support research, data gathering, project coordination, internal events, team meetings, and staff retreats; perform other duties as assigned. 

Occasional and other duties

• Preparing and setting up conference rooms for meetings, including arranging materials, and technology as needed
• Greeting and directing guests upon arrival at the museum or office
• Obtaining and maintaining notary commission and performing notarizations for museum documents 
• Ordering and managing office supplies and equipment as needed
• Providing back-up administrative support across the department as needed
• Performing other duties as assigned

Confidentiality and Professional Trust 

• Confidentiality is a core responsibility of this role—not simply an administrative expectation. You will be expected to exercise careful judgment about what may be shared, with whom, and through which channels; safeguard sensitive correspondence, meeting materials, disclosures, and records; and maintain discretion in all interactions. Information must be shared only with authorized individuals in accordance with Museum policies. When authorization or handling requirements are unclear, you will seek guidance before sharing. 

What You Will Bring 

• Demonstrated ability to handle highly confidential information with discretion, integrity, and sound judgment. You understand the importance of appropriate access, secure recordkeeping, and careful communication. 
• Outstanding organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to anticipate needs, manage competing priorities, and meet multiple deadlines independently. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, diplomacy, and a collaborative approach to working with colleagues and partners at all levels. 
• Strong knowledge of office practices and procedures and proficiency with Microsoft 365, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, or comparable tools. 
• A bachelor’s degree is required; a master’s degree or additional relevant education is preferred. 
• A current notary commission or the ability to obtain and maintain one is required. 
• Strong quantitative and analytical skills are a plus. 

Compensation & Benefits

• Fixed compensation of $78,000-$80,000 per annum
• Medical, Dental, Vision, 403(B) elections
• Generous PTO benefits
• Commuter benefits - parking and mass transit
• Admission to world-renowned museums across the city and nationally
• Pet insurance and discounted membership for Citibike

If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply. We are dedicated to considering a broad array of candidates. Whether you’re new to arts and culture administration, returning to work after a gap in employment, simply looking to transition, or take the next step in your career path, we will be glad to have you on our radar. Please use your cover letter to tell us about your interest in the arts and culture space and what you hope to bring to this role. 

About the Whitney
The Whitney Museum of American Art, founded in 1930 by the artist and philanthropist Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, houses the foremost collection of American art from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. From her vision arose the Whitney Museum of American Art, which has been championing the most innovative art of the United States for 86 years. The core of the Whitney’s mission is to collect, preserve, interpret, and exhibit American art of our time and serve a wide variety of audiences in celebration of the complexity and diversity of art and culture in the United States. Through this mission and a steadfast commitment to artists themselves, the Whitney has long been a powerful force in support of modern and contemporary art and continues to help define what is innovative and influential in American art today. Its signature exhibition, the Biennial, is the country's leading survey of the most recent developments in American art. 

EEO Statement
The Whitney Museum of American Art is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Museum does not discriminate because of age, sex, religion, race, color, creed, national origin, alienage or citizenship, disability, marital status, pregnancy, partnership status, caregiver status, veteran status, gender (including gender identity), sexual orientation, genetic information, predisposition, or carrier status, arrest or conviction record to the extent required by applicable law, credit history, domestic violence, sexual violence, or stalking victim status, or any other factor prohibited by law. The Museum hires and promotes individuals solely on the basis of their qualifications for the job to be filled. The Museum encourages all qualified candidates to apply for vacant positions at all levels.