Contract
Permanent, full-time, 35 hours per week. Applications for a four-day working arrangement may be considered, with salary and benefits adjusted on a pro-rata basis.
Salary Scale: €38,101 to €51,203 per annum for a five-day working week.
Job Location
The role is based at 30 Merrion Square North, Dublin 2, with hybrid working arrangements. Attendance at other locations may occasionally be required, including for site visits, events and convenings elsewhere in Ireland.
About Community Foundation Ireland
Community Foundation Ireland (the Foundation) and its donors are on a mission to mobilise strategic philanthropy to advance equality, strengthen communities and protect our nature and environment. We do so with over 5,000 voluntary, community and charitable partners who share our values of integrity, collaboration, courage, excellence and impact. Our mission is supported by three interwoven strategic priorities; People (securing a fairer future), Place (strengthening communities) and Planet (protecting climate and nature).
About the Role
To maximise the effectiveness and impact of the Chief Executive Officer by providing strategic coordination, stakeholder management, governance support and executive office leadership. The role acts as the central point of coordination between the CEO and the Board, Senior Leadership Team, donors and external stakeholders, ensuring organisational priorities are delivered and strategic relationships are strengthened across the Foundation. The role is designed as a modern CEO Office function to provide strategic support, relationship management, organisational coordination and transformation leadership. This includes driving the use of AI and automation to improve efficiency and ensure the
CEO's time is focused on strategy, stakeholders, philanthropy and organisational impact.
Core Areas of Responsibility
- Strategic stakeholder and relationship management
- CEO Office coordination and strategic support
- Diary, correspondence and executive administration
- Board and governance support
- Senior Leadership Team coordination and follow-through
- AI and Organisational Transformation Support
- Communications and Strategic Engagement Support
- Horizon scanning and intelligence gathering
- Strategic project and action tracking
The role will focus on higher-value activity requiring judgement, relationship management, coordination, strategic thinking and organisational insight.
Responsibilities Described:
Strategic stakeholder and relationship Management
- Coordinate and maintain the CEO’s stakeholder engagement plan.
- Maintain an up-to-date stakeholder and relationship management system.
- Track engagement with donors, Board members, partners, policymakers, sector leaders and influencers.
- Ensure follow-up actions are completed and recorded.
- Prepare stakeholder briefings and meeting summaries.
- Work closely with Philanthropy, Communications and other teams to coordinate engagement opportunities.
CEO Office coordination and strategic support
- Support the CEO in managing priorities and annual work planning.
- Coordinate CEO commitments against organisational strategy and objectives.
- Support effective utilisation of CEO’s time and resources.
- Support preparation for high-profile meetings, events and engagements.
- Monitor and track key organisational priorities on behalf of the CEO.
- Coordinate the preparation, review and timely issue of reports, presentations, briefing papers and routine correspondence.
- Maintain secure, accurate and accessible CEO Office records.
Diary, Correspondence and Executive Administration
- Proactively manage the CEO’s diary, appointments and priorities, resolving scheduling conflicts and allowing appropriate preparation and travel time.
- Arrange travel and prepare itineraries where required.
- Manage and prioritise correspondence and information on behalf of the CEO, within agreed parameters.
Board and Governance Support
- Coordinate and provide secretariat support to the Board, including the coordination of agendas, papers, minutes and follow-up actions.
- Prepare accurate draft minutes recording the matters considered, decisions taken and actions agreed.
- Maintain Board records in accordance with the Foundation’s document-management and retention requirements.
- Support the Chair and Board members with meeting-related information and coordination.
- Work in close collaboration with the Head of Governance, Risk and Compliance to ensure that Board secretariat processes align with the Foundation’s governance framework.
- Track agreed actions and escalate overdue or outstanding items to the appropriate owner.
Senior Leadership Team Coordination
- Coordinate SLT meetings, agendas, papers and planning processes.
