Executive Assistant and Board Liaison - Mackenzie Health Foundation

The Executive Assistant and Board Liaison provides high-level executive and governance support to the President & CEO and the Foundation’s Board of Directors. The role manages the operations of the CEO’s office, ensuring effective prioritization, communications, and follow-through on organizational priorities. As lead administrator for Board and committee governance, it ensures compliance with by-laws and policies, delivers professional support to Directors, and strengthens governance practices across the Foundation. Serving as a key point of contact for Board members, hospital partners, donors, and external stakeholders, the role operates with significant independence, leads cross-functional governance projects through influence, and establishes office standards and workflows while seeking CEO guidance at key milestones.

Contribute to the Foundation through:

Executive Support - 50%

• Oversee the daily operations of the CEO’s office, ensuring alignment across Foundation and Board activities.
• Manage complex scheduling, prioritization of commitments, and preparation of briefing materials.
• Draft, edit, and coordinate correspondence, reports, and presentations on behalf of the CEO.
• Track key projects, follow up on action items, and ensure timely execution.
• Track and forecast the CEO Office budget (invoices, expenses, subscriptions), and provide input to annual budget planning for the Office of the President.
• Handle confidential information and correspondence with discretion and professionalism.
• Act as liaison between the CEO, leadership team, hospital partners, and external stakeholders.
• Set and manage prioritization protocols for the CEO’s calendar and inflow (triage standards, response SLAs, delegation rules); escalate only at key decision points.
• Lead cross-functional preparation of Board/CEO materials (briefing notes, decks), assigning tasks and owning timelines and outcomes.

Board Governance and Committee Management - 50%

• Oversee all aspects of Board and committee governance, ensuring compliance with bylaws, policies, and the Board work plan.
• Lead planning and logistics for Board and committee meetings, including AGM, retreats, and education sessions.
• Prepare and distribute agendas, materials, and minutes in accordance with governance timelines.
• Record minutes and decisions to a professional, auditable standard, tracking motions, votes, and follow-ups.
• Maintain and update governance documents, including Board manuals and orientation materials.
• Own the annual Board and committee work plan (agendas, motion drafting, quorum tracking, minutes, action logs) and ensure on-time delivery of materials.
• Administer the Board portal and records to an auditable standard; maintain orientation manuals and governance SOPs/templates.
• Project-lead the AGM and retreats (critical path, logistics, documentation, follow-up).
• Maintain governance KPIs and a dashboard (e.g., on-time materials %, quorum, action-item closure rates) and report trends/recommendations to the CEO.
• Coordinate Board recruitment and onboarding (role profiles, candidate outreach logistics, reference coordination), in collaboration with the Governance Committee.
• Track Board engagement in fundraising initiatives.

What Must You Have?

• University degree or highly relevant college diploma/certificate, or equivalent experience.
• Minimum 5 years’ experience providing executive support at the senior management level, preferably in the nonprofit sector.
• Minimum 3 years’ direct governance experience, including managing Board processes and policies.

What Else do you Bring?

• Demonstrated ability to lead projects and influence laterally across departments to deliver Board-ready materials on time.
• Experience preparing budgets/forecasts for the CEO Office and providing input to annual planning.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with ability to prepare and edit high-level documents.
• Exceptional organizational, time management, and project management skills.
• Strong problem-solving, critical thinking, and anticipation of executive and Board needs.
• Proven ability to build and maintain a professional network of contacts across the hospital, Board, and sector to resolve issues independently.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Ability to manage sensitive and confidential information with discretion.
• Valid driver’s licence and access to a vehicle.
• Flexibility to work evenings and weekends for Board and committee meetings.
• Executive presence and judgement: Demonstrates discretion, professionalism, and the ability to advise senior leaders and Directors.
• Governance acumen: Ensures Board processes and documentation meet compliance and best practice standards.
• Service orientation: Builds strong relationships with Board members, staff, hospital partners, and external stakeholders.
• Organization and attention to detail: Manages multiple priorities while delivering accurate, timely outputs.
• Leading through influence: Mobilizes staff without formal authority to deliver multi-party outputs on deadline.
• Analytical and results-oriented: Tracks governance KPIs and uses data to improve timeliness, quality, and compliance.
• Integrity and professionalism: Upholds confidentiality and models the Foundation’s values of Excellence, Leadership, and Integrity.

Preferred:

• Knowledge of healthcare and philanthropic environments.
• Familiarity with governance best practices and Ontario regulatory requirements.
• Experience administering a Board portal and governance records to compliance standards.
• Experience with donor databases such as Raiser’s Edge.
• Experience supporting fundraising campaigns or events.

Why Join Us?

• Hybrid flexibility: Work two days a week in our Vaughan office, with flexibility to balance work and life.
• Comprehensive total rewards: Competitive compensation, pay-for-performance bonus, extended benefits, vacation and bonus holiday days, and HOOPP pension plan.
• Purpose-driven work: Every gift you inspire directly improves care for patients and families across York Region.

*You may be required to work at any site of Mackenzie Health.

Mackenzie Health is an inclusive and equal opportunity employer committed to providing accommodations for applicants upon request at any stage of the recruitment process in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and the Ontario Human Rights Code.

Our hiring process does not involve the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to screen, assess or select applicants.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those under consideration for an interview will be contacted.