Executive Assistant

vwr; Bridgewater (MA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Avantor, a global life sciences company, seeks an Executive Assistant to support the President, VWR Distribution & Services, and the Executive Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer. The role requires proactive coordination, project management, and technology-enabled problem solving in a fast-paced, highly matrixed environment.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate exceptional organizational skills, strong business acumen, and the ability to handle confidential information with discretion

Qualifications

• Exceptional organizational skills and strong business acumen in a fast-paced, matrixed environment.
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion and independent judgement.
• Experience providing senior-level executive support and coordinating cross-functional initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Manage complex calendars and optimize executives' time against strategic objectives.
• Coordinate cross-functional projects, leadership meetings, and action items with accountability.
• Leverage Workday and Microsoft 365 to streamline administrative workflows and governance.
• Prepare meetings, briefs, agendas, and follow-up actions for executive reviews and stakeholder interactions.

Skills

Organizational skills

Project management

Discretion

Executive support

Communication

Tools

Workday

Microsoft 365

Outlook

Teams

PowerPoint

Excel

SharePoint

Copilot

OneNote

Job description

The Opportunity:

Avantor® is a leading life science tools company and global provider of mission-critical products and services to the life sciences and advanced technology industries. We work side-by-side with customers at every step of the scientific journey to enable breakthroughs in medicine, healthcare, and technology. Our portfolio is used in virtually every stage of the most important research, development and production activities at more than 300,000 customer locations in 180 countries.

Our VWR Distribution & Services segment comprises approximately two-thirds of our revenue and provides a comprehensive set of products and services to scientists and technicians in biopharma research, the academic environment and various diagnostic labs. We offer anything a scientist needs to perform precise and complex analytics in the lab including various consumables, chemicals and reagents, glassware, plasticware and a host of equipment and instruments. High-value services and digital solutions are also key to our portfolio. They optimize end-to-end operations and help build the lab of the future. Today, we are the first or second supplier of choice in each lab solutions end market we serve.

Our Bioscience & Medtech Products segment leverages our deep materials science capabilities to customize ultra-high purity materials suitable for our customers' highly regulated production platforms. This segment includes bioprocessing, unique formulations for medical implant applications and advanced technology solutions. While biosciences comprise one-third of our revenue, it accounts for roughly half of our profitability.

Position Summary

The Executive Assistant serves as a trusted business partner to both the President, VWR Distribution & Services and the Executive Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer, providing high-level executive support, driving operational excellence, and enabling strategic priorities across the organization. This role goes beyond traditional administrative responsibilities by serving as a proactive coordinator, project manager, and technology-enabled problem solver who anticipates business needs, removes barriers, and enhances executive effectiveness.

The ideal candidate possesses exceptional organizational skills, strong business acumen, project management expertise, and the ability to operate with confidentiality, discretion, and independent judgment in a fast-paced, highly matrixed environment.

Key Responsibilities

Executive Partnership & Strategic Support

• Manage complex calendars, prioritizing competing demands and ensuring executives' time is optimized against critical business objectives.
• Act as a trusted advisor, proactively identifying scheduling conflicts, prioritization challenges, and opportunities to improve executive efficiency.
• Prepare executives for meetings, business reviews, leadership forums, and customer interactions through briefing materials, agendas, and follow-up actions.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for internal and external stakeholders, exercising sound judgment and professionalism.
• Coordinate domestic and international travel arrangements, ensuring seamless logistics and adherence to company policies and leader travel preferences.

Project Management & Business Operations

• Lead and coordinate cross-functional projects on behalf of executives, ensuring milestones, deliverables, and timelines remain on track. Projects include leadership team presentations and team slide contributions.
• Establish project plans, monitor progress, facilitate follow-up actions, and elevate risks when appropriate.
• Drive accountability across stakeholders by tracking commitments, action items, and project outcomes.
• Partner with HR, Finance, Commercial, and Corporate Functions teams to support organizational initiatives and leadership priorities.
• Coordinate leadership meetings, operating reviews, team offsites, and strategic planning sessions.

Technology & Process Optimization

• Leverage technology and automation tools to streamline administrative and business processes, including execution of all business processes in Workday on behalf of executives (i.e. expense reports, job requisition approvals)
• Demonstrate expertise in Microsoft 365 applications including Outlook, Teams, PowerPoint, Excel, SharePoint, OneNote, Copilot, and other collaboration platforms.
• Identify opportunities to improve workflows through automation, AI-enabled capabilities, and process redesign.
• Maintain and organize digital files, shared resources, meeting documentation, and project repositories.
• Support virtual, hybrid, and in-person leadership events utilizing advanced technology solutions.

Meeting & Governance Management

• Plan and coordinate executive leadership meetings, preparing agendas, materials, and meeting logistics.
• Capture meeting outcomes, decisions, and action items while ensuring timely follow-up and execution.
• Support governance processes, leadership routines, and oper