Senior Administrative Assistant- Government Affairs

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc (US); Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 54,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc is seeking a Senior Administrative Assistant to support senior leaders in U.S. Government Affairs & Patient Advocacy.

You will manage complex calendars, coordinate domestic and international travel, and handle contracting and invoicing while ensuring discretion and professional interaction with internal and external stakeholders. The role emphasizes executive preparedness, meeting coordination, and broader team operations.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• 2+ years administrative experience in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Provide executive support to senior leaders, screening and prioritizing requests.
• Manage complex calendars across time zones and devices.
• Coordinate domestic and international travel using Concur; handle expense reports.
• Support contracting, invoicing, and basic procurement workflows.
• Plan and coordinate meetings, events, and on-site logistics.
• Prepare materials and distribute pre-reads for leadership meetings.
• Maintain records and ensure compliance with company policies.

Skills

Executive support

Calendar management

Travel coordination

Vendor coordination

MS 365 proficiency

Concur/Coupa/Icertis familiarity

Document formatting

Education

High school diploma

Tools

Concur

Coupa

Icertis

Outlook

Microsoft 365

Excel

Job description

Job Description General Summary:

The Senior Administrative Assistant will serve as a trusted administrative partner to the Vice President, U.S. Government Affairs & Patient Advocacy; the Vice President, Federal Government Affairs; and the Executive Director, State Government Affairs. The role is responsible for complex calendar and travel management, meeting and event coordination, contracting and invoice administration, executive preparedness, and broader team operations. The successful candidate will work with a high degree of independence, judgment, discretion, and attention to detail while managing competing priorities and interacting professionally with senior internal and external stakeholders.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Executive and Stakeholder Support

Serve as a primary administrative point of contact for supported leaders, anticipating needs, applying sound judgment, and appropriately screening, routing, prioritizing, and escalating requests. Build effective working relationships with senior executives, administrative colleagues, external consultants, government officials and their staff, trade associations, patient advocacy organizations, vendors, and other stakeholders. Handle confidential, sensitive, and time-critical information with discretion and professionalism.

Complex Calendar Management

Proactively manage complex and frequently changing calendars in Microsoft Outlook, including scheduling across multiple leaders, functions, sites, time zones, and external organizations. Resolve conflicts based on business priorities, protect time for critical work, and communicate scheduling tradeoffs and changes promptly. Ensure leaders have appropriate preparation time, meeting materials, locations, technology, and logistical information.

Travel and Expense Administration

Use Concur to independently arrange domestic and international travel, including air, ground transportation, lodging, itineraries, and other required logistics. Prepare and process accurate, timely expense reports and related correspondence; manage reimbursement inquiries and coordinate with travel agencies, airlines, hotels, and internal partners. Monitor and resolve time-sensitive travel and logistical issues during business travel, exercising judgment regarding when escalation is required.

Contracting, Procurement, and Invoicing

Coordinate the end-to-end administrative workflow for consultant and vendor agreements through Coupa and Icertis, including intake, routing, approvals, signatures, purchase orders, Statements of Work, invoicing, payment status, and record maintenance. Partner with Legal, Procurement, Finance, business owners, and external firms to support timely and compliant contracting and payment processes. Support vendor onboarding, invoice reconciliation, payment tracking, and basic departmental budget administration.

Meetings, Conferences, and Events

Plan and coordinate recurring team meetings, leadership meetings, conferences, off-sites, dinners, and external engagements. Manage venue sourcing, attendee communications, catering, transportation, audiovisual and technology needs, vendor coordination, on-site logistics, contracts, payments, and expense reconciliation, as applicable; integrate with Corporate Services as needed. Coordinate activities in accordance with company meeting, expense, procurement, and compliance requirements.

Executive Preparedness and Document Support

Develop agendas, gather and distribute pre-read materials, maintain organized reference files, and track administrative follow-ups and action items. Support the preparation, proofreading, formatting, and distribution of presentations, correspondence, reports, and other business documents. Help ensure supported leaders are prepared for meetings, travel, and external engagements while appropriately distinguishing administrative support from substantive government affairs content ownership.

Team and Department Operations Support

Support recurring business routines, team communications, shared calendars and resources, distribution and contact lists, onboarding and offboarding, office access, technology, facilities, and supply needs. Lead or support administrative and operational projects requiring coordination across functions, vendors, and external organizations. Collaborate with administrative colleagues across the organization, share administrative best practices, and provide or receive backup coverage as needed.

Records, Compliance, and Process Management

Maintain accurate and organized business records in accordance with company policies and applicable document-retention requirements. Follow established requirements for contracting, procurement, expenses, external engagements, and information handling; identify and escalate potential process or compliance issues appropriately. Use Microsoft 365 and other enterprise platforms to improve organization, communication, document management, and administrative efficiency.

