Executive Assistant to Chief Executive Officer

Hotspring Spas; Des Moines (IA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 99,000; Full time

Job summary

HotSpring Spas, a family‑owned wellness company in Des Moines, IA, seeks an experienced Executive Assistant to support CEO Thad Schaben. This role will help build a polished and scalable executive‑office system, staying ahead of daily needs while prioritizing strategic work.

You will own Thad’s calendar and inbox, manage travel and personal support needs, and coordinate with the leadership team to ensure efficient communication and execution of priorities.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of high-level C-suite Executive Assistant experience including at least three years supporting a CEO, Founder, or entrepreneurial leader.
• Experience leading administrative professionals or teams is a plus.
• Ability to build systems, improve processes, and manage calendars, travel, and prioritization of strategic work.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of Thad’s high-volume inbox; organize, filter, prioritize, respond where appropriate, and build a sustainable system.
• Own his calendar; protect strategic work and high-value commitments while managing access with sound judgment.
• Manage expenses, files, documentation, and administrative details; reduce paper and manual work.
• Translate Thad’s priorities into clear internal communication; attend key meetings, capture decisions and actions, ensure follow-through.
• Liaise with other members of the leadership team on an ongoing basis.
• Manage end-to-end travel for personal and professional needs.
• Support employee recognition, events, and culture initiatives; help plan new training/event space usage.

Skills

Executive mind

Proactive communication

High integrity

Strategic thinking

Tools

Google

HubSpot

RingCentral

Microsoft tools

Job description

HotSpring Spas is a family-owned wellness company selling and servicing hot tubs, swim spas, and saunas across seven retail locations in Iowa and Minnesota. With approximately 50 employees and more than 30,000 Midwest customers, the company is entering its next stage of growth. Its mission is to create moments that matter, grounded in its values of Family, Friendship, Fairness, and Fun.

This is a high-trust role supporting President Thad Schaben as he works to grow the company, add another location, and spend more time leading the business instead of managing daily details.

This is Thad’s first Executive Assistant. You will not inherit a polished support system—you will help build one.

ABOUT THE CEO

Thad is a hardworking, thoughtful, relationship‑driven leader who has spent his career growing his family’s business. He values honesty, loyalty, humor, and people who care about the team. He is trusting, generous, positive, achievement‑oriented, contextual, and analytical.

He is also highly accessible and has historically been involved in far too many day‑to‑day decisions. People throughout the organization routinely bring questions, approvals, and operational issues directly to him, leaving too little protected time for strategic thinking, leadership, and long‑term planning.

He works best through conversation and values people who bring solutions, not just problems. The right EA will keep him focused on what only the CEO should be doing and be comfortable saying, “I’ve got this,” “You don’t need to be involved,” and occasionally, “No.”

WHAT YOU’LL DO

EXECUTIVE SUPPORT, PRIORITY MANAGEMENT & COMMUNICATION

• Take ownership of Thad’s high‑volume inbox: organize, filter, prioritize, respond where appropriate, and build a sustainable system so nothing important gets lost.
• Own his calendar, protecting strategic work, thinking time, and high‑value commitments while managing access with sound judgment.
• Manage expenses, files, documentation, and administrative details while reducing unnecessary paper and manual work.
• Translate Thad’s priorities into clear internal communication across the organization. Attend key meetings, capture decisions and action items, and ensure follow‑through.
• Liaise with other key members of the company leadership team on an ongoing basis.

TRAVEL & PERSONAL SUPPORT

• Manage end‑to‑end travel both personally and professionally.
• Provide personal support when it protects Thad’s time and focus, including appointments, errands, returns, meals, gifts, and logistics.

PROJECT SUPPORT & EXECUTION

• Track and advance CEO‑level initiatives so deadlines, decisions, commitments, and next steps do not disappear into the day‑to‑day.
• Support employee recognition, gifts, company events, and culture initiatives.
• Within the first 6–12 months, help research and develop a plan for external use of the company’s new training/event space, including pricing, partnerships, processes, and operating requirements.

SYSTEMS, TECHNOLOGY & ADMINISTRATIVE LEADERSHIP

• Build practical and easy executive‑office systems and processes that increase consistency, organization, speed, and accountability.
• Use AI and technology to reduce repetitive work, improve communication, and create workflows. Encourage smarter tools, automation, and better ways of working.
• Become comfortable across the company’s technology ecosystem, including Google, HubSpot, and RingCentral, along with some Microsoft‑based tools and industry‑specific systems.
• Establish administrative standards and cross‑training, growing into leadership of the administrative team as the function expands.

WHO WILL SUCCEED IN THIS ROLE

• An owner, not an order‑taker. You see what needs to happen and move it forward without waiting for step‑by‑step direction.
• Confident and appropriately assertive. You can enforce boundaries, respectfully push back, and engage in direct, mature conversations when something needs to be addressed.
• An exceptional communicator. You can adapt your style to very different personalities—from direct to analytical—and know when to listen, challenge, clarify, or move.
• Highly organized, practical, and flexible. You create systems people will actually use while staying adaptable when priorities, personalities, or circumstances shift.
• A teacher and partner. You understand this is Thad’s first EA and can help him learn how to delegate and build an effective partnership.
• High character and deeply trustworthy. Thad gives trust quickly, so integrity, discretion, strong judgment, and a clear moral compass are non‑negotiable.
• A genuine sense of humor. Humor is a major part of how Thad connects with people and navigates pressure; you need to appreciate it, recognize it, and bring some of your own.
• Long‑term oriented. You want to build something, not simply inherit a task list.

WHO WILL NOT SUCCEED IN THIS ROLE

• Someone who needs constant direction, detailed instructions, or permission to move tasks forward.
• Someone expecting a polished corporate environment with established executive‑office systems already in place.
• Someone rigid, easily rattled by shifting priorities, or uncomfortable with strong personalities.
• Someone who sees systems‑building, technology, leadership, or practical personal support as “outside the EA role.”

COMPENSATION, REQUIREMENTS & LOGISTICS

• 7+ years of high‑level C‑suite Executive Assistant experience including at least three years supporting a CEO, President, Founder, or entrepreneurial leader.
• Prior leadership or mentoring of administrative professionals strongly preferred. Event, meeting, or facility‑rental experience is a plus.
• Benefit package and compensation: $90,000–$99,000 + profit‑sharing opportunities.
• Company‑provided technology and tools.
• Comprehensive benefits package including medical plan options (PPO and HSA‑eligible HDHP), dental and vision coverage, company‑paid life/AD&D, long‑term disability and business travel accident insurance, plus wellness incentives, EAP resources, and optional supplemental benefits; coverage begins the first of the month following 60 days of employment.

This is an opportunity for an experienced Executive Assistant who wants more than a task list—to build a true executive partnership and help a successful family business enter its next stage of growth.