Executive Assistant - Japanese/English

Job Description

Job Description

Executive Assistant - Japanese/English

Location: Santa Cruz, CA
Job Type: Contract
Schedule: Monday through Friday, Standard Business Hours
Work Arrangement: 100% Onsite

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced bilingual Executive Assistant fluent in Japanese and English to provide high-level administrative and operational support to senior leadership within a global, technology-driven organization.

This position will serve as the primary Executive Assistant to a senior executive while also providing administrative support to additional members of the leadership team. The ideal candidate brings strong executive support experience, exceptional organizational skills, and the cultural fluency necessary to navigate both Japanese and American business environments .

This is a highly visible role requiring discretion, professionalism, sound judgment, and the ability to anticipate executive needs while managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Candidates must be able to work 100% onsite and should be comfortable traveling between local office locations as business needs require.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide proactive, executive-level administrative support to senior leadership.
• Serve as the primary Executive Assistant to a senior executive while providing shared support to additional leadership team members.
• Manage complex executive calendars, coordinate meetings, and proactively resolve scheduling conflicts.
• Coordinate domestic business travel, including transportation, accommodations, itineraries, and related logistics.
• Organize executive meetings, conferences, and business events, including agendas, presentations, communications, and venue coordination.
• Prepare, process, and track expense reports and maintain accurate administrative documentation.
• Support executive correspondence, presentations, meeting materials, and day-to-day business communications.
• Serve as a professional liaison between executives, internal departments, external business partners, and other stakeholders.
• Facilitate effective communication across Japanese and American teams, recognizing differences in business practices, etiquette, and communication styles.
• Maintain strict confidentiality when handling sensitive executive, personnel, and business information.
• Anticipate executive needs, manage competing priorities, and proactively address administrative and logistical issues.
• Ensure leadership remains organized, informed, and prepared for meetings, travel, and business commitments.

Required Qualifications:

• Fluency in spoken and written Japanese and English is required.
• Professional experience as an Executive Assistant, Senior Administrative Assistant, or similar executive support professional .
• Experience directly supporting senior-level executives or leadership teams.
• Strong understanding of Japanese and American business culture, communication practices, and professional etiquette .
• Demonstrated experience managing executive calendars, meetings, travel arrangements, and expense reporting.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite , including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams.
• Experience with business collaboration and virtual meeting platforms such as Slack and Zoom .
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in both Japanese and English.
• Exceptional organizational, prioritization, and time-management skills.
• Strong attention to detail and demonstrated ability to handle confidential information appropriately.
• Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and manage multiple priorities with limited supervision.
• Ability to work 100% onsite in Santa Cruz, CA and travel between local offices as required.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous experience supporting Japanese expatriate executives or internationally based leadership .
• Experience working within a multinational, global, technology, engineering, automotive, or innovation-focused organization.
• Certified Bilingual Secretary (CBS) credential.
• Advanced Japanese secretarial certification or equivalent professional credential.
• Advanced English or Japanese language proficiency certification.
• Experience coordinating across international teams, time zones, and culturally diverse stakeholder groups.

Ideal Candidate:

The successful candidate will be a polished, proactive, and highly dependable executive support professional who understands that exceptional executive assistance goes beyond calendar management. This individual anticipates needs, protects executive time, communicates with discretion, and keeps priorities moving efficiently.

They will be comfortable interacting with senior executives and international stakeholders, possess a strong understanding of Japanese and U.S. business etiquette, and bring the composure and attention to detail necessary to succeed in a highly visible role.

Bilingual Japanese/English fluency and the ability to work onsite are essential requirements for this position.