About the Barr Foundation  

The Barr Foundation’s mission is to invest in human, natural, and creative potential, serving as thoughtful stewards and catalysts. As stewards, Barr nurtures vital community assets. As catalysts, the Foundation advances breakthrough ideas to shape our collective future. We work in partnership with nonprofits, foundations, the public sector, and civic and business leaders to elevate the arts and creative expression, advance equitable solutions for climate change, and enable all students to discover and actualize their unbounded potential. Based in Boston, Barr focuses regionally and selectively engages nationally.  

Founded in 1997, Barr has grown to become one of the largest charitable foundations in New England and has contributed over $1.7 billion to communities throughout the region. With assets over $3 billion, Barr’s 2026 grantmaking budget is $130 million. We focus our grantmaking on arts and creativity, climate, and education – complemented by grants to strengthen New England’s social sector and for targeted special initiatives. 

A set of core values defined by our founding trustees express our beliefs about what constitutes effective philanthropy and guide how the Barr Foundation carries out its mission. Barr is committed to strive for impact, act with humility, invest in leaders, take the long view, center racial equity, embrace risk, and demonstrate curiosity. These values also guide our hiring process and the workplace culture that we shape together. We aim to make Barr an inclusive workplace where all team members can bring their full and authentic selves and be supported to learn and grow. 

For more information about Barr, visit barrfoundation.org.  

About the Executive Assistant Position  

Reporting to the Chief of Staff, the Executive Assistant (EA) handles a range of responsibilities to support the President, Board of Trustees, Chief of Staff, and Foundation. The EA plays a critical role in supporting the effectiveness of the President and Chief of Staff by providing high-level administrative, operational, and strategic support.  

Key working relationships include those with the Chief of Staff and President; staff from the Foundation’s affiliated family office, Pilot House Associates, to coordinate activities and tasks involving the President and founding trustees; and the Barr Foundation Board of Trustees, in support of their governance and oversight of Barr’s activities. The EA maintains strong working relationships with the various teams across the Foundation and serves as an ambassador for the executive office. 

The EA must be adaptable and flexible in approach, as some duties and responsibilities will evolve based on both the skills of the incumbent and on the evolving circumstances at the Foundation. In addition to the ongoing responsibilities below, the EA will participate and contribute to various all-staff programs and meetings and occasional work groups. 

Key Responsibilities   

Administrative Support for the President  

• Provide comprehensive administrative support to the President, including complex calendar management and meeting coordination; greeting visitors to the President and preparing meeting rooms 

• Serve as primary point of contact for the Executive Office, handling inquires with professionalism and discretion  

• Keep the President informed, prepared, and available for upcoming commitments and responsibilities  

• Maintain current contact file and support maintenance of electronic files for the President’s office  

• Manage expense reporting for the President    

• Field invitations and requests, assemble briefing materials for meetings and events, and engage the communications team on any remarks, talking points, or presentations. 

• Support the contract management process, including processing invoices 

• Participate in select leadership meetings, take meeting minutes, summarize conversations, and efficiently follow up on actionable tasks   
• Ensure clear and transparent communication among senior leadership, synchronizing with the President’s work and updates to prevent any oversight of important information   

Operations Support for the Chief of Staff  

• Calendar management and meeting coordination, including all-staff meetings 

• Support the Chief of Staff in managing executive operations, workflows, deadlines, and follow-up on strategic initiatives  

• Partner closely with the Chief of Staff to track priorities, initiatives, and action items across the Executive Office  

• Partner in planning and executing executive meetings, leadership off-sites, and special events, like the holiday party  

• Assist as point of contact with Barr trustees on scheduling-related matters as well as creating expense reports for Barr trustees related to travel and other out-of-pocket expenses 

• Provide coordination support for quarterly Board meetings such as ordering, receiving and setting up catering, greeting guest speakers and other day-of coordination duties  

Foundation-wide Responsibilities  

• Actively participate in foundation-wide activities, including Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives, internal culture building, and activities designed to support learning across teams  

• Attend and actively participate in Foundation-wide staff meetings and retreats; and in cross-functional work groups as appropriate   

Desired Qualities, Experiences, and Competencies 

While no single candidate may embody all the qualifications listed, an ideal candidate will possess many of the following professional and personal abilities, attributes, and experiences.   

• Strong interpersonal skills to manage a range of relationships with care, to read situations well, and to treat all with respect and humility   

• Superb judgment, impeccable integrity and the maturity to handle confidential and sensitive information with care and discretion  

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills  

• Ability to work well independently and as part of a team  

• Strong problem-solving abilities, attention to detail, and ability to track and meet multiple deadlines  

• Demonstrated capacity to take initiative and to be proactive by anticipating needs  

• Collegial, team-oriented, willing to pitch in as needed and to support colleagues at all times with a high degree of flexibility    

• Curiosity and eagerness to learn, and ability to gather and organize information from a variety of sources  

• Knowledge of and proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office and Google applications  

• Experience with project management tools (e.g., Asana) is a plus   

• A commitment to advancing racial equity and inclusion in your work and in our workplace  

• A minimum of 5 years of relevant work experience supporting senior executives  

• Experience with nonprofit or philanthropic organization is a plus  

Compensation and Benefits   

The starting salary range for this role is $90,000 to $95,000 and will be determined by factors including experience, readiness for the role, and organizational equity. The Barr Foundation offers an attractive benefits package including generous health, dental, vision, and life insurance; strong retirement savings program; 15 vacation days to start and a parental leave and health leave policies.  

Barr is a Compact Signer for the 100% Talent Compact, which is administered by the Boston Women’s Workforce Council, a unique public-private partnership between the Boston Mayor’s Office and Greater Boston employers dedicated to eliminating the gender and racial wage gap. We are proud to be part of this first-in-the-nation approach to reaching pay equity for women and people of color across our region. 

Flexible Work Environment   

The Barr Foundation embraces a hybrid workplace with the current expectation that staff in-office Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and working remotely on Mondays and Fridays, with the understanding that some weeks may require an additional in-office day(s) for specific needs.  

Located along the waterfront in Boston’s North End, Barr’s offices are in the historic Pilot House and adjacent Two Atlantic Avenue building. Our walls and halls feature the work of contemporary artists, and the office space is designed to provide bright, open, flexible spaces for collaboration and independent work, and to host meetings and events. With expansive views of Boston Harbor, Barr is steps away from Boston’s “Freedom Trail” and bike share and near to restaurants, shops, museums, and parks.   

Equal Opportunity Employer  

The Barr Foundation is an equal opportunity employer committed to building and fostering an inclusive workplace where all employees feel their experiences, perspectives, and ideas are valued. The Foundation does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), sex, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, or other protected characteristics in its hiring, compensation, promotion, or other employment activities.