Executive Assistant

Contemporaries, Inc.; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A higher education institution in Boston is seeking a contract Executive Assistant to enhance executives' productivity. Responsibilities include managing calendars, screening calls, organizing business travel, and producing complex documents. Applicants should have strong organizational skills and relevant experience, ideally in a higher education setting. This full-time position is onsite and expected to last a minimum of 6 months, with potential for extension.

Qualifications

• Ability to think critically and offer solutions with professionalism.
• High level of discretion and ability to handle complex calendars.
• Two to four years of relevant experience supporting high-level executives.

Responsibilities

• Manage executives' calendars and schedule meetings.
• Serve as primary contact for internal and external constituencies.
• Prepare agendas and meeting notes in a timely manner.

Skills

Organizational skills

Attention to detail

Customer service

Discretion

Education

Associate's degree or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft Outlook

Job description

Our client, a University based in Boston, is in need of a contract Executive Assistant to provide a broad variety of activities that facilitate an executive’s, or multiple executives, ability to effectively lead the organization, including the managing the calendars, screening calls, scheduling meetings, preparing agendas, and organizing business travel; producing complex documents, reports, and presentations; supporting complex projects; collecting and preparing information for meetings with staff and outside parties; composing and preparing correspondence.

This is a contract temporary position which is expected to last a minimum of 6 months, although it could be extended longer, or become a temp-to-permanent position. The full-time position (40 hours a week) is also onsite at the Boston campus.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary point of contact for internal and external constituencies on all matters pertaining to an executive or executives, including those of a highly confidential or critical nature.
• Prioritize and determine appropriate course of action, referral, or response, judgement to reflect an executive’s style and University policy.
• Makes an executive, or group of executives, more productive by time by reading, researching, and routing incoming correspondence and proofreading, editing, and drafting outgoing communications.
• Manage an Executive’s, or group of executives, calendar(s), screening calls, scheduling meetings, and organizing business travel both domestically and internationally. Manage the large demands for an Executive’s, or group of executives, time by anticipating and resolving potential conflicts.
• Complete a broad variety of tasks that facilitate the executive’s, or group of executives’, ability to effectively lead the organization, including assisting with a variety of special projects; designing and producing complex documents, reports, and presentations; collecting and preparing information for meetings with staff and outside parties; composing and preparing correspondence.
• Prepare agendas and meeting notes in a timely manner to ensure the Executive, or group of executives, are well-prepared for all meetings, events and speaking engagements. Act as the administrative point of contact between the executive and internal and external clients.
• Maintain office filing and retrieval systems, record meeting discussions, maintain office supplies, place orders as required, and ensure office equipment is in proper working order. Evaluate and assist in developing office policies and procedures for improved workflow and anticipate future needs as organization evolves.
• Acts as on-boarding resource for new leaders, helping the manager read and understand the organizational culture, guiding them through its different personalities, and serving as a sounding board and confidant.

Financial Measures

• Provide the annual operating budget that the job manages: Process Concur reports, averaging ~$10,000 per month.

Qualifications

• Ability to anticipate needs, think critically, and offer solutions to problems with a high level of professionalism and confidentiality.
• High level of discretion, organizational skills, attention to detail, diplomacy, customer service with ability to handle complex calendars and overlapping schedules.
• Ability to understand the workings of the organization, its mission, and people. Proficiency with MS Office products, including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Ability and willingness to take initiative and get work done though others.
• Skills and knowledge required for this position are typically acquired through the completion of an Associate’s degree, or equivalent plus at least two to four years’ relevant experience.
• Prior experience managing an office and supporting high level executives is preferred.
• Experience with higher education and Concur a bug plus.