Santa Barbara, California • Full-Time Employment
In-Office: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM • Compensation Commensurate with Experience
Apply: trisha@one805.org
ABOUT ONE805
ONE805, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit on a mission that matters deeply. We exist to protect the people who protect us — supporting the mental health, wellbeing, and critical equipment needs of first responders across all twelve Santa Barbara County fire and law enforcement departments.
Founded in the wake of the 2018 Thomas Fire and Montecito mudslides, ONE805 has raised over $8 million in five years, grown to 5,000 donors, and built a peer support programme serving over 1,500 first responders and their families. We have recently launched a capital campaign — the Mental Wellness Endowment — to ensure that first responders across Santa Barbara County are supported in perpetuity.
What makes ONE805 distinct is our commitment to the whole. Many organizations serve a single discipline — fire or law enforcement alone. We believe they work as one, despite the very real cultural differences between them, and that conviction is at the core of everything we do. Our Advisory Board reflects that: twelve county Fire Chiefs and the Santa Barbara County Sheriff, united behind a single mission.
We are a young, lean organization that operates like a start-up — with the discipline, transparency, and accountability of one. Events are how we grow, how we reach the community, and how we build trust with the chiefs and the donors who believe in us. Our current priority is identifying and cultivating mid-level donors in the $50,000–$150,000 range to stabilize both our Endowment campaign and our general operating fund — without inflating our overhead. We are deliberately building a contractor model around our events, grant writing, ticketing, and marketing so we stay nimble and mission-focused at every stage.
We are building something very special for the long term. If you want to be at the heart of it, this is your moment.
THE ROLE
You are the operational backbone of ONE805. This role is not for the faint-hearted.
This is a demanding, full-time, in-office position — Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM — with evenings and weekends required around events and donor gatherings. No two days look alike. Ever. You will be pulled in multiple directions at once, asked to switch gears without warning, and expected to hold it all together with professionalism and composure. If you need a predictable, structured routine, this is not the role for you. If you thrive in controlled chaos, read on.
Working directly and daily with Chairman & CEO Kirsten Cavendish Weston-Smith, you will be her most trusted operational partner. Kirsten is a creative, relationship-driven leader — someone who leads with vision, raises funds through the power of her personality, and builds relationships that carry this organization forward. What she needs beside her is someone operationally exceptional: thick-skinned, apolitical, fiercely loyal, and completely unflappable. Someone who holds the structure so she can lead. Someone who finishes what she starts, absorbs pressure without complaint, and makes sure nothing — ever — falls through the gaps.
You will be the person who keeps the wheels on. You will field the unexpected, manage the urgent, and quietly solve problems before they become crises. You will work with strong personalities — Fire Chiefs, Sheriffs, major donors, board members — and you will do it with grace, confidence, and zero drama.
The right person has seen it all before. They don’t rattle easily. They know that in a fast-moving, mission-driven environment, the ability to stay calm, stay loyal, and stay focused is worth more than any credential on a CV.
WHAT YOU WILL DO
Chairman Support & Scheduling
— Own and manage the Chairman’s diary — scheduling with donors, county chiefs, Advisory Board members, Honorary Board members, and all key stakeholders with warmth and precision
— Draft and manage all communications on behalf of the Chairman — donor correspondence, chief outreach, board communications, Honorary Board engagement, and community outreach
— Serve as the trusted first point of contact for the organization’s most important relationships — always professional, always warm, always on brand
— Prepare board meeting agendas, materials, and minutes; manage governance documents and follow-up action items
— Anticipate the Chairman’s needs before they arise and ensure she is always fully briefed, prepared, and supported — before she has to ask
Advisory Board & Honorary Board Communications
— Manage all communications with our Advisory Board of twelve county Fire Chiefs and the Santa Barbara County Sheriff — scheduling, correspondence, grant coordination, and follow-up
— Manage all communications with our Honorary Board — keeping members informed, engaged, and celebrated
— Ensure both boards feel connected, valued, and fully supported at all times
— Coordinate board meetings, prepare materials, and manage all action items and follow-through
Administration & Operations
— Keep the organization running day to day — coordinating the team, managing workstreams, and making sure nothing falls through the gaps
— Own and maintain the organization’s digital infrastructure: Google Workspace/Drive, DonorDock CRM, Mailchimp, Trello, DocuSign
— Build and maintain trackers for grants, donors, and budgets — accurate, current, and board-ready at all times
— Coordinate the first responder grant cycle: intake from department chiefs, application tracking, and award documentation
— Support donor events and community gatherings — you thrive in event-driven environments and understand that events are how this organization grows
Bookkeeping
— Post expenses to QuickBooks accurately and in a timely manner
— Interface with the organization’s accountant — sharing relevant information and keeping financial records current
— Manage expense approvals within the organization’s workflow
WHAT YOU BRING
- 10+ years of C-suite executive assistant experience across all disciplines — scheduling, communications, administration, and operations
- Thick skin, emotional resilience, and the composure to perform at the highest level when things get loud, fast, or uncertain
- Exceptional communication skills — you write beautifully, match tone to audience, and engage with equal confidence and warmth whether addressing a Fire Chief, a major donor, or a community leader
- Experience managing relationships with board members, senior officials, or high-net-worth individuals with discretion and grace
- The ability to pivot instantly, create structure under pressure, and thrive when no two days are the same
- A genuinely apolitical mindset and the kind of loyalty and reliability that a leader can build on absolutely
- Comfort with QuickBooks for basic expense posting and financial liaison with an accountant
- Advanced proficiency with Google Workspace and the ability to learn new platforms quickly
- Availability Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM in-office, with flexibility for evenings and weekends around events
EVEN BETTER IF YOU HAVE
- Nonprofit experience including donor stewardship, grant administration, or 501(c)(3) governance
- Familiarity with mid-level donor cultivation and the rhythms of a capital or endowment campaign
- Experience with donor CRMs (DonorDock, DonorPerfect, or similar) and Mailchimp
- Experience working alongside first responder agencies, public officials, or community leadership
WHO THRIVES HERE
- Someone who has been tested — and held up. You know what hard looks like and you don’t blink
- A natural communicator who builds trust quickly and manages relationships — from Fire Chiefs to board members to major donors — with warmth and professionalism
- A problem-solver who creates order out of chaos, builds systems that last, and follows everything through to done
- Someone who is energized — not overwhelmed — by the reality that no day here will ever look like the one before it
- A mission-driven professional who understands that behind every task is a first responder whose life we are working to improve
- Someone who leaves their ego at the door, gets on with it, and takes quiet pride in being the person everyone can count on
TO APPLY
If this sounds like you — genuinely like you — we would love to hear from you. Please send your CV and a short covering letter telling us what draws you to ONE805 and why this role is the right fit.
trisha@one805.org
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. We look forward to meeting you.
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