Executive Assistant Final

Department: Charlotte Area Transit System Department

Thank you for your interest in joining the team that keeps Charlotte moving, at a very exciting time for our organization. At the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS), we’re committed to delivering safe, reliable, and innovative transit services for our growing community, and we value employees who bring professionalism, passion, and a commitment to public service.

 

This position is currently employed by CATS, a department of the City of Charlotte. With the passage of the PAVE Act and last year’s sales tax referendum, CATS is preparing to transition from a City department to the newly created Metropolitan Public Transit Authority (MPTA). The MPTA was established to strengthen regional transit governance, improve accountability, and support long‑term investment in mobility. It’s an important and exciting step forward for transit in our region.

 

Employees hired into this role will remain City employees through December 31, 2026, and will transition to MPTA employment on January 1, 2027. Benefits and compensation will follow City provisions through 2026 and shift to MPTA provisions in 2027, with clear information shared in advance. Your core duties, reporting structure, and daily responsibilities will remain consistent, with no break in service. If anything delays the transition, your City employment, including compensation and benefits, will remain in place until the move to the MPTA occurs.

 

The creation of the MPTA positions us for a more modern, sustainable, and efficient transit system, one that can better support the Charlotte region for decades to come. We’re excited about what’s ahead and appreciate your interest in being part of it.

SUMMARY

The Executive Assistant works with MPTA/CATS staff to provide high-level administrative and operational support to the MPTA Board and serves as a trusted partner to the Board Administrator in managing Board operations, workflow, communications, scheduling, priorities, and governance activities. The role requires substantial independence, sound judgment, discretion, and the ability to manage sensitive and high‑visibility administrative matters with professionalism and accuracy.

The position works with MPTA/CATS staff to support the Board Administrator and Board of Trustees by coordinating calendars, meetings, Board agendas and materials, communications, records, reports, travel, special projects, and follow‑up actions while serving as the central coordination point for Board Office operations. Responsibilities include preparing correspondence and meeting materials, maintaining official Board records, managing governance documentation, handling confidential information, and ensuring administrative tasks are completed accurately and in compliance with laws, policies, and public records requirements.

The Executive Assistant is expected to work with MPTA/CATS staff to anticipate administrative needs, identify issues requiring attention, prioritize competing demands, and independently manage a broad range of Board Office responsibilities. With strong initiative and judgment, the position helps ensure efficient Board governance, effective communication among Trustees, executive leadership, staff, elected officials, and the public, and smooth operation of Board and committee activities.

Leadership Support

• Provide high-level administrative and operational support to the Board Administrator and Board of Trustees.
• Manage complex calendars, appointments, Board and committee scheduling, and coordination with Trustees, legal counsel, consultants, and external partners.
• Prepare, proofread, format, and distribute Board agendas, packets, resolutions, correspondence, reports, and briefing materials.
• Support daily Board Office operations and assist with Trustee onboarding and orientation.

Board Meetings, Travel, and Event Coordination

• Coordinate logistics for Board and committee meetings, workshops, retreats, hearings, and special events.
• Schedule meetings, confirm attendance, secure facilities, arrange technology needs, and prepare meeting materials.
• Record or coordinate minutes, maintain attendance records, and track Board actions and follow-up items.
• Coordinate travel arrangements, itineraries, reimbursements, and related administrative processes
• support ceremonial events, community meetings, and Board recognition activities.

 Executive Workflow and Board Communications

• Manage incoming communications, requests, inquiries, and scheduling for the Board Office.
• Prioritize matters requiring attention and ensure timely routing and follow-up.
• Draft routine notices, correspondence, memoranda, and public communications.
• Serve as the primary administrative contact for Trustees, executives, employees, elected officials, vendors, and the public.
• Facilitate communication and information flow between Trustees, executive leadership, departments, and external stakeholders.

Board Office Coordination and Administrative Operations

• Coordinate recurring governance activities, annual calendars, reporting cycles, and policy review schedules.
• Maintain Board calendars, committee schedules, action logs, tracking tools, and administrative reference materials.
• Support governance initiatives, policy updates, special projects, and cross-functional administrative tasks.
• Monitor deadlines to ensure timely completion and distribution of Board materials and documentation.

Records Management and Governance Administration

• Maintain official Board records, resolutions, policies, minutes, and governance archives.
• Organize and maintain electronic and physical filing systems consistent with records retention requirements.
• Assist with managing Board portals, document repositories, and governance databases.
• Support compliance with public records laws, retention schedules, Board policies, and governance procedures.
• Prepare, publish, and distribute agendas, minutes, and required public documents.

