Executive Assistant

vwr; Radnor (Delaware County); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Avantor is seeking an Executive Assistant to support the President of VWR Distribution & Services and the EVP & Chief Human Resources Officer. The role partners closely with senior leaders to drive operational excellence, coordinate complex priorities, and implement technology-enabled improvements across the organization.

You will manage calendars, prepare briefings, and coordinate global travel while leading strategic projects and governance activities.

Qualifications

• Experience supporting C-suite executives
• Strong calendar and travel management
• Proactive problem-solving and project coordination
• Experience with Workday and MS 365 tools

Responsibilities

• Manage complex calendars and optimize executives' time against objectives.
• Act as trusted advisor, identifying scheduling conflicts and prioritization challenges.
• Prepare meetings with briefing materials, agendas and follow-up actions.
• Coordinate domestic and international travel arrangements.
• Lead cross-functional projects, ensuring milestones and deliverables stay on track.
• Establish project plans, monitor progress, and escalate risks.
• Track commitments and action items, and coordinate with HR/Finance/Commercial teams.
• Coordinate leadership meetings and strategic planning sessions.
• Leverage technology to streamline processes and automate workflows.
• Maintain digital files and meeting documentation.

Skills

Calendar management

Executive support

Travel coordination

Cross-functional collaboration

Project coordination

Tools

Workday

Microsoft 365

Outlook

Teams

PowerPoint

Excel

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.

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 escalated 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