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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Executive Assistant & Office Manager

💰 $ - $

OperationsAdministrationHuman Resources

🎯 Role Definition

We are seeking a proactive, highly organized Executive Assistant & Office Manager to provide high-touch administrative support to senior leadership while owning day-to-day office operations. This dual-role combines executive-level calendar and communications management with facilities, vendor and HR-adjacent coordination to ensure a professional, efficient, and welcoming workplace. The ideal candidate balances confidentiality and discretion with measurable operational delivery and continuous process improvement.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Administrative Assistant with 1–3 years supporting managers or small teams and experience in calendar/travel coordination.
  • Office Coordinator who has owned front-desk operations, vendor relationships, and supplies management.
  • Executive Assistant (junior level) who has supported a single executive and managed basic office administration.

Advancement To:

  • Senior Executive Assistant supporting multiple C-suite leaders or a single high-profile executive.
  • Director of Office Operations or Director of Administration overseeing multiple sites and support teams.
  • Chief of Staff in smaller or scaling organizations combining strategy and operational execution.

Lateral Moves:

  • Operations Coordinator or Operations Manager focused on process, procurement, and vendor management.
  • HR Coordinator / People Operations Specialist with emphasis on onboarding, benefits, and employee experience.

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Manage complex, multi‑timezone calendars for C‑suite executives, proactively resolving conflicts, prioritizing requests, and preparing daily agendas with clear objectives, background materials, and contextual briefings.
  • Serve as the executive’s gatekeeper: triage incoming email and meeting requests, draft and send professional correspondence on behalf of executives, and escalate action items with recommended next steps.
  • Plan, book, and manage domestic and international business travel end‑to‑end — including itineraries, visa guidance, ground transportation, and travel expense reconciliation using Concur, Expensify, or similar platforms.
  • Prepare high-quality presentations, slide decks, board packets, and executive summaries (PowerPoint/Google Slides), incorporating data, KPIs, and talking points tailored to audiences such as investors, board members, and clients.
  • Organize and coordinate board meetings, investor updates, all‑hands, offsites, and executive retreats — responsible for logistics, materials, minute-taking, follow-up action logs, and confidentiality of board materials.
  • Own expense reporting, reconciliation, and petty cash processes; ensure timely submission, audit readiness, policy compliance, and monthly reporting to finance teams.
  • Act as the primary point of contact for facilities and vendor management: negotiate contracts, manage onsite services (cleaning, security, mail), coordinate maintenance, and oversee office moves and space planning.
  • Lead office procurement and vendor relationships — manage vendor selection, contracting, payment approvals, inventory of supplies, and cost-saving initiatives with documented ROI.
  • Manage and maintain accurate systems of record for office assets, subscriptions, vendor contracts, and confidential executive files; implement document retention best practices and secure storage.
  • Provide confidential support on sensitive matters including employee relations escalation, legal document coordination, and HR communications; work with legal and People Ops to protect privileged information.
  • Supervise and mentor administrative staff, reception personnel, or temporary contractors; establish clear workflows, KPIs, and performance feedback cycles to deliver consistent service levels.
  • Coordinate employee onboarding and offboarding logistics in partnership with People Ops — provisioning equipment, access credentials, welcome materials, and exit checklists to ensure compliance and positive employee experience.
  • Act as the liaison between leadership and internal teams (finance, IT, HR, legal), ensuring timely follow-through on cross-functional projects, capturing decisions and tracking deliverables to completion.
  • Oversee workplace health and safety compliance, emergency preparedness planning, and building access protocols — partnering with facilities and legal to maintain regulatory requirements.
  • Maintain confidentiality and high ethical standards while handling executive calendars, personnel issues, compensation information, and sensitive corporate materials.
  • Develop and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for executive support and office operations, driving continuous improvement, automation opportunities, and knowledge transfer.
  • Provide project management for special initiatives — research, vendor selection, budgeting, timeline management, stakeholder coordination, and reporting to executive sponsors.
  • Draft, proofread, and format internal and external communications, memos, and executive-level emails to ensure clarity, professionalism, and alignment with brand voice.
  • Schedule and facilitate executive one-on-ones, skip-level meetings, and follow-up tracking; create concise meeting notes and action item trackers to ensure accountability.
  • Coordinate IT support and procurement for laptops, mobile devices, and collaboration tools; escalate and track critical tickets and ensure rapid resolution for executive-level needs.
  • Maintain and analyze operational metrics such as office spend, travel trends, and vendor SLAs; deliver monthly reports with insights and recommendations to reduce costs and improve efficiency.
  • Support fundraising, legal diligence, or audit processes by compiling documentation, coordinating stakeholders, and ensuring timely delivery of requested materials to external parties.

