Temporary Executive Assistant

Description

Position Title: Temporary Executive Assistant

Hours: Full time (35-hour work week); Hybrid, at least 3 days a week onsite

Role Classification: Temporary with benefits from September 8, 2025, through April 3, 2026

Exemption: Non-Exempt 

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer

Salary: $44.00 - $49.00 per hour

ABOUT THE GARDENS OF GOLDEN GATE PARK

The mission of Gardens of Golden Gate Park is to connect people to plants, the planet, and each other. Gardens of Golden Gate Park is a public/private partnership between the San Francisco Recreation & Park Department (RPD) and the San Francisco Botanical Garden Society (SFBGS) to jointly operate the Conservatory of Flowers, Japanese Tea Garden, and San Francisco Botanical Garden. A Lease & Management Agreement between RPD and SFBGS, approved by both the Recreation & Park Commission and the Board of Supervisors, sets the terms of the partnership. The agreement is a cooperative management agreement that outlines the roles and responsibilities for each partner. Key areas of responsibility for SFBGS include volunteer engagement, education, visitor experience, philanthropy, membership, marketing, and other functions. RPD is responsible for horticulture and facility management and maintenance, master planning and capital improvements conducted with SFBGS, and other functions. Together, RPD and SFBGS collaborate on collections management within the Gardens.

The Conservatory of Flowers is a national, state, and local landmark and a place of exceptional beauty. Built in 1879, the Conservatory was the first formal structure erected in Golden Gate Park and remains an internationally renowned icon, displaying and cultivating unusual plants to heighten awareness of the pressing need to preserve threatened rainforest environments. 

The Japanese Tea Garden is the oldest operating public Japanese garden in North America. This garden provides visitors from around the world with an opportunity to experience the natural beauty, tranquility, and harmony of a Japanese-style garden and was originally created as an exhibit for the 1894 California Midwinter International Exposition.

San Francisco Botanical Garden opened in 1940 and is a 55-acre living museum within Golden Gate Park, showcasing 8,000 different kinds of plants from around the world. San Francisco’s oceanic climate with cool dry summers, mild wet winters, and presence of fog allows the Garden to grow a diverse array of species from around the world. 

POSITION SUMMARY 

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the Gardens seek a temporary Executive Assistant to work from September 8, 2025, through April 3, 2026. The Executive Assistant is an experienced, energetic, and highly motivated individual with strong organizational, communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills to serve as Executive Assistant to the CEO, a position that will also support the Gardens’ Board of Directors.

The Executive Assistant enables the CEO to focus more time on fundraising, board development, strategic partnerships, and relationships with external constituencies. The Executive Assistant will efficiently manage CEO’s time, providing information necessary for decision making, monitoring and resolving issues and problems, ensuring the timely flow of communication to and from the CEO’s office, and helping the CEO implement and manage organizational initiatives and projects. 

Successful performance will require the highest level of professionalism, discretion, and judgment to handle highly confidential and critical matters, exceptional verbal and written communication skills, and a steadfast commitment to excellence. 

The Executive Assistant anticipates needs before problems arise – sometimes before those needs have been identified by others. In addition, an effective Executive Assistant recognizes that both internally and externally, they are at all times an ambassador for the CEO and the Gardens. 

RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Provide high-level administrative support to the CEO, managing a busy and changing calendar and providing logistical support for meetings and appointments. 
• Provide administrative support through calendaring meetings involving senior leadership.
• Plan, organize, and prepare for meetings; compose and/or work with others to prepare agendas; ensure relevant materials are ready for meetings and/or review; provide day-of support. 
• Provide high-level administrative support for board committees, specifically executive and governance committees, and quarterly board of director’s meetings; prepare agendas and meeting packets for distribution in a timely manner; record meeting minutes; in partnership with the events and operations teams, provide catering/technical support and room/furniture setup. 
• Take leadership responsibilities on special projects at the request of the CEO. 
• Support donor-related activities that entail occasional evening and weekend commitments.

Requirements

EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Highly proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, especially Outlook, Word, Teams, and PowerPoint; highly proficient with CRM and project management systems, such as Asana. 
• Minimum three years supporting executive leadership.
• Experience with nonprofit board governance and stakeholder engagement.
• A track record of keeping confidentiality and experience working on critical matters.

ADDITIONAL EXPECTATIONS

• Must be able to engage in a range of physical activity, including prolonged standing or sitting at a desk and computer, walking (sometimes on uneven surfaces) and working outside in varying weather conditions – all for extended periods of time. 
• Must also be able to climb a flight of stairs and lift/carry objects up to 30 pounds.
• Must work at least 3 days a week onsite, up to 2 days a week may be remote if the work schedule allows, but a regular onsite presence is essential for collaboration and success in this role. 

Personal Qualities and Attributes: 

• Commitment to learning about the Gardens and our mission. 
• Able to think strategically with a big picture, outcome-driven focus, staying connected to broad institutional goals, while also being detail and analysis oriented. 
• Proactively and strategically anticipates needs before issues arise.
• Exemplifies highest standards of integrity, professionalism, discretion and excellence; demonstrates emotional intelligence and self-awareness; inspires confidence and trust. 
• Highly collaborative; a team player able to motivate and organize staff, understanding intersections of different departments within the institution to work towards shared goals.
• Able to work well under pressure and adapt easily to changing situations and priorities; exercises good judgment and stays focused on overarching goals. 
• Able to interact in an effective, tactful, and professional manner internally and externally. 
• Genuinely enjoys engaging people; warm, approachable, and comfortable interacting with high-level donors and leaders.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND TO APPLY: Complete application with attached resume and cover letter at https://recruiting.paylocity.com/recruiting/jobs/All/99885d66-fdde-45ea-b169-b55cfb505be0/Gardens-of-Golden-Gate-Park APPLICATION DEADLINE IS AUGUST 15, 2025

Gardens of Golden Gate Park is an equal opportunity employer and encourages candidates with diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, genetic information, or any other category protected by law.