Application Guide
How to Apply for CSHE Executive Assistant
at Community Solutions for Health Equity
🏢 About Community Solutions for Health Equity
Community Solutions for Health Equity (CSHE) is the National Program Office for a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-funded initiative, working with 11 community-based organizations across the U.S. to dismantle healthcare barriers that perpetuate health inequities. What makes CSHE unique is its explicit commitment to centering lived experience, cultural wisdom, and community-defined wellness—not just in name but in practice. Working here means being part of a movement that treats health as a human right and actively shifts power to communities most affected by injustice.
About This Role
As the Executive Assistant, you will be the primary administrative partner to both the Executive Director and the Deputy Director of Strategy and Programs, ensuring they can focus on high-level strategy and relationship-building. This role is the operational backbone of the National Program Office, managing complex calendars, coordinating with 11 community partners, and handling sensitive communications with funders and stakeholders. Your work directly enables CSHE's mission by keeping leadership organized and responsive in a fast-paced, remote, equity-centered environment.
💡 A Day in the Life
You might start your day by triaging emails for the Executive Director, scheduling a last-minute meeting with a community partner, and preparing briefing materials for a funder call. Later, you'd coordinate a cross-team meeting for the Deputy Director, update project trackers, and draft a memo to the 11 partner organizations. Throughout, you'd be the calm, organized hub that keeps CSHE's leadership moving forward in service of health justice.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Community Solutions for Health Equity Is Looking For
- Deep commitment to health equity and racial justice, with experience working in or with communities of color and an understanding of systemic barriers in healthcare.
- Proven ability to support multiple executives simultaneously in a remote setting, including complex calendar management, travel coordination, and confidential correspondence.
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to draft and edit materials for diverse audiences including funders, community partners, and internal staff.
- Strong project management and problem-solving skills, with a track record of anticipating needs, prioritizing competing demands, and maintaining grace under pressure.
📝 Tips for Applying to Community Solutions for Health Equity
Highlight any experience supporting executive leaders in mission-driven organizations, especially in public health, health equity, or social justice spaces—be specific about the number of executives and the complexity of scheduling you handled.
Demonstrate familiarity with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation or similar funders, and mention how you've navigated relationships with funders or national program offices in past roles.
Use your cover letter to tell a brief story about why health equity matters to you personally or professionally, connecting it to CSHE's vision of health as a human right.
Show remote work proficiency by mentioning tools you've used (e.g., Zoom, Slack, Asana, Google Workspace) and how you've maintained seamless communication across time zones.
If you have experience working with community-based organizations or coalitions, emphasize it—CSHE's partners are central to their work, and understanding their context is a plus.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
["Your alignment with CSHE's values: explicitly state how your professional background reflects a commitment to community-driven solutions and health justice.", "Your ability to manage up and across: provide concrete examples of how you've helped executives prioritize and stay organized in a remote, multi-stakeholder environment.", 'Cultural competence and humility: share an experience where you navigated cultural differences or supported communities different from your own with respect and effectiveness.', "Your proactive communication style: illustrate how you've kept leaders informed, anticipated needs, and handled confidential matters with discretion."]
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Visit the CSHE website and read about the 11 community-based organizations they partner with—understand their locations, focus areas, and the communities they serve.
- → Learn about the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's funding priorities and their broader health equity initiatives, as CSHE is a RWJF-funded program.
- → Research Goodnation Foundation, the fiscal sponsor, to understand the administrative and HR context you'd be working within.
- → Read recent articles or reports on health inequities in the U.S., especially those related to healthcare system barriers, to speak knowledgeably about the issues CSHE addresses.
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using generic language about 'helping people' without connecting it to systemic health equity—CSHE is looking for candidates who understand the structural nature of inequities.
- Focusing only on administrative skills without demonstrating cultural competence or experience working with diverse communities.
- Neglecting to mention remote work experience or tools, as this is a fully remote role and they need assurance you can thrive in that setup.
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!
Ready to Apply?
Good luck with your application to Community Solutions for Health Equity!