Executive Assistant CFO & Sr. Executives

Executive Assistant

The Executive Assistant is a high-visibility strategic partner who supports the CFO (primarily), the CRO, and other executives in managing the day-to-day administration and operations of the Executive Office. The Executive Assistant also supports and manages all of the CFO's business affairs. Implementing these activities requires diplomatic interaction with company officers, department managers, outside executives, customers, vendors, employees, community leaders, legal counsel, government officials, etc.

The Executive Assistant is a trusted confidante to the executive leaders supported. This position requires intelligence, integrity, diplomacy and common sense. A successful Executive Assistant thrives in a supportive leadership role in a global company and has an understanding and appreciation for cultural nuances. They are organized and highly detail-oriented and enjoy handling administrative tasks. They are an exceptional communicator, problem solver, high performer, and can handle a high volume of work with a sense of urgency, without letting quality slip. They will ensure the CFO's office operations run smoothly and efficiently.

Reporting directly to the CFO, the Executive Assistant provides executive support in a one-on-one working relationship. The Executive Assistant also serves as a liaison to senior management teams; organizes and coordinates executive outreach and external relations efforts and oversees special projects.

The Executive Assistant must be creative and enjoy working within an entrepreneurial environment. The ideal individual will have the ability to exercise good judgment in a diversity of situations, with strong written and verbal communication, administrative, and organizational skills, and the ability to maintain a realistic balance among multiple priorities. This strategic partner provides and leads support to both internal and external parties with a high level of professionalism and in a manner that reflects positively on the organization.

Key Attributes

• Problem solver. Solve problems through critical and analytical thinking for decisive action.
• Team player. Have team-oriented experience and approach.
• Responsive. Represent the company and the Executive in a positive light through great follow-through skills and sound judgment.
• Organized. Manage the incredibly complicated schedule of the CFO with support to other executives, which means planning meetings and all travel details. A high level of organization is necessary to weave meetings and travel into the rest of the daily schedule of duties.
• Planner. Possess excellent time management skills and a proven ability to meet deadlines.
• Positive Minded. A fast-paced environment is the norm. Effectively handle stress in order to meet deadlines and be sure the executives have everything necessary when needed to do their job at a high level of effectiveness.
• Discrete. Demonstrate ability and temperament to work with sensitive materials and information, some that could have significant legal or operational impact if mishandled. Be a representative of the executive in the way they handle themselves. Caution about what is said, and to whom, is necessary.
• Service focus. Strive to meet the expectations of the CFO and other senior executives by maintaining effective relationships with interested parties.
• Curious and Creative. Think outside of the box with a sense of urgency.
• Self-motivated. Anticipate needs and spot problems that need solving and work that must be completed before being told to do it.
• Business sense. Make decisions that are high-level at times and must have a good sense of the priorities and preferences of the CFO. Understand corporate governance and expectations at the executive level.
• Assertive. Navigate challenging situations effectively and professionally.
• Growth-minded. Accept feedback and don't be afraid of a misstep knowing that being in a constant state of learning and pursuing excellence is more important than avoiding failure.
• Emotionally Intelligent. There will be a variety of people, from clients to team members, needing something from the executive. Have emotional intelligence. It's part of reading people and understanding how to draw the positive out and avoid creating conflict in a situation.
• Adaptable. Adapt to a changing landscape. Travel plans change, meetings fall through, information is needed yesterday. At that high level, be ready to shift gears or make quick decisions if a situation calls for it.
• Accessible and Flexible. Adtran is a global company. Be responsive to emails/texts/phone calls within various time zones. Accommodate flexible hours as dictated by the needs of business for projects and meetings.
• Professional. Possess a professional demeanor, in all interactions and in both appearance and communication.
• Committed to excellence. Perform duties at the highest level possible on a consistent basis.

Daily Responsibilities

• Scheduling. Manage the executives' professional calendar, schedule and prepare for meetings, and coordinate travel.
• Event and Meeting Planning. Plan and organize events such as meetings, conferences, training events, speaking engagements, business dinners, etc., including preparing all information, taking notes, and conducting follow-up as needed.
• Support. Offer support to Board members and other senior executives as needed.
• Preparation. Conserve the CFO's time by reading, researching, collecting and analyzing information as needed, in advance. Create materials necessary for meetings and presentations, including doing the research necessary for use in those materials, provide the CFO with everything necessary to make decisions. Prepare Word, Excel, PowerPoint presentations, agendas, reports, special projects and other documents in support of objectives for the organization.
• Reports. Includes expense reports as well as reports the executives need to stay on top of information required to do his/her job.
• Administration and Office Management. Includes everything from managing petty cash, processing mail, or even replenishing or tracking supplies needed in the office. Light bookkeeping duties may be included.
• Communication. Respond to email and manage the CFO's inbox. Screen incoming telephone calls; take and deliver accurate messages; respond to requests by gathering and providing information and referring non-routine calls to the appropriate staff.
• Gatekeeper. Act as a gatekeeper for the CFO's time and attention. Prioritize topics and meetings that need the CFO's attention.
• Serving on behalf. This may mean meeting with clients, returning communication, or relaying the CFO's wishes to conserve time.
• Contact management. More than simply maintaining a contact list (though that is part of it), contact management involves helping the executive know as much as possible about a contact to give context to communication and meetings.
• Technical skills. Able to use (or quickly learn to use) the various tools necessary for document creation, file management, meetings, communication, and archiving.
• Other duties. Complete ad hoc projects as assigned.

Skills and Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree is required. Equivalent experience will be considered in lieu of a degree
• Experience in business, accounting, management, sales, or related field is a plus.
• 5+ years of experience in people management with high levels of problem solving is required.
• Advanced Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint)
• Must possess excellent verbal and written communication skills
• A high level of organization.