Executive Assistant to the Senior Pastor

Executive Assistant to the Senior Pastor/Head of Staff Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago, Illinois September 2026 Classification: Exempt Status: Regular, Full-time Reports To: Senior Pastor and Head of Staff Position Overview The Executive Assistant provides high-level, confidential, and proactive executive support to the Senior Pastor/Head of Staff of Fourth Presbyterian Church. The Executive Assistant also supports the Senior Associate Pastor and the Executive Director of Operational Ministries. This is a highly trusted position that serves as an essential partner to the Senior Pastor in managing the complexity, pace, relationships, and priorities associated with leading a large, historic, urban congregation. The Executive Assistant ensures that the Senior Pastor is prepared to lead effectively across the many dimensions of her ministry—including worship and preaching, pastoral care, staff leadership, congregational life, Session leadership, stewardship and resource development, denominational relationships, community engagement, and the broader life of the city. The successful candidate will bring both executive-level administrative excellence and a deep respect for the pastoral nature of the Senior Pastor's work. The person will understand that many of the matters coming through the Senior Pastor's office involve people's lives, faith, grief, celebrations, relationships, and deeply personal circumstances and therefore require warmth, tact, confidentiality, and care. The Executive Assistant will help create the conditions in which the Senior Pastor can focus on the highest priorities of her ministry and leadership while ensuring that commitments, communications, meetings, and follow-through are handled with precision and grace. Essential

Responsibilities:
Executive Support and Partnership
· Serve as the primary administrative partner to the Senior Pastor, developing a highly effective working relationship built on trust, communication, discretion, and mutual respect. Manage the Senior Pastor's complex and dynamic calendar, maintaining a forward-looking calendar that allows the Senior Pastor to prepare appropriately for significant meetings, worship services, presentations, sermons, public engagements, and pastoral responsibilities.
· Coordinate meetings for the Senior Associate Pastor and Executive Director of Operational Ministries and maintain their calendars.
· Proactively anticipate scheduling conflicts, competing priorities, preparation requirements, travel considerations, and other logistical needs.
· Prepare the Senior Pastor for meetings by gathering agendas, briefing materials, background information, participant information, previous correspondence, and other relevant materials. Monitor commitments and follow-up items arising from meetings and engagements and help ensure timely completion or delegation.
· Triage requests for the Senior Pastor's time and attention, exercising sound judgment about urgency, importance, confidentiality, and appropriate routing.
· Serve as an effective gatekeeper while maintaining a welcoming and hospitable presence.
· Coordinate domestic and international travel arrangements, itineraries, accommodations, transportation, meeting schedules, and related logistics as needed. Staff Support to the Joint Finance Council, the Board of Trustees, and the Session.
· Coordinate the Senior Pastor's responsibilities related to Session meetings and activities. Support the Senior Pastor in her role as Moderator of Session.
· Schedule, coordinate logistics and meals, and serve as hospitality for all meetings. Take and prepare minutes at all meetings. Maintain all Presbyterian Church USA requirements for the maintenance and archiving of Session and Board of Trustees minutes.
· Work closely with the Senior Pastor, other clergy, and congregational leadership to coordinate calendars, agendas, meeting materials, logistics, communications, and follow-up.
· Assist with ordination, installation, commissioning, recognition, and other officer-related events in association with the Senior Associate Pastor.
· Maintain accurate and appropriately organized records and historical documentation in accordance with Fourth Church and Presbyterian Church (USA) practices.
· Support the Senior Pastor and church leadership with denominational reporting, surveys, and other required documentation, including completion of the PCUSA Annual Report. Support for Senior Pastor as Head of Staff
· Coordinate meetings of the Senior Pastor with senior leaders, ministry leaders, department leaders, and staff.
· Assist with scheduling staff leadership meetings, retreats, planning sessions, and other gatherings. Assist with logistics for staff retreats, leadership gatherings, celebrations, and other staff events.
· Prepare agendas, meeting materials, schedules, and follow-up documentation as requested.
· Track decisions, commitments, and follow-up actions resulting from meetings. Administrative and Financi