- Track decisions, actions and organisational priorities.
- Support cross-functional collaboration across departments.
- Ensure alignment between CEO priorities and departmental plans.
AI and Organisational Transformation Support
- Act as secretariat to the AI Transformation Working Group.
- Coordinate implementation plans and progress reporting.
- Liaise with external advisers, partners and experts.
- Support organisational change and transformation initiatives.
- Identify opportunities to improve efficiency through technology and AI.
Communications and Strategic Engagement Support
- Work closely with the Director of Communications and Public Affairs regarding CEO communications and profile management.
- Coordinate the CEO’s speaking engagements, events and public appearances.
- Prepare briefing materials and key messages.
- Support the development of the CEO's profile and corporate reputation.
- Ensure communications activity aligns with organisational strategy and stakeholder priorities.
Horizon Scanning and Intelligence
- Monitor developments in philanthropy, civil society, policy and social change.
- Identify emerging risks, opportunities and trends.
- Produce concise intelligence and horizon-scanning reports.
- Track developments in AI, philanthropy, governance and community foundations internationally.
Strategic project and action tracking
- Act as a central coordination point for strategic initiatives sponsored by the CEO.
- Ensure organisational priorities remain visible across departments and progress is regularly reviewed.
- Support the translation of strategic decisions into actionable workplans and measurable outcomes.
Essential Requirements
- Experience of managing busy diaries, arranging meetings and coordinating travel.
- A high level of IT proficiency, including strong working knowledge of Microsoft 365 applications.
- Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.
- Demonstrated discretion and sound judgement when handling sensitive and confidential information.
- Experience preparing agendas, Board or senior management papers, minutes and action records.
- Demonstrated ability to build credibility and work effectively with senior leaders, Board members and external stakeholders.
- Ability to synthesise complex information into concise briefings and summaries.
- Strong judgement and confidence in prioritising, escalating and following through on matters on behalf of a senior executive.
- Ability to work effectively with a high degree of autonomy while operating within agreed authority and escalation arrangements.
- Confidence in learning and adopting new technologies, AI-enabled tools and automation solutions, to improve administrative processes and information management.
Desirable Requirements
- Experience as Executive Assistant or in a similar senior administrative role.
- Experience of working in the charity, community or voluntary sector, or an interest in the same.
- A relevant Executive Assistant or administrative qualification.
- Experience supporting a CEO, Board, governing body or senior leadership team.
- Experience in a CEO Office, governance, communications or stakeholder-engagement environment.
- Familiarity with CRM, action-tracking or stakeholder-management systems.
- Experience using approved AI-enabled tools in a professional setting.
Personal Qualities
- Committed to the values, mission and impact of Community Foundation Ireland.
- Proactive, resourceful and able to anticipate needs, identify issues and follow matters through to completion.
- Highly organised, with exceptional attention to detail and the ability to manage competing priorities effectively.
- Tactful, diplomatic and trustworthy, with sound judgement when handling sensitive and confidential information.
- Confident building relationships and working collaboratively with Board members, senior leaders, donors, partners and other stakeholders.
- Resilient, adaptable and comfortable operating in a dynamic environment with changing priorities.
- Solutions-focused, with a commitment to continuous improvement and finding practical ways to improve organisational effectiveness.
- Curious about innovation, technology and AI, with a willingness to embrace new ways of working.
Terms
- Full-time, permanent role 35 hours per week
- The Foundation will consider candidates interested in working a four-day week (salary pro-rata).
- Hybrid working, with a requirement to work from our Dublin 2 office at least two days per week.
- Salary scale: €38,101 to €51,203 per annum for a five-day working week. Appointment will normally be at the first point of the scale, although a higher starting point may be considered where justified by directly relevant experience
- Automatic enrolment in our occupational pension scheme, with employer matching contributions up to 5% of salary.
- 22 days’ annual leave, increasing to 26 days following one year’s service.
