Executive Assistant

Candel Therapeutics, Inc.; Needham (MA); Hybrid; USD 136,000 - 143,000; Full time

Job summary

Candel Therapeutics, Inc. is seeking an experienced Executive Assistant to support our senior leadership team in a hybrid role based in Needham, MA.

The position goes beyond calendar management, providing comprehensive administrative support, preparing materials, coordinating meetings, and handling travel and expenses with discretion. The ideal candidate has 6+ years of EA experience, strong organizational and communication skills, and proficiency with Microsoft Office.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum of 6 years in Executive Assistant or related administrative role supporting senior leaders, preferably including C-suite.
• Experience in a small, growing biotech/pharma/healthcare or tech org is a plus.
• Proven ability to manage complex calendars, travel across time zones, and coordinate executive meetings.

Responsibilities

• Provide proactive, professional administrative support to senior leadership.
• Manage complex calendars and rapidly changing priorities.
• Coordinate internal and external meetings, agendas, materials, logistics and follow-up.
• Arrange domestic and international travel with detailed itineraries.
• Prepare, process and track executive expense reports in line with policies.
• Assist with presentation development and proofreading for executive materials.
• Maintain confidential records and build relationships with internal/external stakeholders.
• Support special projects and cross-functional initiatives as needed.

Skills

Calendar management

Travel coordination

Executive support

Expense reporting

Presentation assistance

Stakeholder management

Discretion & confidentiality

Microsoft Office

Outlook

PowerPoint

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Outlook

PowerPoint

Word

Excel

Job description

Hybrid role: 2-3 days a week in Needham, MA

Salary: $136,000-$143,000

Why WorkWithUs?

At Candel, our people drive our success. We value diversity, collaboration, and bold thinking in a supportive, mission‑driven environment. Like a team, we show up for each other and stay focused on making a difference for patients and families. Our leadership is transparent and empowering, and our culture is built on trust, flexibility, and accountability, encouraging ownership and innovation every day. If you thrive in a lean, fast‑moving environment where your work truly matters, you will feel at home here.

Our Science: Advancing Cancer Immunotherapies

Candel is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing off the shelf, multimodal cancer immunotherapies designed to stimulate personalized, systemic anti‑tumor immune responses. Our proprietary platforms leverage genetically modified adenovirus and HSV constructs. With positive Phase 3 results for our lead candidate, this is a pivotal and exciting time to join Candel and help bring transformative cancer treatments to patients.

Position Summary:

The Executive Assistant serves as a trusted partner to Candel's senior leadership team, including the Chief Commercial Officer, General Counsel, and Chief Financial Officer.

This is a highly visible role that goes far beyond calendar management. The Executive Assistant is responsible for helping senior leaders operate effectively in a fast paced, evolving biotech environment by providing exceptional organizational support, anticipating needs, managing competing priorities, and ensuring seamless coordination of meetings, travel, communications, and critical business activities.

The ideal candidate is proactive, highly organized, adaptable, and comfortable working in a lean organization where priorities can shift quickly. Success in this role requires strong judgment, exceptional attention to detail, discretion, emotional intelligence, and a genuine desire to help others succeed.

Essential Areas of Responsibility:

• Provide proactive, professional, and high-quality administrative support to senior leadership members.
• Manage complex executive calendars, balancing competing priorities and rapidly changing business needs.
• Anticipate scheduling conflicts and proactively identify solutions to ensure leaders remain focused on strategic priorities.
• Coordinate internal and external meetings, including scheduling, agenda preparation, meeting materials, logistics, and follow‑up activities.
• Ensure meeting best practices are followed, including preparation of agendas, distribution of materials, conference room coordination, and virtual meeting setup.
• Arrange domestic and international travel, including flights, accommodations, transportation, and detailed itineraries.
• Manage travel changes and scheduling adjustments with urgency and professionalism.
• Prepare, process, and track executive expense reports while ensuring compliance with company policies and deadlines.
• Assist with presentation development, formatting, proofreading, and preparation of executive materials.
• Maintain highly organized records, files, and documentation while ensuring confidentiality of sensitive information.
• Build strong working relationships across the organization and serve as a key point of contact for internal and external stakeholders.
• Support special projects and company initiatives as needed.
• Operate with a hands‑on mindset and willingness to roll up your sleeves to support the needs of a growing organization.

Minimum Education, Experience and Skill Requirements:

Education:

• Bachelor's degree preferred or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Experience:

• Minimum of 6 years of Executive Assistant or related administrative experience supporting senior leaders, preferably including C‑suite executives.
• Experience working in a small, growing biotechnology, pharmaceutical, healthcare, or technology organization preferred.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex calendars, domestic and international travel, and executive‑level meeting coordination.
• Experience scheduling meetings across multiple time zones and working with global teams.
• Strong ability to prioritize competing demands and remain organized in a fast‑paced environment.
• Proven ability to anticipate needs, solve problems independently, and exercise sound judgment.
• Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build trust and credibility across all levels of the organization.
• High emotional intelligence, professionalism, and ability to handle confidential information with discretion.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Positive attitude, strong sense of ownership, and willingness to adapt as business needs evolve.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Outlook, PowerPoint, Word, and Excel.

Must be authorized to work in the US. No sponsorships available.

We are not accepting resumes from agencies at this time.