Senior Executive Assistant & Operations Lead (Hybrid, Chicago)

Elsmere Education; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work environment in Chicago

Competitive salary

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) plan

Unlimited PTO policy

Wellness program

Community giving and volunteer program

Job summary

Human Capital Education seeks a proactive Executive Assistant to partner with the Enrollment Optimization and Analytics (EOA) team and Managing Directors in Chicago. The role blends executive support, client coordination, deliverable development, and business operations in a fast-paced consulting environment.

The ideal candidate communicates well, protects confidential information, and moves fluidly between support, operations, and client deliverables while maintaining high service standards.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of executive or administrative support across multiple senior leaders.
• Strong organizational and project management skills with attention to detail.
• Excellent written and verbal communication for polished business materials.
• Advanced Microsoft 365 proficiency including PowerPoint, Excel, Word, Outlook, and Teams.
• Experience with budgeting, contract administration, and financial forecasting.
• Professional judgment and discretion handling confidential information.
• Ability to anticipate needs, solve problems, and follow work through to completion.
• Ability to build trusted relationships with clients and cross-functional colleagues.
• Willingness to adjust working hours for client meetings and travel as needed.

Responsibilities

• Anticipate the needs of the EOA team and Managing Directors, identify risks, and help leaders prioritize the work with the greatest client and business impact.
• Build and maintain strong client relationships through responsive, professional communication, and coordination of requests and next steps.
• Prepare leaders and project teams for client meetings by assembling agendas, background materials, analyses, and presentation content; document decisions and drive follow-up.
• Manage client deliverable workflows from initial planning through final distribution, including version control, review cycles, approvals, and production timelines.
• Review and edit client-facing deliverables for clarity, accuracy, consistency, and visual cohesion; contribute to deliverable development as needed.
• Support budgeting and financial management by maintaining budget data, tracking actuals against forecasts, identifying variances, reviewing expenses, and preparing updates for leadership.
• Support contract administration by reviewing agreements for completeness and consistency, tracking approvals and key dates, coordinating signatures, maintaining records, and escalating substantive legal questions.
• Arrange complex, multi-destination travel and anticipate staff needs by providing itineraries, meeting materials, client context, contact information, and contingency plans.
• Draft and edit executive correspondence, internal communications, reports, presentations, and other materials in a polished, audience-appropriate voice.
• Manage calendars and meeting logistics for supported leaders, using judgment to resolve conflicts, protect focus time, and align schedules with client and business priorities.
• Handle sensitive financial, contractual, employee, and client information with discretion and sound judgment.
• Improve templates, workflows, documentation, and operating processes to increase quality, consistency, and efficiency.

Skills

Executive support

Project coordination

Client relationship management

Communication

Microsoft 365

PowerPoint

Excel

Budgeting

Contract administration

Travel coordination

Discretion with confidential info

Adaptability

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft 365 Suite

PowerPoint

Excel

Word

Outlook

Teams

Job description

Human Capital Education seeks a proactive Executive Assistant to partner with the Enrollment Optimization and Analytics (EOA) team and Managing Directors in Chicago. The role blends executive support, client coordination, deliverable development, and business operations in a fast-paced consulting environment.

The ideal candidate communicates well, protects confidential information, and moves fluidly between support, operations, and client deliverables while maintaining high service standards.