- Volunteer Days CSR Scheme (2 paid days per annum).
- Income Protection Scheme.
- Death-in-service benefit providing a lump-sum payment of four times salary to the employee’s nominated beneficiaries, subject to the terms of the scheme.
- Tax Saver tickets and Cycle to Work Scheme
- Free access to our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), which provides a range of support services, including mental health services and financial and legal guidance.
- Regular team-based activities and social activities.
- Convenient city centre location.
- Networking opportunities with key stakeholders.
- Community Foundation Ireland is a strong promoter of personal and continuous professional development.
Additional Information:
This job description is intended as a broad outline of responsibilities and may be subject to change in line with organisational needs. Flexibility and initiative are key, as the role holder may be asked to support other colleagues and projects from time to time.
All staff are required to:
- Carry out their work in accordance with the organisational values and ensure that their behaviours are in keeping with our values.
- Be aware of, understand and comply with all of the Foundation’s policies and procedures.
- Attend and participate in staff meetings, team meetings and relevant training.
- Attend some of the Foundation events each year.
AI and Transformation - As part of Community Foundation Ireland's transformation agenda, the role will actively champion and utilise AI-enabled tools and automation within the CEO Office, in line with the Foundation’s policies, data-protection requirements and human oversight arrangements.
Areas increasingly supported through AI and automation include:
- Meeting scheduling
- Travel planning
- Diary optimisation
- Board pack preparation
- Meeting summaries and action tracking
- Routine correspondence
- Document formatting
- Briefing preparation
- Information management
Functional Competencies
Strategic Intelligence - Identifies emerging opportunities, risks and trends relevant to philanthropy, civil society, climate action, equality and organisational development.
Executive Support and Calendar Management - Efficiently manages the CEO's time and schedule, ensuring alignment with organisational priorities
Communication and stakeholder Management - Builds and maintains trusted relationships across the Foundation, with Board members, donors, partners and external stakeholders.
Information and Document Management - Organises, prepares, and maintains high-quality documents and manages confidential information securely.
Meeting and Event Coordination - Plans and executes meetings and events that align with the strategic objectives of the CEO and organisation.
Initiative and Problem-Solving - Demonstrates resourcefulness and initiative in handling administrative challenges and supporting CEO needs.
Professionalism and Discretion - Upholds the highest standards of professional conduct and confidentiality.
Collaboration and Relationship Management - Builds effective working relationships across departments and with external partners.
Influence - Supports delivery by ensuring commitments, decisions and actions are implemented and followed through.
Judgement - Understands organisational priorities and stakeholder dynamics, with the ability to determine where the CEO's time and attention will have the greatest impact.
Success After 12 Months
- The CEO’s diary and commitments are managed proactively and aligned with agreed strategic priorities.
- The CEO receives timely, concise and accurate briefings in advance of key engagements.
- Stakeholder interactions, commitments and follow-up actions are recorded and tracked consistently.
- Board and SLT papers, minutes and action records are coordinated accurately and within agreed timelines.
- Clear systems are in place for tracking CEO Office priorities and escalating overdue actions.
- Communications and stakeholder engagements are coordinated effectively with the relevant internal teams.
- The AI Transformation Working Group receives well-organised secretariat and progress-reporting support.
- Approved AI-enabled and automation tools are used responsibly to improve CEO Office efficiency, with appropriate human oversight.
- Confidential and sensitive information is managed securely and in accordance with Foundation policies.
Application
Applicants are invited to submit a cover letter and a curriculum vitae, to careerscfi@foundation.ie by 5PM on 2nd October 2026, with an email subject line of ‘Executive Assistant to CEO’. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interview in early October. Second round interviews will follow with a view to an appointment being made at the end of October.
We warmly welcome applications from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences. We are committed to making our recruitment processes accessible to everyone and are flexible in how we receive information. If you would like to apply via a different format, let us know how we can support you to be the best you can be.