Knowledge and Skills:

Experience supporting multiple senior leaders, preferably at the Vice President level, in a complex and fast-paced organization. Experience in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, healthcare, government affairs, public policy, or another highly regulated environment. Experience managing confidential matters and interacting with senior internal and external stakeholders. Experience with procurement, contracting, consultant or vendor administration, invoice workflows, and enterprise systems such as Concur, Coupa, and Icertis, or the ability to learn comparable platforms quickly. Advanced proficiency in Microsoft 365, including Outlook, Teams, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, with strong document-formatting, proofreading, and written communication skills. Demonstrated ability to effectively leverage AI-enabled productivity tools (e.g., Microsoft Copilot and other approved enterprise technologies) to improve efficiency, enhance organization, streamline administrative processes, prepare meeting materials, conduct research, and support day-to-day business operations while exercising sound judgment and maintaining compliance with company policies. Proven ability to independently manage multiple projects and a high volume of daily work while maintaining accuracy, follow-through, and attention to detail. Strong judgment and problem-solving skills, including the ability to resolve non-routine issues, communicate conflicts and tradeoffs, and escalate matters appropriately. Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills, with a highly professional and service-oriented approach. Ability to anticipate needs, adapt quickly to changing priorities, and remain composed and effective under pressure. Excellent organizational skills, initiative, accountability, and motivation.

Education and Experience:

Typically requires high school or secondary school education. Typically requires 2 years of administrative experience, or the equivalent combination of education and experience.

Pay Range:

$39 - $58

Disclosure Statement: The range provided is based on what we believe is a reasonable estimate for the base salary pay range for this job at the time of posting. This role is eligible for an annual bonus and annual equity awards. Some roles may also be eligible for overtime pay, in accordance with federal and state requirements. Actual base salary pay will be based on a number of factors, including skills, competencies, experience, and other job-related factors permitted by law. At Vertex, our Total Rewards offerings also include inclusive market-leading benefits to meet our employees wherever they are in their career, financial, family and wellbeing journey while providing flexibility and resources to support their growth and aspirations. From medical, dental and vision benefits to generous paid time off (including a week-long company shutdown in the Summer and the Winter), educational assistance programs including student loan repayment, a generous commuting subsidy, matching charitable donations, 401(k) and so much more.

Flex Designation:

Hybrid-Eligible Or On-Site Eligible

Flex Eligibility Status: In this Hybrid-Eligible role, you can choose to be designated as: 1. Hybrid: work remotely up to two days per week; or select 2. On-Site: work five days per week on-site with ad hoc flexibility. Note: The Flex status for this position is subject to Vertex’s Policy on Flex @ Vertex Program and may be changed at any time.

#LI-Hybrid

Company Information

Vertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation. Vertex is committed to equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination for all employees and qualified applicants without regard to a person's race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, marital status, or any characteristic protected under applicable law. Vertex is an E-Verify Employer in the United States. Vertex will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities, in accordance with applicable law. Any applicant requiring an accommodation in connection with the hiring process and/or to perform the essential functions of the position for which the applicant has applied should make a request to the recruiter or hiring manager, or contact Talent Acquisition at [e-mail]

Help Us Achieve Our Mission

Vertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation to create transformative medicines for people with serious diseases. The company has approved medicines that treat the underlying causes of multiple chronic, life-shortening genetic diseases — cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia — and continues to advance clinical and research programs in these diseases. Vertex also has a robust clinical pipeline of investigational therapies across a range of modalities in other serious diseases where it has deep insight into causal human biology, including APOL1-mediated kidney disease, acute and neuropathic pain, type 1 diabetes, myotonic dystrophy type 1 and alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency . Founded in 1989 in Cambridge, Mass., Vertex's global headquarters is now located in Boston's Innovation District and its international headquarters is in London. Additionally, the company has research and development sites and commercial offices in North America, Europe, Australia, Latin America and the Middle East. Vertex is consistently recognized as one of the industry's top places to work, including 14 consecutive years on Science magazine's Top Employers list and one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For. For company updates and to learn more about Vertex's history of innovation, visit www.vrtx.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter/X , LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram. The diversity and authenticity of our people is part of what makes Vertex unique, and we recognize that each employee brings diverse perspectives and strengths. By embracing those strengths and celebrating differences, we are fostering an inclusive culture where each of us can bring our authentic selves to work, inspire innovation together, and change people’s lives. Our vision is clear: to be the place where an authentic, diverse mix of talent want to come, to stay, and do their best work.