Financial and Administrative Support

• Process invoices, purchase requests, reimbursements, contracts, and other administrative transactions.
• Assist with monitoring Board Office expenditures, budgets, and administrative records.
• Coordinate vendor and consultant documentation and purchasing activities in accordance with Authority policies.
• Maintain tracking systems for contracts, projects, recurring Board activities, and operational deadlines.

Sensitive Information and Confidential Administrative Support

• Handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion and professionalism.
• Maintain confidential records involving personnel, legal, financial, procurement, governance, and strategic matters.
• Exercise judgment when managing access to sensitive information and prioritizing requests.
• Identify issues requiring escalation to the Board Administrator or executive leadership.
• Ensure confidentiality, integrity, and security of Board records and communications.

Technology and Office Systems

• Maintain electronic calendars, Board portals, document management systems, and collaboration platforms.
• Support virtual meetings, electronic voting systems, and digital materials.
• Use Microsoft Office Suite and enterprise software to prepare reports, presentations, spreadsheets, and documentation.
• Recommend and implement improvements to enhance Board Office administrative efficiency.

Other Duties

• Anticipate and proactively address recurring administrative needs.
• Organize, prioritize, and manage multiple assignments while meeting critical deadlines.
• Perform additional duties and special projects as assigned in support of the Board Office and executive leadership.

Core Competencies:

Strategic Prioritization

Ability to distinguish urgent from important matters, align support with Board priorities, and manage competing demands effectively.

• Recognizes priority differences across Board requests, deadlines, and governance activities.
• Organizes workflow to ensure timely execution of Board responsibilities.
• Adjusts priorities as organizational or Board needs change.

Advanced Problem Solving

Ability to identify issues, evaluate impacts, determine practical solutions, and resolve complex administrative matters.

• Independently resolves routine and complex administrative issues.
• Identifies scheduling conflicts, process gaps, and operational barriers and implements solutions.
• Uses judgment to escalate matters requiring Board Administrator, executive, or legal review.

Project and Meeting Coordination

Ability to organize timelines, logistics, communications, and follow-up activities for Board and committee operations.

• Coordinates multiple activities involving Trustees, executives, consultants, and other stakeholders.
• Tracks Board actions, deadlines, and deliverables to ensure timely completion.
• Maintains continuity of Board Office operations through effective planning and follow-up.

Stakeholder and Relationship Management

Ability to establish and maintain productive relationships with Trustees and executive leadership while demonstrating professionalism and diplomacy.

• Communicates effectively with diverse internal and external stakeholders.
• Maintains credibility, discretion, and professionalism in all interactions.
• Facilitates collaboration and information sharing across organizational boundaries.

Proactive Decision-Making

Ability to anticipate needs, identify emerging issues, and act within assigned authority to support efficient Board operations.

• Anticipates recurring administrative needs.
• Takes initiative to resolve issues and maintain workflow with minimal direction.
• Determines when independent action is appropriate and when to elevate matters.

Governance and Administrative Excellence

Ability to provide accurate, professional administrative support within a public governance environment.

• Coordinates governance activities with strong attention to detail.
• Produces high-quality agendas, correspondence, reports, and documentation.
• Maintains organized administrative systems, records, and processes.

Confidentiality and Professional Judgment

Ability to handle sensitive information with integrity, discretion, and sound judgment.

• Protects confidential personnel, legal, financial, and strategic information.
• Exercises discretion in managing executive communications and Board matters.
• Demonstrates impartiality and professionalism in all interactions.

Communication and Organizational Effectiveness

Ability to communicate clearly, organize complex information, and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

• Demonstrates strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Maintains exceptional accuracy and attention to detail.
• Effectively manages multiple assignments and critical deadlines.

Technology and Information Management

Ability to use business technology and Board management systems to support governance operations.

• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and electronic document management systems.
• Uses Board portals, meeting platforms, and collaboration tools effectively.
• Maintains electronic records, calendars, and tracking systems with accuracy and security.

