Special Assistant To The CEOThis is a unique opportunity to work closely with a visionary founder in growing what has already become the largest nonprofit in America supporting military families at both the national and local level. Under the CEO's leadership BSF has grown consistently 20 percent year over year for 16 years. The Special Assistant to the CEO serves as the primary point of contact enabling the CEO's success in the complex role of representing Blue Star Families and growing its influences and resources to meet its expanding mission.
This is a complex and exciting position for a high energy, strategically creative individual. The position involves all aspects of preparation and cross-organization integration regarding the CEO's demanding schedule and extensive communications.This is a high-trust, high-impact role that integrates elements of logistics, strategy, and communications into a single function. The individual will operate at the center of the CEO's work—ensuring her time is strategically allocated, and she is well prepared and resourced to create meaningful outcomes.This is an in-office role requiring on-site presence in our office in Washington DC up to five days per week, given the real-time coordination, executive proximity, and rapid decision-making required to support the CEO effectively.
In addition the special assistant will accompany and support the CEO at meetings, engagements and events in DC and occasionally beyond the local area.In addition, this role requires the ability to travel overnight several times per year to attend team offsites, leadership sessions, and company-wide events. These engagements are mandatory to this position. Frequent local and occasional overnight travel are essential functions of this position.Desired traits include having strong EQ and the ability to think, respond and produce quickly in a fast moving environment.Key Job FunctionsServe as the primary owner of the CEO's time architecture, managing the calendar as a strategic asset rather than an administrative functionEvaluate, triage, and prioritize inbound requests for CEO engagement, exercising strong strategic judgment on relevance and impactDesign and manage intentional travel and engagement strategies aligned with organizational priorities and growth objectivesIdentify, map, and maintain awareness of key external stakeholders and influence networks across policy, corporate, philanthropic, and media sectorsProactively secure high-value opportunities for CEO participation in convenings, forums, partnerships, and strategic meetingsDrive introductions and cultivate access to decision-makers and networks that advance organizational visibility and influenceLead preparation of executive briefing materials for all external engagements, ensuring clarity of objectives, messaging, and stakeholder contextEnsure the CEO is fully prepared for every engagement with concise, high-quality briefing documents and talking pointsPartner with internal teams to align briefing materials with organizational strategy, programmatic priorities, and current initiativesSupport consistency of CEO narrative and voice in coordination with Communications and external public relations partnersDraft and refine select CEO communications, including social media content tied to engagements, travel, and key moments, as well as priority correspondenceServe as the CEO's primary in-room coordinator at high-profile events and convenings, managing flow, timing, and stakeholder engagementEnsure optimal use of CEO time during events by actively managing access, priorities, and real-time engagement decisionsCapture insights, commitments, and outcomes from meetings and external engagementsOwn and maintain a structured follow-up system to ensure timely execution of commitments and relationship continuityTrack opportunities, relationships, and strategic engagements tied to CEO external activityCoordinate across internal teams—including Communications, Development, Programs, and Government Relations—to ensure alignment and readiness for CEO engagementsServe as a central coordination point for CEO-related initiatives, ensuring seamless integration between external engagements and internal executionPerform other duties as assignedRequired Experience, Skills & BackgroundRelevant experience in executive office, political, policy, nonprofit, or high-level external affairs environments.Bachelor's degree required, or equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experienceProven experience in roles such as Chief of Staff, senior scheduler, executive office lead, campaign senior staff, or equivalent high-trust operator rolesExceptional judgment in prioritization, with the ability to distinguish high-impact opportunities from low-value demandsStrong executive presence with demonstrated ability to operate confidently with senior leaders, including CEOs, governors, military leaders, and other high-profile stakeholdersExceptional writing ability, with demonstrated experience drafting executive-level communications, speeches, or public-facing materials in a senior voiceDemonstrated ability to manage complex logistics, competing priorities, and fast-moving environments with precision and calmHigh level of discretion and confidentiality in handling sensitive relationships and informationStrong organizational and systems-thinking skills, with experience managing structured follow-up and accountability systemsAbility to operate independently while maintaining alignment with executive intent and organizational prioritiesAbility to work on-site in a full-time, five-days-per-week in-office capacityAbility to travel locally on a regular basis to support meetings, convenings, and external engagements in the surrounding regionAbility to assist with event logistics, including the physical setup or transport of materials and supplies (up to approximately 30 lbs), as part of supporting on-site engagements and conveningsMay be required to work nights, weekends, and holidays as necessary to carry out key job functionsLimited out-of-town/overnight travel may be required to attend meetings, trainings, events, etc.Desired Experience, Skills & BackgroundMasters degree in public policy, political science, public administration, communications, or related field preferredBackground in congressional (Hill), White House, campaign, gubernatorial/state political, policy, or equivalent high-level government or political environments strongly preferredFamiliarity with military, veteran, or national security ecosystems and stakeholder networksExperience supporting or managing high-profile external engagement strategies for senior leadersBackground in external affairs, government relations, philanthropy, or partnership developmentExperience working with communications teams or public relations partners on executive messagingFamiliarity with CRM systems (Salesforce preferred) and relationship tracking toolsExperience managing or coordinating high-level convenings, conferences, or stakeholder eventsStrong understanding of cross-sector influence networks (policy, corporate, philanthropic, media)Comfort operating in mission-driven, fast-evolving organizational environments undergoing growth and transformationMore About Blue Star FamiliesBlue Star Families empowers military and Veteran families to thrive by connecting them with their civilian neighbors — both people and organizations — to create strong communities of mutual support.
We believe we're all stronger when we take care of one another.Our groundbreaking research is raising the nation's awareness of the unique challenges of military family life. With the help of neighbors across the country, Blue Star Families is overcoming the isolation and alienation of frequent moves, deployments, and reduced support from the government. Our innovative programs are solving specific challenges for military families, including fighting economic insecurity with resources that foster spouse career development, creating family strength with rich family programming, and providing critical peer support for caregivers, whose numbers are only increasing.Blue Star Families is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.EEO PolicyBlue Star Families is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.