Senior Executive Assistant to the CEO - Reston, VA

VetJobs; Reston (VA); On-site; USD 87,000 - 136,000; Full time

Job summary

Noblis in Reston, VA is seeking a Senior Executive Assistant to the CEO. This role partners with the CEO and SVP, General Counsel & Ethics Officer to coordinate governance, events, and executive communications.

It requires proactive calendar, travel, and meeting management across the executive leadership team with discretion and professionalism. The role includes preparing board materials, coordinating with external stakeholders, and driving follow-up on action items to ensure timely outcomes.

Qualifications

• US Citizenship is required.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Top-secret Security clearance.
• 10 years of progressive experience supporting C-suite executives, with at least 5 years directly supporting a CEO or President.
• Bachelor's degree or additional experience in lieu of degree.
• Experience engaging directly with a Board of Directors/Trustees and governance coordination.
• Expert-level proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) with hands-on use; proficiency in Zoom and Microsoft Teams.
• Experience leveraging AI tools for executive summaries, presentations, research, and planning.
• Extensive experience managing complex domestic and international travel (multi-country itineraries, visa coordination, contingency planning).
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to draft high-level documents and presentations.
• Ability to travel as required; must be able to lift up to 30 lbs.

Responsibilities

• Board of Trustees Support maintains direct engagement with Trustees and offices; prepares materials, presentations, briefings, and agendas for board meetings.
• Manages all meeting logistics: travel, catering, hospitality, venue, and technology.
• Distributes pre-read materials and drives post-meeting follow-up on actions and resolutions.
• Supports standing committee meetings and governance alignment.
• Owns complex domestic and international travel planning, multi-city itineraries, visa coordination, and contingency planning.
• Develops talking points, briefing materials for keynotes, panels, and media engagements.
• Coordinates with communications, marketing, and government relations on messaging and logistics.
• Maintains a forward-looking calendar of events and partnership opportunities.
• Manages expense reports and vendor relationships for principals.
• Establishes and maintains executive leadership rhythm; develops agendas and tracks minutes/action items.
• Plans and executes executive offsites, including venue, agenda, and logistics.
• Ensures CEO time is allocated to high-impact activities and escalates stalled items.
• Enforces preparation standards; guides leaders on needed details and context.
• Partners with leaders to ensure requests are well-prepared and complete.
• Provides oversight and coordination across the executive assistants organization.
• Manages broad schedule coordination and resolves conflicts for the executive team.
• Serves as escalation point for complex scheduling and cross-functional coordination.

Skills

Executive support

Board governance

Calendar management

Travel planning

Executive communication

Discretion and professionalism

Vendor coordination

Meeting coordination

Education

High School/GED

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Zoom

Microsoft Teams

AI tools for summaries

Python (basic)

Git

Docker

Kubernetes

Cloud platforms (AWS/Azure/GCP)

Python web frameworks (FastAPI/Flask)

Job description

Senior Executive Assistant to the CEO

Reston, VA

USD $86,800.00 - USD $135,625.00 /Yr.

The Senior Executive Assistant serves as a strategic partner and central coordinator for the Office of the CEO. This proactive role extends beyond traditional executive support, requiring anticipation of needs, operational excellence, and the highest level of professionalism and discretion. The individual supports both the CEO and the SVP, General Counsel & Ethics Officer, serving as the primary liaison between the CEO, Board of Trustees, executive leadership team, and key external stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Board of Trustees Support maintains direct engagement with Trustees and their offices. Prepares all materials, presentations, briefings, and agendas for a minimum of three formal board meetings annually (in coordination with SVP/General Counsel and CEO)
• Manages all meeting logistics: travel, catering, hospitality, venue, and technology
• Ensures timely distribution of pre-read materials and drives post-meeting follow-up on action items and resolutions to completion
• Supports standing committee meetings and ensures alignment with governance protocols
• Owns all complex domestic and international travel planning, including multi-city itineraries, visa/passport coordination, and contingency planning
• Develops talking points, background research, and briefing materials for keynotes, panels, media engagements, and announcements
• Coordinates with communications, marketing, and government relations teams on messaging and logistics
• Maintains a forward-looking calendar of industry events and partnership opportunities
• Manages expense reports and vendor relationships for both principals
• Establishes and maintains the operational rhythm of the executive leadership team (recurring meetings, strategic planning, quarterly reviews). Develops agendas, prepares materials, captures minutes/action items, and drives structured follow-up to completion
• Plans and executes executive offsites (venue, agenda design, facilitator coordination, logistics)
• Ensures the CEO's time is allocated to highest-impact activities; escalates stalled items as appropriate
• Enforces preparation standards for the Office of the CEO—leaders seeking the CEO's time must arrive with clear purpose, supporting context, and a recommended path forward
• Partners with leaders to ensure requests are well-prepared, offering guidance when additional detail is needed
• Provides indirect oversight, mentorship, and coordination across executive assistants organization-wide
• Manages broad schedule coordination across the executive team, resolving conflicts and optimizing collective bandwidth
• Serves as escalation point for complex scheduling, event planning, and cross-functional coordination

