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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Executive Administrative Assistant

💰 $60,000 - $95,000

AdministrationExecutive SupportOffice ManagementOperations

🎯 Role Definition

An Executive Administrative Assistant provides high-level administrative and operational support to senior executives and C‑level leaders. This role combines calendar and travel management, stakeholder communication, project coordination, meeting and board support, and confidential document handling. The Executive Administrative Assistant acts as a gatekeeper and a proactive partner, anticipating needs, prioritizing competing requests, and ensuring efficient executive workflows across multiple time zones and stakeholders.

Primary keywords: Executive Administrative Assistant, executive support, C‑suite assistant, calendar management, travel coordination, meeting management, expense reporting, confidential correspondence, executive communications.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Administrative Assistant
  • Office Coordinator
  • Junior Executive Assistant

Advancement To:

  • Senior Executive Assistant / Executive Assistant II
  • Office Manager or Director of Administrative Services
  • Chief of Staff
  • Director of Operations

Lateral Moves:

  • Project Coordinator / Project Manager
  • HR Generalist or People Operations Specialist
  • Client Services Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Manage complex, multi‑party calendars for C‑suite executives across multiple time zones, proactively resolving conflicts, prioritizing meetings, and ensuring efficient use of executive time.
  • Coordinate all aspects of domestic and international executive travel, including flights, ground transportation, visas, itineraries, accommodations, travel risk mitigation, and detailed pre‑travel briefs.
  • Prepare, proofread, and format high‑impact executive communications, presentations, board materials, briefing books, and talking points using PowerPoint, Word, and Google Slides to ensure polished, on‑brand deliverables.
  • Serve as the primary point of contact for internal and external stakeholders, screening phone calls and email, triaging requests, and escalating issues to preserve executive capacity and manage stakeholder relationships.
  • Own end‑to‑end meeting logistics for one‑on‑one, team, and board meetings: agenda creation, venue and A/V coordination, minutes capture, action‑item tracking and follow‑up to ensure outcomes and accountability.
  • Process and reconcile executive expense reports and corporate card statements in Concur/Expensify, ensuring timely submission, compliance with company policy, and accurate coding for accounting.
  • Manage confidential and sensitive information with utmost discretion, including HR issues, legal documents, financial materials, and strategic plans; maintain secure filing and document access protocols.
  • Administer and maintain document management systems (SharePoint, Google Drive, Box), version control, and standardized templates so executives and teams have quick access to required materials.
  • Coordinate cross‑functional projects and special initiatives on behalf of executives, driving milestones, stakeholder alignment, vendor relationships, and status reporting to successful completion.
  • Facilitate onboarding and orientation logistics for new executive‑level hires, including IT provisioning, access setup, calendar integration, and executive welcome activities.
  • Support recruitment and interview scheduling for senior hires, managing candidate logistics, interview materials, feedback collection, and confidentiality throughout the process.
  • Organize corporate events, offsites, and executive retreats: logistics planning, vendor sourcing and management, budget tracking, and onsite coordination to deliver seamless experiences.
  • Draft, edit, and manage executive correspondence, emails, and memos; prioritize messages requiring immediate action and prepare concise executive summaries for rapid decision‑making.
  • Maintain and track executive budgets, subscription services, office supplies, and procurement requests; partner with finance to forecast and reconcile administrative spend.
  • Serve as liaison to the board of directors: coordinate board meeting schedules, distribute pre‑reads, collect materials from stakeholders, manage board portals, and respond to director inquiries.
  • Act as gatekeeper and cultural ambassador for the executive office—setting expectations with internal teams and external partners while protecting the executive’s focus and time.
  • Monitor and report on key operational metrics and KPIs requested by executives, compiling data into dashboards or one‑page summaries that support strategic planning and review.
  • Implement and continuously improve administrative processes and standard operating procedures (SOPs), leveraging technology and automation to increase office efficiency and scalability.
  • Coordinate vendor relationships and facilities support for executive offices, including office layout, equipment procurement, IT and AV escalations, and workspace maintenance.
  • Provide backup support to other administrative team members and act as escalation point during high volume periods, ensuring continuity of executive support.
  • Proactively anticipate executive needs by preparing materials in advance, conducting pre‑meeting research, and surfacing action items and decisions to keep leadership productive.
  • Maintain reaction readiness for urgent and last‑minute requests—rapidly reorganizing schedules, preparing materials, or arranging emergency travel without loss of quality.
  • Support compliance and audit requests related to executive operations by pulling records, documenting approvals, and coordinating with legal and finance teams as needed.
  • Lead initiatives to improve executive office security and confidentiality, including visitor protocols, NDA handling, and secure disposal of sensitive materials.

