Executive Assistant & Special Events Coordinator
ACLU of Alabama (ACLU-AL)
Classification: Full-Time, Exempt
Reports to: Chief of Staff
Position Summary
The Executive Assistant & Special Events Coordinator provides high-level administrative and operational support to the Executive Team while leading the planning and execution of key organizational events and convenings.
This role functions as a strategic partner to leadership supporting daily operations, advancing organizational priorities, and ensuring events are executed with excellence and alignment to ACLU-AL’s mission.
The position is intentionally structured with a 70/30 focus:
- 70% Executive & Operations Administrative Support
- 30% Special Events & Convenings
This role is ideal for a highly organized, proactive professional who thrives at the intersection of leadership support, project management, and event execution.
Core Accountabilities
Executive & Operations Administrative Support (70%)
Leadership Support & Coordination
- Provide direct administrative support to the Executive Team, including calendar management, scheduling, meeting coordination, travel logistics, and expense tracking.
- Serve as a key point of coordination between leadership, staff, board members, and external partners.
- Track action items, deadlines, and follow-ups across leadership priorities to ensure accountability and follow-through.
Meetings, Briefings & Communications
- Prepare agendas, briefing materials, presentations, and follow-up notes for leadership, board, and cross-departmental meetings.
- Assist with drafting, organizing, and distributing internal and external communications on behalf of leadership, as needed.
- Coordinate logistics and materials for board-related meetings in partnership with the Chief of Staff.
Operational & Administrative Support
- Support the Chief of Staff and the rest of the Executive Team with administrative coordination related to organizational systems, processes, and internal initiatives.
- Maintain organized digital and physical filing systems for leadership documents, contracts, and key operational materials.
- Assist with confidential and sensitive communications, personnel-related documentation, and leadership workflows with professionalism and discretion.
Special Events & Convenings (30%)
Event Planning & Execution
- Lead planning and execution for ACLU-AL events, including staff retreats, board meetings, community convenings, trainings, service days, and special initiatives.
- Develop detailed event timelines, run-of-show documents, budgets, and staffing plans.
- Coordinate logistics such as venue selection, room blocks, catering, A/V, transportation, accessibility needs, and on-site support.
Vendor & Partner Management
- Serve as the primary liaison with hotels, venues, vendors, and external partners.
- Support contract coordination and vendor agreements in collaboration with the Chief Financial Officer, Chief of Staff, and other internal stakeholders as appropriate.
- Track vendor deliverables, invoices, and timelines to ensure smooth execution.
Cross-Team Collaboration & Follow-Up
- Collaborate with internal teams to align on event goals, messaging, registration, materials, and staffing.
- Support participant and volunteer coordination, including registration tracking and event communications.
- Lead post-event debriefs and feedback collection to inform improvements for future events.
Decision-Making & Priority Alignment
- The Executive Assistant is empowered to act independently within their scope of responsibility and exercise sound judgment in managing day-to-day operations, communications, and administrative matters understanding that the Executive Director holds final decision-making authority.
- The Chief Financial Officer provides oversight related to finance, budgeting, contracts, and organizational administration and retains final decision-making authority within those areas.
- The Chief of Staff ensures organizational priorities are coordinated across departments, supports leadership initiatives, and provides day-to-day guidance and workflow alignment for the position
- The EA & Special Events Coordinator escalates competing priorities, opportunities, or conflicts to leadership as needed to ensure clarity and alignment.
- The Executive Director sets strategic priorities and retains final decision-making authority. In the absence of the Executive Director, the Deputy Director serves as the designated decision-maker for matters requiring executive approval.
Skills & Qualifications
- Experience providing executive-level administrative support in a fast-paced environment
- Demonstrated experience planning and managing events or complex projects
- Strong organizational and time-management skills with exceptional attention to detail
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to manage confidential information with discretion
- Proficiency with calendars, document management systems, spreadsheets, project/task management tools, and virtual meeting platforms
- Ability to anticipate needs, problem-solve proactively, and adapt in a dynamic environment
- Commitment to equity, justice, and the mission of the ACLU
- Preferred: experience with Outlook, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Asana
Core Competencies
- Executive presence and professionalism
- Relationship-building across teams and external stakeholders
- Strategic thinking paired with strong operational execution
- Flexibility, adaptability, and sound judgment
- Accountability, follow-through, and attention to detail
Why This Role Matters
This role strengthens ACLU-AL’s leadership capacity by ensuring executive and operational priorities are supported, events are well-executed, and internal systems run smoothly. By combining executive support with special events coordination, this position enhances organizational effectiveness while allowing leadership to focus on strategy, advocacy, and impact.
Equal Employment Opportunity Employer
Compensation and Benefits:
Salary is between $50,000 - $60,000, depending on experience.
The ACLU of Alabama is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including women, people of color, persons with disabilities, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, non-binary and transgender individuals.