Secondary Functions

  • Lead employee engagement initiatives such as town halls, recognition programs, and culture-building events, coordinating logistics and measuring participation to drive retention.
  • Assist with basic HR administration tasks including benefits enrollment coordination, time-off tracking, and contractor onboarding paperwork in partnership with People Ops.
  • Manage subscription services and SaaS renewals for office tools and collaboration platforms; monitor usage to inform renewal or cancellation decisions.
  • Provide administrative support to cross-functional project teams, managing timelines, meeting cadence, stakeholder updates, and deliverable tracking using Asana, Trello, or Monday.com.
  • Support ad-hoc data requests, compile operational dashboards and basic analytics to surface trends in travel spend, office costs, and supplier performance.
  • Act as a brand ambassador for office operations by ensuring reception areas, meeting rooms, and common spaces are presentation-ready and aligned to internal culture and external impressions.
  • Facilitate vendor onboarding and offboarding processes including insurance verification, contracts, and background verification where applicable.
  • Provide back-up support for payroll or AP tasks during peak cycles or team absences, ensuring continuity of operations and adherence to deadlines.
  • Participate in cross-functional committees (safety, events, sustainability) and represent office operations on company-wide initiatives to improve employee experience.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Executive calendar management and meeting coordination across multiple time zones with demonstrated prioritization techniques.
  • Full-cycle travel management including international travel, visa logistics, ground transportation, and travel policy enforcement.
  • Expense management and reconciliation expertise (Concur, Expensify, Certify) and familiarity with finance workflows and approvals.
  • Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint), Google Workspace (Gmail, Calendar, Sheets, Slides), and collaboration tools (Slack, Zoom).
  • Office and facilities management: vendor sourcing, contract negotiation, space planning, and basic maintenance oversight.
  • Project management tools and methodologies (Asana, Trello, Monday.com) with ability to manage timelines and deliverables.
  • Event planning and logistics for large-scale internal and external events, including vendor sourcing, budgeting, and post-event analysis.
  • Document management and confidentiality best practices; secure handling of legal, HR, and financial documents.
  • Basic HRIS and payroll familiarity (BambooHR, Workday, Gusto) for onboarding/offboarding coordination.
  • Data-driven reporting and dashboard creation (Excel pivot tables, Google Sheets formulas) to summarize operational KPIs for leadership.

Soft Skills

  • Exceptional written and verbal communication with a polished, professional presence for interacting with C-level executives and external stakeholders.
  • Unwavering discretion, integrity, and commitment to confidentiality when handling sensitive materials and conversations.
  • Superior organizational skills with an ability to triage competing priorities under tight timelines and ambiguous situations.
  • Proactive problem-solver with a bias for action and demonstrated capacity to independently drive projects to completion.
  • Strong stakeholder management and interpersonal skills; ability to build trust across departments and with external vendors.
  • Adaptability and resilience in fast-paced, scaling environments; comfort with constantly evolving responsibilities and processes.
  • Detail-oriented with high standards for accuracy in calendar entries, expense reports, contracts, and meeting materials.
  • Leadership and coaching ability to manage and develop junior administrative staff and temp resources.
  • Customer-service mindset with a hospitality-oriented approach to office operations and executive support.
  • Time management and prioritization skills, including the ability to balance long-term projects with day-to-day execution.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and professional experience; or Associate degree plus 5+ years of relevant experience.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Communications, Hospitality Management, Human Resources, or related field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

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

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 3–7 years of combined executive support and office management experience, with progressively broader responsibilities.

Preferred:

  • 5+ years supporting C-level executives and 2+ years managing office operations or supervising administrative teams, with demonstrable accomplishments in process improvement, vendor negotiations, budget management, and event execution.
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