Sr Executive Assistant to the SVP, Merchandising and Supplier Management

WW Grainger; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in distribution is seeking a Senior Executive Assistant to support its Leadership Team. The role involves strategic calendar management, event planning, and providing high-level administrative support. Ideal candidates will have over five years of experience supporting senior management and a Bachelor's degree. Competitive hourly compensation and comprehensive benefits are offered.

Benefits

Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance coverage

Access to up to 50% of paycheck before payday

18 PTO days annually

6% company contribution to 401(k)

Employee discounts and parental leave

Safety shoes provided

Qualifications

• 5+ years' experience as an Executive Assistant supporting Senior Management.
• Experience in a change environment with ongoing quality improvement.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex administrative details.

Responsibilities

• Manage GLT leader's calendar and optimize focus on strategic priorities.
• Lead planning and execution of team meetings and events.
• Process invoices and reconcile departmental expenses.

Skills

Customer Service

Emotional Intelligence

Problem Solving

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

PowerBI

Smartsheet

Job description

W.W. Grainger, Inc., is a leading broad line distributor with operations primarily in North America, Japan and the United Kingdom. At Grainger, We Keep the World Working by serving more than 4.5 million customers worldwide with products and solutions delivered through innovative technology and deep customer relationships. Known for its commitment to service and award-winning culture, the Company had 2024 revenue of $17.2 billion across its two business models. In the High-Touch Solutions segment, Grainger offers approximately 2 million maintenances, repair and operating (MRO) products and services, including technical support and inventory management. In the Endless Assortment segment, Zoro.com offers customers access to more than 14 million products, and MonotaRO.com offers more than 24 million products. For more information, visit www.grainger.com.

Compensation :

This position is hourly. The anticipated base pay compensation range for this position is between $38.00 / hour and $50.00 / hour.

Rewards and Benefits :

• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance coverage starts on day one of employment.
• Access to up to 50% of your paycheck based on hours worked before payday.
• 18 paid time off (PTO) days annually for full-time employees (accrual prorated based on employment start date) and 6 company holidays per year.
• 6% company contribution to a 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan each pay period, no employee contribution required.
• Employee discounts, parental leave, and other benefits.
• Safety shoes provided (where applicable).

For additional information and details regarding Grainger's benefits, please click on the link below :

The pay range provided above is not a guarantee of compensation. The range reflects the potential base pay for this role at the time of this posting based on the job grade for this position. Individual base pay compensation will depend, in part, on factors such as geographic work location and relevant experience and skills.

The anticipated compensation range described above is subject to change and the compensation ultimately paid may be higher or lower than the range described above.

Grainger reserves the right to amend, modify, or terminate its compensation and benefit programs in its sole discretion at any time, consistent with applicable law.

The Senior Executive Assistant will directly support a Grainger Leadership Team (GLT) Executive by providing administrative support at a responsible and confidential level. Given the level of this position within Grainger, the Senior Executive Assistant is often delegated authority to address matters of significance without specific instructions or prescribed procedures. This role will report into the Manager, Administrative Services and will be a hybrid position based primarily out of our Lake Forest office.

You Will

• Manage the GLT leader's time through strategic calendar management and scheduling, proactively identifying opportunities to optimize the leader's focus on strategic priorities.
• Be the first contact for general department inquiries, providing strong customer service and ensuring all incoming requests (such as emails, phone calls and visitors) are prioritized and completed. Demonstrate high emotional intelligence to navigate complex interactions with internal and external stakeholders.
• Lead the meeting / event planning and execution of all team meetings and events, inclusive of large-scale functional events, from the point of assignment through onsite program management. Determine and arrange detailed event needs (travel, meeting set-up, agenda, technology, menu selections, leader support). Monitor and review vendor billing and ensure timely payment and reconciliation. Maintain business partner relationships, demonstrate active problem-solving skills and enhance attendee experience.
• Process invoices and reconcile departmental expenses, ensuring adherence to financial guidelines and expense policies. Resolve expense discrepancies and implement process improvements to mitigate future discrepancies.
• Leverage technology to support the department's priorities and drive workflow improvements, including but not limited to, Microsoft Office Suite, PowerBI and Smartsheet.
• Manage multiple paper and electronic documents including composing, modifying, proofreading, or disseminating; for instance, memos / letters, reports, PowerPoint presentations, SharePoint updates, surveys, organizational charts, or records management.
• Act as a liaison of the senior executive in all business communications, modeling a high standard for workplace behavior and embodiment of the Grainger principles.
• Provide thought partnership and guidance to the senior executive and aligned leadership team, leveraging a deep knowledge of the department and enterprise.
• Order and maintain department supplies and manage associated budget; may be expected to own additional department specific initiatives.
• Anticipate challenges with a strategic mindset, proactively starting and implementing continuous improvement initiatives that enhance organizational performance and contribute to the team's success.
• Serve as a recognized key resource within the organization, indirectly leading the other administrative business partners within the department and driving efforts that elevate both individual and team performance. Delegate department administrative priorities as needed.
• Provide administrative support for leader's external activities as needed, such as managing travel and logistics for external board meetings, conferences and speaking engagements.
• Continue to develop new and enhance existing competencies to meet the evolving needs of the business.

You Have

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
• 5 plus years' experience as an Executive Assistant with five plus years supporting Senior Management.
• Worked in a change environment where quality improvement and organizational refinement is ongoing.
• Knowledge of business operations and organizations and of the relationships involved at top management levels.
• Followed company policies, procedures, and operations to perform a variety of administrative details.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex administrative details and capability in balancing conflicting priorities.
• Communicated essential information, both in writing and verbally.
• Understood audiences and ensure content and method of communication is relevant.
• Represented senior executives in business communications.
• Worked for a Fortune 500 company preferred.

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status or any other protected characteristic under federal, state, or local law. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive, accessible work environment that includes both providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities during the application and hiring process as well as throughout the course of one's employment, should you need a reasonable accommodation during the application and selection process, including, but not limited to use of our website, any part of the application, interview or hiring process, please advise us so that we can provide appropriate assistance.

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