Executive Assistant

Blackbook Associates; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Blackbook Associates, a boutique private equity firm in Chicago focused on life sciences, seeks an experienced Executive Assistant to support two founders. The role covers calendar, travel, inbox, and discreet personal support, ensuring founders operate at full capacity.

You will manage dual diaries, coordinate complex itineraries, prepare briefing materials, and liaise with portfolio companies and investors.

Qualifications

• Significant prior EA experience supporting C-suite or founder-level principals.
• Ability to support two principals in parallel with proactive prioritization.
• Excellent calendar and inbox management with independent judgment.
• Strong written communication and professionalism to represent founders externally.
• Highly organized, proactive, and able to anticipate needs.
• Discretion and emotional intelligence for professional/personal support.

Responsibilities

• Manage two principals' calendars, meetings, and engagements.
• Triage inbox and prioritize messages with sound judgment.
• Coordinate complex domestic and international travel.
• Prepare meeting briefs, materials, and action-tracking.
• Handle expenses, invoicing, and liaise with finance.
• Support ad hoc projects, events, and investor-facing activities.
• Provide light personal support and lifestyle administration.
• Serve as a trusted point of contact internally and externally.

Skills

Calendar management

Inbox management

Travel coordination

Meeting preparation

Expense management

Project support

Discretion

Communication

Emotional intelligence

Job description

We are searching for an experienced Executive Assistant to support the two founders of a boutique private equity firm focused on the life sciences sector, based in Chicago.

This is a classic dual-principal EA role, requiring a seasoned operator who can run two demanding diaries in parallel, anticipate the rhythm of a founder‑led investment firm, and provide the calm, consistent backbone that allows both principals to operate at full capacity.

The Role

The EA will own the day-to-day operational support of both founders across their professional lives, with some light crossover into the personal. Core responsibilities include:

• Comprehensive calendar management across two principals, including internal meetings, portfolio company engagements, LP interactions, and external commitments
• Active inbox management and prioritization, with the judgment to triage what matters and what can wait
• End-to-end travel coordination, including complex multi‑leg domestic and international itineraries, private aviation where required, and full on‑the‑ground logistics
• Meeting preparation, briefing materials, and follow‑through on action items
• Expense management, invoicing, and coordination with finance and operations
• Ad hoc project support across the firm, including events, offsites, and investor‑facing activity
• Light personal support, including private appointments, family logistics, and lifestyle administration as required
• Acting as a trusted point of contact for both founders, internally and externally

The Candidate

We are seeking an experienced EA with a proven track record supporting senior principals, ideally within financial services or a comparable high-performance environment.

Essential:

• Significant prior EA experience supporting C‑suite, founder, or partner‑level principals
• Demonstrable comfort supporting more than one principal in parallel
• Exceptional calendar and inbox management, with the judgment to prioritize independently
• Strong written communication and the maturity to represent both founders externally
• Highly organized, proactive, and able to anticipate rather than react
• Discretion and emotional intelligence, with the ability to navigate the line between professional and personal support

Preferred

• Prior exposure to private equity, venture capital, or financial services
• Familiarity with the operational cadence of a founder‑led or partner‑led firm
• Experience handling a degree of personal/lifestyle support alongside the professional remit