Executive Assistant to CEO

Description

About Denver Botanic Gardens: Green inside and out, Denver Botanic Gardens was founded in 1951 and is considered one of the top botanical gardens in the United States and a pioneer in water conservation. Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, The Gardens has a robust living plant collection, natural history collection and art collection along with temporary art exhibitions. The Gardens is a dynamic, 24-acre urban oasis in the heart of the city, offering unforgettable opportunities to flourish with unique garden experiences for the whole family – as well as world-class exhibitions, education, and plant conservation research programs. 

For more information, visit us online at www.botanicgardens.org.

Along with the mission of bringing plants to people, our Core Values are a fundamental driver of the Gardens culture. They are:

Sustainability. We are devoted to an institutional, environmental and human sustainability.

Diversity. We champion inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility for all we encounter, and also support programmatic, ecological and plant diversity.

Relevance. We make connections with all people using a lens of inclusion, equity and responsiveness.

Transformation. We believe ever-evolving public gardens change the world and lead to positive transformation of human spirit and knowledge. 

Denver Botanic Gardens is currently seeking a Full Time Executive Assistant to CEO in our Administration Department! Read below to see if the requirements might be a good fit for you:

Applications will be accepted through August 24, 2026 or until a candidate is found

Position Summary

This position provides high level assistance to the Chief Executive Officer, serves as liaison to the Board of Trustees, and acts as a conduit for staff-to-CEO communications. This position conceives and initiates, or may be assigned, special one-time projects at the request of the CEO, such project direction to include coordination with outside contractors, planning, implementation and management of such projects, involving other staff and departments as may be required. 

This position is an important front-facing role that requires a high level of tact and diplomacy in dealing with all levels of internal and external stakeholders. It requires the ability to effectively manage complex events and situations with composure, professionalism, and a positive attitude at all times.

Requirements

General Duties and Responsibilities

• Maintains CEO’s calendar by making appointments and coordinating all aspects of meetings, including but not limited to meals and refreshments, set-up and clean-up; makes travel arrangements if necessary. 
• Anticipates CEO’s needs by gathering records, reports, correspondence, etc., and making administrative decisions as well as taking appropriate action in CEO’s absence. 
• Creates, tracks and updates CEO’s ongoing task list.
• Creates and maintains a filing system for the Administration department.
• Proactively prepares for CEO’s meetings, presentations, speaking engagements, etc.
• Drafts emails, letters, and other communications.
• Organizes logistics and prepares itineraries for visiting colleagues and VIPs.
• Monitors and tracks requests, priorities, and support needs from other departments to ensure timely coordination and follow-through.
• Maintains contact information for Trustees, key donors and contacts, direct reports, and other key staff. 
• Prepares, completes, and submits expense reports in a timely and accurate manner.
• Monitors and tracks the Administration budget on a regular basis, ensuring accuracy and identifying any variances or budgetary concerns.
• Processes all invoices pertaining to executive offices and board-related expenses.
• Organizes CEO’s travel arrangements.
• Supports the meetings, records, and activities of the Board of Trustees. 
• Organizes events for various constituencies.
• Responsible for confidential files and correspondence, including archiving of files, maintenance of permanent Board files, and rotating of files to storage. 
• Maintains meeting schedule for leadership groups and board committees, including meeting attendance and meeting notices.
• Handles special projects as directed; may include self-initiation and management of certain projects.
• Maintains excellent working relationships with managers, co-workers and staff.
• Maintains a positive, helpful and solution-oriented demeanor when responding to or serving members and visitors. 
• Regular attendance at the worksite is required. As with all positions at Denver Botanic Gardens, the incumbent must be in good performance standing to be eligible for remote work. Remote work is at the discretion of management at all times.
• All Gardens employees must be committed to the mission of connecting people with plants, especially plants from the Rocky Mountain region and similar regions around the world, providing delight and enlightenment to everyone.

Position Qualifications: Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Ability to manage a CEO’s email, phone calls, calendar, travel, and a heavy load of scheduling.
• Exceptional professionalism, decorum, and confidentiality; excellent human relations skills required. 
• Must have excellent communication skills, including strong grammatical and editorial skills, both written and oral.
• Must have impeccable skills with Outlook and calendaring.
• Strong computer skills in a Windows environment and accomplished with various software including Microsoft Office Suite, (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), e-mail and standard office equipment. 
• Must have proven skills with meeting technologies such as Teams, Zoom and other virtual meeting software.
• Ability to plan special projects, review all facets and determine how to proceed, and what departments or outside resources must be involved. 
• Must be able to manage multiple and changing priorities while being organized and detail oriented. 
• Maintains the highest level of confidentiality and exercises sound judgment when handling sensitive information.
• Demonstrates the ability to safeguard confidential information and maintain discretion in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
• Requires broad knowledge of organizational operations and a high level of experience, discretion and technical skill. 
• Must have proven excellent customer service, interpersonal, and communication skills in dealing with the public.
• Ability to maintain stability under pressure and able to deal well with stressful situations.
• Ability to be flexible and willing to modify plans, when necessary, throughout the day.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including evenings, weekends and/or holidays.
• Ability to work overtime as necessary.
• Must be a positive representative of the Gardens both internally and externally at all times.
• Must work with respect and cooperation at all times with fellow employees and the public.
• Must be committed to working safely at all times.

Experience/Education:

• Bachelors degree and/or combination of education and equivalent experience is required. 
• Minimum of 6 years of experience in an executive office environment is required, with at least three of those years supporting a top executive.
• Experience with CRM databases, room scheduling software, and project management software is a plus.

Travel:

Up to 10% travel required. Requires the ability to travel to remote locations (or other Garden locations) where environment may vary significantly.  

Denver Botanic Gardens has an incredible benefits package for eligible employees!

Our major benefits include a choice of Medical Plans, a Dental and Vision Plan and Life Insurance Plan. We have a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and a Healthcare Spending Account (HSA).

The Gardens offers a generous Retirement Savings Plan with Company contribution of 6% after one year of service for eligible participants.

The Gardens also offers paid holidays, vacation, sick time, and access to personal lines of insurance. Additional benefits include short-term and long-term disability coverage, an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and an RTD ECO pass.

For eligible employees, The Gardens employment also includes a complimentary Denver Botanic Gardens Membership, access to Gardens education classes and summer concert tickets.  

Come work for a place that offers you SO much more than just a paycheck!