Secondary Functions

  • Provide administrative support to senior leadership team members as requested and act as a shared resource across departments during peak periods.
  • Assist HR with executive-level onboarding paperwork, benefits enrollment coordination, and executive orientation logistics.
  • Maintain and update the executive team contact database, stakeholder directories, and sponsor/partner lists to support outreach and relationship management.
  • Coordinate IT and facilities escalations on behalf of executives, working with internal partners to ensure timely resolution of issues and minimal disruption.
  • Support internal communications projects, newsletters, and company announcements originating from the executive office.
  • Manage ad hoc research, data pulls, and preparatory summaries for executive briefings and strategy sessions.
  • Assist with travel and event expense forecasting and vendor contract renewals for executive services.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Advanced calendar management and scheduling across global time zones using Outlook/Exchange and Google Calendar.
  • Executive travel planning and itinerary creation including visa coordination and corporate travel policy compliance.
  • Expense reporting and reconciliation experience with Concur, Expensify, or similar travel and expense platforms.
  • Expert proficiency in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Google Workspace; ability to build executive slide decks and data summaries.
  • Familiarity with collaboration and meeting platforms: Zoom, Microsoft Teams, WebEx, RingCentral, Slack.
  • Document management and version control using SharePoint, Box, Google Drive, or internal intranet systems.
  • Board support and governance experience: board book assembly, portal administration, and minute taking.
  • Basic project management and workflow tools: Asana, Trello, Smartsheet, Monday.com, or Jira for tracking deliverables.
  • CRM and stakeholder management exposure (Salesforce, HubSpot) to support executive outreach and reporting.
  • Data synthesis and reporting: compiling briefings, executive summaries, and one‑page dashboards from multiple data sources.
  • Event and vendor management: RFQs, contract review basics, vendor coordination and reconciliation.
  • Office operations knowledge: procurement, facilities coordination, meeting room technology, and vendor relationship management.
  • Confidential document handling and secure records management practices.

Soft Skills

  • Exceptional written and verbal communication; ability to craft concise executive‑level summaries and correspondence.
  • High degree of discretion, confidentiality, and professional judgment when handling sensitive information.
  • Strong prioritization and time management; able to balance urgent requests and long‑term projects simultaneously.
  • Proactive problem solving and anticipation of executive needs; takes initiative and follows through with minimal direction.
  • Excellent interpersonal skills and stakeholder management; comfortable interacting with board members, investors, clients, and cross‑functional leaders.
  • Adaptability and resilience in a fast‑paced, evolving environment with frequent context switches.
  • Strong attention to detail and commitment to high‑quality, error‑free deliverables.
  • Diplomacy and tact when representing executives and managing internal/external expectations.
  • Collaborative team player who also works independently with strong ownership for outcomes.
  • Organizational influence skills: able to drive process change and obtain cross‑functional cooperation to optimize executive operations.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High school diploma or equivalent. (Many employers require at least some college coursework or an associate degree.)

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Communications, Management, or related field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Business Administration
  • Communications
  • Management
  • Hospitality/Event Management
  • Human Resources

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3–8 years of progressively responsible administrative or executive support experience, with at least 2–4 years supporting senior or C‑level executives.

Preferred:

  • 5+ years supporting C‑suite executives or high‑growth startups/scaleups.
  • Experience in fast‑paced industries (technology, finance, professional services) and with board/board‑level support.
  • Prior experience implementing administrative process improvements, projects, or event programs.
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