Senior Administrative Assistant, Cell Therapy Enterprise

AstraZeneca plc; Santa Monica (CA); On-site; USD 45,000 - 68,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Retirement plans

Paid time off

Health/dental/vision insurance

Job summary

AstraZeneca plc in Santa Monica, CA is seeking a Senior Administrative Assistant to support the COO of the Cell Therapy Enterprise. You will manage calendars, travel, expenses, vendor contracts, and interview coordination, reporting to the COO and providing direct support to VP/SVP levels.

Ideal candidates have 5+ years of admin experience, strong Microsoft Office skills, and proven ability to operate in a global organization. Hybrid/office-based role with flexible scheduling is available.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of administrative experience.
• H.S. diploma or GED required; college degree preferred
• Experience in a complex global organization
• Intermediate to advanced PC skills including Office, SharePoint, Zoom & Teams
• Ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines
• Ability to set up meetings and teleconference calls domestically & internationally
• Strong problem-solving and proactive mindset
• Independent and team-oriented work style
• Able to prioritize tasks and stay flexible with a can-do attitude
• Cultural awareness for global collaboration

Responsibilities

• Facilitate internal and external meetings and manage scheduling, travel arrangements, and expenses.
• Oversee contracts and assist with purchase orders and vendor relations.
• Coordinate candidate interviews and onboarding/offboarding processes.
• Plan and execute travel logistics for domestic and international locations.
• Prepare agendas, materials, and minutes as required.
• Manage vendor contracts per AZ policy; negotiate where appropriate.
• Provide back-up support to the administrative staff and help standardize processes.
• Ensure secure handling of confidential information and files.

Skills

Calendar management

Outlook

Multi-tasking

Communication

Diplomacy

Education

High school diploma or GED

College degree preferred

Tools

Microsoft Office

SharePoint

Zoom

Microsoft Teams

Job description

At AstraZeneca’s Cell Therapy Enterprise, we’re driven by a bold ambition to unlock the full power of cell therapy for people living with cancer, immune-mediated conditions, and rare diseases across the globe. Our team owns the entire value chain from breakthrough discovery all the way through late-stage development and commercialization, and we’re moving fast. With a rapidly advancing pipeline and deep collaboration across AstraZeneca’s Therapeutic Areas, we’re pushing the boundaries of what cell therapy can achieve and accelerate the future of medicine.

Location: Santa Monica, CA

At AstraZeneca’s Cell Therapy Enterprise, we’re driven by a bold ambition to unlock the full power of cell therapy for people living with cancer, immune-mediated conditions, and rare diseases across the globe. Our team owns the entire value chain from breakthrough discovery all the way through late-stage development and commercialization, and we’re moving fast. With a rapidly advancing pipeline and deep collaboration across AstraZeneca’s Therapeutic Areas, we’re pushing the boundaries of what cell therapy can achieve and accelerate the future of medicine.

Accountabilities

As a Senior Administrative Assistant, you will facilitate internal and external meetings, and manage scheduling, travel arrangements, and expenses. You will also oversee vendor/supplier contracts, assist with purchase order requisitions, coordinate candidate interviews, and handle confidential information. You will be expected to support your workload effectively, ensuring all activities are completed accurately and on time. This role will report directly to the Chief Operating Officer, Cell Therapy Enterprise, with responsibilities of VP/SVP direct support.

Additional Responsibilities Include

• Extensive calendar management - proactively manage scheduling conflicts and properly support and prepare for meetings
• Proficiency with Outlook to manage high volume multi-national calendars, schedule meetings, virtual calls, and special events - including exercising discretion as to priority and decision-making responsibility
• Effectively manage special projects and other duties as assigned
• End-to-end multi-location domestic and international travel arrangements
• Process expense reports and track travel and entertainment expenses with accuracy and efficiency
• Conference registration and management
• Proactively facilitate and engage in team meetings
• Prepare meeting agendas, presentations, pre-read materials and minutes when required
• Plan full logistics of team off-site and virtual events and town hall meetings within budget - including the facilitation of vendor contacts and negotiations
• Manage vendor/supplier contracts per AZ policy and working with key AZ collaborators
• Facilitate procurement of 3rd party tools, technologies, licensing agreements by working with suppliers and AZ internal partners
• Assist with purchase order requisitions - gathering necessary information and documents to ensure smooth approval processes
• Coordination of candidate interviews, sending calendar invites, securing an appropriate interview space/room, greeting candidate and booking candidate’s travel when required
• Manage AstraZeneca systems, processes, and tools to support employee onboarding and offboarding
• Handle confidential information and maintain the security of the manager's records and files
• Perform other administrative tasks using independent judgement and discretion
• Plans and schedules own workload so that all activities are completed accurately and on time
• Facilitate smooth communications between all internal and external partners and collaborators
• Acts as part of a wider support to the administrative team working together to share best practices, ways of working and resolving problems
• As a member of the administrative support community, provide back-up support and other assistance to other administrative staff, including training, and contributing actively to the ongoing development and implementation of shared practices

Essential Skills/Experience

• A minimum of 5+ years of administrative experience
• H.S. diploma or GED required; college degree preferred
• Broad administrative assistant experience and project management support experience
• Experience of working within a complex global organization
• Demonstrate intermediate to advanced PC skills and ability, including Microsoft office and other industry applications, e.g. SharePoint, Zoom and Microsoft Teams
• Ability to manage multiple projects/tasks simultaneously and effectively
• Ability to set up meetings & teleconference calls using various types of technology, including telepresence, video conferencing, Skype, Zoom and Microsoft Teams, etc., both domestically & internationally
• Forward-looking, highly motived, focused/proactive problem solver
• Works well independently, as well as in a team setting
• Ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines
• Flexible with a 'can-do' attitude
• Keen understanding of professional and diplomatic interpersonal skills
• Possesses general knowledge of working globally within a variety of cultures

The annual base pay (or hourly rate of compensation) for this position ranges from $32.67/hour to $49.00/hr. Our positions offer eligibility for various incentives - an opportunity to receive short-term incentive bonuses, equity-based awards for salaried roles and commissions for sales roles. Benefits offered include qualified retirement programs, paid time off (i.e., vacation, holiday, and leaves), as well as health, dental, and vision coverage in accordance with the terms of the applicable plans.

When we put unexpected teams in the same room, we unleash bold thinking with the power to inspire life-changing medicines. In-person working gives us the platform we need to connect, work at pace, and challenge perceptions. That's why we work, on average, a minimum of three days per week from the office. But that doesn't mean we're not flexible. We balance the expectation of being in the office while respecting individual flexibility. Join us in our unique and ambitious world

Date Posted

14-Oct-2026

Closing Date

Our mission is to build an inclusive environment where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and employees. In furtherance of that mission, we welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of their protected characteristics. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please complete the corresponding section in the application form.