Minimum Qualifications

• Associate degree and six (6) years of progressively responsible clerical, administrative support, customer service, or general office support experience, including at least three (3) years supporting senior managers, directors, or executives; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience managing complex schedules, high-level document preparation, sensitive information, and recurring administrative coordination for senior leadership.
• Experience using standard office software, including word processing, email, spreadsheets, calendar applications, presentation software, and collaboration tools.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting senior leadership in a public agency, transportation organization, or similarly complex operating environment.
• Experience coordinating division-wide meetings, executive briefings, leadership communications, or special projects.
• Experience handling confidential or high-visibility administrative matters requiring independent judgment and discretion.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Knowledge of:

• Senior-level administrative support practices, executive office operations, and Board Office coordination methods.
• Board governance processes, public meeting administration, records management, and governance documentation practices.
• Business correspondence, briefing preparation, agenda development, meeting coordination, and document control procedures.
• Administrative processes related to scheduling, travel, procurement, records retention, communications, and executive support.
• Applicable public records requirements, records retention practices, and confidentiality standards.
• Standard office software, Board management systems, presentation tools, collaboration platforms, virtual meeting technology, and electronic document management systems.
• Appropriate handling of confidential, sensitive, and high-visibility governance, legal, financial, personnel, and strategic information.

Skill in:

• Providing senior-level administrative support within an executive leadership or governing Board environment.
• Managing complex calendars, Board and committee meetings, executive schedules, travel logistics, and competing priorities involving multiple stakeholders.
• Preparing professional agendas, Board packets, reports, presentations, correspondence, meeting summaries, resolutions, and executive briefing materials.
• Coordinating administrative workflow among Trustees, executive leadership, departments, consultants, legal counsel, vendors, elected officials, and external stakeholders.
• Organizing governance documentation, maintaining official Board records, and supporting Board Office operations with exceptional accuracy and attention to detail.
• Coordinating special projects, governance initiatives, and follow-up activities while maintaining continuity of Board Office operations.

Ability to:

• Perform highly varied and complex administrative work with substantial independence under general direction.
• Organize, prioritize, and manage multiple Board, executive, and governance assignments while meeting critical deadlines.
• Exercise sound judgment, professionalism, political awareness, and discretion when handling confidential or sensitive information.
• Anticipate administrative needs, recognize issues requiring attention, and determine when independent action or escalation is appropriate.
• Communicate clearly, tactfully, and professionally with Trustees, executive leadership, employees, elected officials, vendors, community partners, and the public.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with individuals at all organizational levels while supporting effective Board governance and executive operations.
• Maintain exceptional attention to detail while producing accurate, high-quality administrative work in a fast-paced, high-visibility environment.
• Adapt to changing priorities and organizational needs while providing responsive, reliable, and customer-focused support to the Board Office.

Working Environment and Physical Demands:

• Works primarily in an office environment with regular use of computers, phones, printers, scanners, and other standard office equipment.
• Requires frequent sitting, standing, walking, reaching, and handling of files, documents, office supplies, and related materials.
• May occasionally lift or move routine office materials and supplies.
• May occasionally be required to attend meetings, events, or work activities at various locations or outside standard business hours in support of executive or division needs.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the role.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

The City’s Background Check Policy requires background checks to be conducted on final internal or external candidate(s) applying for any position with the City of Charlotte. The type of information that will be collected as part of a background check includes, but is not limited to: reference checks, social security verification, education verification, criminal conviction record check, and, if applicable, a credit history check, sex offender registry and motor vehicle records check.

Background checks must be in compliance with all federal and state statutes, such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The checks must be consistent with the guidelines set forth by these laws requiring organizations to obtain a candidate’s written authorization before obtaining a criminal background report, motor vehicle records check or credit report; and to properly store and dispose of information derived from such reports.

Final candidates must pass a pre-employment drug-screening test and physical examination. During the selection process, candidates may be asked to take a skills test, and/or participate in other assessments.

The City of Charlotte is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, marital status, age, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation or on the basis of actual or perceived gender as expressed through dress, appearance, or behavior.

Our culture is to serve the community honorably.

HOW TO APPLY

Apply online.

Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job.

You are welcome to visit the City of Charlotte Human Resources Department lobby, where self-service application kiosks are available. They are located in our office at 700 East 4th Street, Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 28202. We are open Monday through Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (EST), excluding official City holidays.

For questions about your application or the hiring process, please email [email protected]

The City of Charlotte is committed to making our services and programs accessible to all. Upon request, auxiliary aids, written materials in alternate formats, language access, and other reasonable accommodations or modifications will be provided. To make a request, please fill out the Innovation & Technology ADA request form or call 704.336.4120.

BENEFITS

The City of Charlotte provides a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees.

Click here to learn more about the City of Charlotte’s benefits.

The City of Charlotte is a drug and alcohol-free workplace.