Executive Assistant

IKEA Foundation has a vision to create a better everyday life for the many people. We believe the two greatest threats to the future of children are climate change and poverty. It’s our mission to improve the lives of vulnerable children by enabling families to create sustainable livelihoods and fight and cope with climate change.

These are complex problems that require collaboration to drive systems change. We work in partnership to identify solutions that allow us to create the greatest impact with our funding. We value our partners because they bring knowledge and experience that we don’t have. We build long term relationships based on transparency and learning so we can course correct when things don’t go as planned.

The IKEA Foundation is funded by INGKA Foundation, owner of the Ingka Group of companies. The IKEA Foundation is independent from the retail business with a sole focus on creating brighter lives on a liveable planet through philanthropy and grantmaking. Learn more at www.ikeafoundation.org.

We are looking for an Executive Assistant to strengthen our team.

As Executive Assistant you provide high level administrative support to the Leadership Team and to the organisation. You are responsible for scheduling meetings, taking minutes during sessions, maintaining databases, collecting and circulating reports or presentations and coordination of travel arrangements. You will be in close contact with colleagues as well as external visitors on behalf of the Leadership Team. In this role, you cater to a wide range of needs and handle many different circumstances.

As Executive Assistant, you will be part of a small but enthusiastic team of people that is committed to make a difference. You will report to the Chief of Staff. The position is 38 hours, based at the IKEA Foundation’s office in Leiden, the Netherlands.

• Organise and plan the agenda of members of the Leadership Team and prioritise the most sensitive matters. Provide administrative support where needed, also to ad hoc requests.
• Keep the agenda and take minutes for internal meetings.
• Plan and schedule (large group) meetings, follow up on them, organise catering if necessary.
• Collect and circulate relevant documents in time to ensure adequate preparation and follow up of meetings.
• Set up and maintain an up-to-date database of external contacts and memberships.
• Support preparations for executive meetings, book rooms, ensure catering, etc.
• Support planning and organisation of Leadership Team retreats, including travel arrangements and detailed travel itineraries.
• Work closely with peers and other colleagues to meet deadlines, streamline work processes and provide support where needed.
• Collaborate with the IT department for technical support for business and team meetings.
• Inform and update team members of internal work processes and any other relevant information.

You have:

• A Bachelor degree or 5+ years of relevant working experience.
• Proven experience in project management and strong time management/planning skills.
• Strong problem-solving skills.
• Excellent organisational and administrative skills, experience in keeping and editing minutes of meetings, upkeeping databases, managing filing systems with a high degree of speed and accuracy.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build trustful relationships.

You are:

• Motivated by living and sharing the values of the IKEA Foundation.
• Interested in philanthropy and the work of the IKEA Foundation.
• A multitasker able to prioritise effectively who stays calm in stressful situations
• A collaborative team player.
• Able to roll up your sleeves to get the work done, you enjoy taking on new challenges.
• Technically savvy.
• Able to communicate in a simple, straightforward and inclusive manner.
• Driven by a strong sense of integrity, discretion and professional ethics.
• Fluent in English, oral and written.

At the IKEA Foundation, you are welcome no matter where you come from, what you believe, and what you look like. We are interested to see what you can bring to the Foundation. We are convinced that our different views, talents, and personalities make us better at understanding ourselves and our partners, and inspire us to think differently. If you feel like you might not tick all the boxes for this role and this is the reason you hesitate to apply, we would like to encourage you to still give it a chance. Perhaps your unique background could spark a great idea of how to create a better everyday life for the many people.

We offer a dynamic working environment amongst co-workers from different nationalities. Amongst these nationalities, we share a single culture and set of values. You will be able to contribute to constantly improving the grantmaking experience at the IKEA Foundation. In doing so, you will have the opportunity to work with innovative solutions and you will be challenged to come up with ideas for improvements in all areas. The better we can support our co-workers and partners, the more time and energy they can spend on the causes that we support!