Auto req ID

486999BR

Minimum Education Required

High School/GED

Preferred Education

Bachelors

Required Qualifications

• US Citizenship is required
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Top-secret Security clearance
• 10 years of progressive experience supporting C-suite executives is required, with at least 5 years directly supporting a CEO or President.
• Bachelors degree or additional experience in lieu of degree
• Demonstrated experience engaging directly with a Board of Directors/Trustees—including preparation of board materials and governance coordination—is essential.
• Expert-level proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) with hands‑on daily usage is required, along with proficiency in virtual meeting platforms including Zoom and Microsoft Teams.
• Demonstrated working experience leveraging AI tools for executive summaries, presentations, research, meeting notes, prioritization, and planning is expected.
• Extensive experience managing complex domestic and international travel—including multi-country itineraries, visa coordination, information security, and contingency planning—is required, as is proven ability to manage executive meeting cadences, capture minutes and action items, and drive follow-up to completion.
• Agility in navigating competing priorities with composure and precision, critical thinking to anticipate outcomes and impacts through assessing circumstances and conflicts, and exceptional written and verbal communication skills with the ability to draft correspondence, presentations, and briefing documents at an executive level.
• Demonstrated track record of planning and executing executive offsites, Board-level engagements, and high-profile events that reflect the distinction and standards of the Office of the CEO.
• Ability to travel as required; must be able to lift up to 30 lbs.

Desired Qualifications

• Hands-on experience with relational and/or NoSQL databases, including schema design, data modeling, and query optimization
• Strong understanding of software testing methodologies, including unit testing, integration testing, and automated testing frameworks
• Proven experience throughout the full SDLC, from requirements analysis and design through implementation, deployment, and ongoing maintenance
• Proficiency with Git-based version control systems, including branching strategies, pull request workflows, and code review practices
• Ability to manage and contribute to multiple concurrent projects while maintaining high-quality deliverables and effectively prioritizing competing requirements
• Experience with containerization and orchestration technologies, including Docker and Kubernetes
• Experience deploying, configuring, and maintaining applications in cloud environments (e.g., AWS, Azure, or GCP)
• Knowledge of Python web frameworks such as FastAPI and Flask for developing RESTful APIs, microservices, and scalable backend solutions
• Demonstrated ability to work across the full technology stack, with the flexibility and willingness to learn and adopt new technologies as project needs evolve
• Experience working in Agile development environments, including sprint planning, daily standups, backlog refinement, and iterative delivery practices
• Proficiency in Python 3, including modern language features, type hinting, and package management best practices

Desired Qualifications

• Top-secret clearance is highly desired.
• Experience in a mission-driven organization, government contracting, professional services, or technology environment is preferred. Familiarity with government contracting as well as governance best practices and board management platforms is desirable.
• A project management certification or equivalent experience (PMP, CAPM, or similar), experience coordinating across multiple executive assistants or leading an administrative team, and a bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience are preferred.
• This individual must embody the organization's values in every interaction, representing the CEO and the company to board members, clients, partners, candidates, employees, and external stakeholders with elegant professionalism and calm under pressure. They must understand the weight of representing an organization that holds itself to the highest ethical standards and maintains an exemplary standard of experience for every person it touches. The ideal candidate does not wait to be asked—they anticipate needs, identify gaps before they become issues, and bring solutions rather than problems, thinking two steps ahead of the CEO's calendar, commitments, and strategic priorities. This role requires access to the most sensitive information in the organization; absolute discretion, sound judgment, and unwavering integrity are non‑negotiable. The ability to influence without authority, build trust across all levels of the organization, and foster collaboration among peers and colleagues is critical to success. The successful candidate consistently demonstrates:
• Polished, articulate written and verbal communication reflecting the standards of the Office of the CEO
• Sound independent judgment regarding when to act, when to escape, and when to defer
• The ability to command a room, facilitate senior‑level discussions and represent the CEO’s priorities with conviction.
• A professional bearing that instills confidence in every stakeholder who interacts with the Office of the CEO
• The emotional intelligence to navigate complex interpersonal dynamics, de‑escalate tension, and maintain productive relationships across stakeholders

City

Reston

State

Virginia

Job Category

Administrative and Support Services

Job Code

Administrative_Assistant Clerical

Affiliate Sponsor

Noblis

Salary Range

$75,000-$100,000