Job Description

MJK Connections is partnering with Sunward Federal Credit Union on this brand new position!

The Executive Assistant (EA) to the CEO is a high-trust, high-judgment role responsible for amplifying CEO effectiveness through proactive prioritization, executive preparation, meeting architecture, and disciplined follow-through. This role operates as an extension of the CEO's capacity, optimizing time allocation, ensuring decision-ready preparation, and driving accountability on what-who-by when commitments.

The EA maintains deep working context of Sunward's strategic priorities, key initiatives, and stakeholder relationships to anticipate needs and reduce friction across the CEO's operating cadence. The role also serves as the primary owner of CEO meeting operations, board logistics/portal readiness, and executive-office coordination, aligning with Sunward's standards of professionalism, confidentiality, and values-based execution.

Core Responsibilities

CEO Time Strategy, Gatekeeping, and Prioritization

• Own CEO calendar as a strategic asset: allocate time to highest-value decisions, protect strategy blocks, and build realistic transition/prep time.
• Apply judgment on inbound requests: recommend accept/decline/delegate/async-summary based on CEO priorities and enterprise impact (not first-come, first-served).
• Run weekly schedule reviews with CEO; proactively rebalance to protect margin time and decision quality.
• Enforce meeting standards (agenda for meetings longer than 15 minutes; clear outcomes, owners, and decision points).

Example outputs: CEO weekly time-allocation view; triage notes for meeting requests; protected strategy blocks; calendar architecture aligned to routines.

Meeting Management, Decision-Ready Preparation, and Follow-Through

• Own meeting operations for every meeting the CEO attends, regardless of scheduler, including readiness, materials, and precision in execution.
• Build CEO briefing packets for key meetings: objectives, stakeholder context, relevant background, anticipated decision points, risks, and recommended posture.
• Create and protect pre-meeting preparation time on the calendar and ensure materials are delivered in advance.
• Run post-meeting accountability using W3 (What–Who–By When): capture actions, distribute within defined timelines, and follow up to completion.

Example outputs: W3 log with status; decision register; follow-through dashboard for ELT deliverables.

Board & Governance Operations

• Ensure board/committee materials are board-ready and delivered at least one week prior, including active follow-up with executives/stakeholders for outstanding content.
• Maintain governance policies and documentation discipline: review cadence, version control, and reference integrity.
• Own board portal operations: technology owner, packet consolidation, and volunteer viewability standards.
• Capture board/committee follow-ups, assign appropriately, and ensure closure.
• Minutes discipline finalize board minutes within three business days and committee minutes within two business days.

Example outputs: Board Readiness Tracker (90-day calendar with R/Y/G packet status); standardized board packet/minutes workflow ensuring on-time delivery and quality control.

Organizational Context, Intelligence, and Executive Office Coordination

• Maintain a working understanding of Sunward's priorities, key initiatives, and stakeholder relationships to anticipate CEO information needs, especially ahead of decision cycles.
• Serve as an informed liaison between the CEO office and Executives, ensuring requests are framed with context, deadlines, and clear expectations, consistent with professionalism standards.
• Provide visibility to the CEO on organizational/ELT deliverables, risks, and decline; escalate patterns.
• Support executive office systems and tools that increase leverage (templates, standard work, and process improvements).

Example outputs: CEO Decision Brief templates (decision-ready synthesis), and monthly risk/escalation summary highlighting declines and cross-functional friction.

Travel, External Commitments, and Executive Presence Support

• Operate CEO travel as a managed workflow: travel blocks, logistics, itinerary distribution, space needs while traveling, and pre-travel prep time.
• Maintain discipline on external board/organization commitments: ensure calendar accuracy, communicate travel 4+ weeks out, and support CEO routines.
• Identify and coordinate appropriate CEO recognition moments (internal and external) per CEO Office expectations.

Example outputs: Travel Briefing Packet (itinerary, stakeholder context, objectives, talking points), 12-month External Engagement Calendar categorized by strategic priority, and Post-Engagement Follow-Up Log capturing commitments and ownership through completion.

Requirements

Required Competencies and Skills

Aligned to proactive strategic executive support, this role requires:

• Foresight and anticipation; initiative; autonomy
• Critical thinking and complex problem solving
• Advanced research, analysis, and briefing (ability to convert information into decision-ready synthesis)
• High-trust communication: tact, diplomacy, negotiation, emotional intelligence, sound judgment
• Confidentiality and discretion
• Operational rigor: time management, workflow design, systems thinking, and high-detail execution quality
• Governance fluency: board packet standards, minutes discipline, portal management, policy/version control

Success Metrics (What Great Looks Like)

Metrics should be tracked monthly/quarterly and reviewed with the CEO.

CEO Time & Calendar Effectiveness

• % of CEO week aligned to top priorities (target set with CEO)
• Protected strategic thinking blocks achieved vs. planned
• Meeting load reduced or improved (e.g., fewer low-value meetings; more decisions made per hour)

Meeting Quality & Follow-Through

• Briefing packets delivered within agreed lead time (e.g., 24–72 hours depending on meeting tier)
• W3 distribution timeliness (e.g., within 24 hours for key meetings)
• Follow-through closure rate by due date; escalation cycle time for overdue actions

Board/Governance Excellence

• Board/committee materials posted one week prior (on-time rate)
• Minutes finalized within required timelines
• Governance policy review cadence compliance; version control accuracy

Stakeholder Experience & Professionalism

• CEO satisfaction with readiness and decision-quality preparation
• Board/volunteer satisfaction with responsiveness and packet quality (qualitative + periodic survey)