Executive Assistant/Office Manager

Job Description

Job Description

At Toyota Research Institute (TRI), we’re on a mission to improve the quality of human life. We’re developing new tools and capabilities to amplify the human experience. To lead this transformative shift in mobility, we’ve built a world-class team advancing the state of the art in AI, robotics, driving, and material sciences.

About this Role:

We are seeking a highly skilled and resourceful Executive Assistant/Office Manager to provide dual support to the VP of Energy + Materials and the VP of Finance. This role requires a proactive individual with exceptional judgment, strong discretion, and the ability to manage complex, cross-functional priorities across two distinct leadership functions. This role blends executive-level administrative support with day-to-day office operations, requiring someone who can shift fluidly between strategic coordination and hands-on execution. The ideal candidate brings strong judgment, a high degree of discretion, and a proactive approach to keeping both the executive and the office running smoothly.

Responsibilities

Executive Administration:

• Manage the executive's calendar, correspondence, and meeting cadences with a strong understanding of team priorities and business rhythms.

• Handle sensitive information with a high degree of confidentiality and discretion at all times.

• Anticipate needs and proactively coordinate resources to support executives before requests become urgent.

• Plan and coordinate international and domestic travel, including detailed itinerary and logistics management.

• Prepare and manage expense reports, purchase orders, and financial documentation accurately and promptly.

• Partner with the broader EA team to support cross-functional scheduling, staff meetings, and action item tracking.

• Handle incoming correspondence and requests, triaging and following through independently as appropriate.

• Maintain filing systems, document retention, and administrative processes consistently and with care.

• Manage schedules and communications across US time zones, with flexibility to accommodate international time zones, including Japan and other locations, as business needs and executive travel require.

• Provide coverage for EA team members on vacation to ensure continuity of support.

Office Management: 

• Oversee day-to-day office operations, including vendor relationships, facilities coordination, supply management, and space planning.

• Serve as on-site point of contact for visiting stakeholders, candidates, and new team members.

• Support onboarding, high-visibility events, and stakeholder engagements with professionalism and attention to detail.

• Lead initiatives and special projects that strengthen engagement and community within the office.

• Champion TRI’s culture by encouraging participation in events, ERGs, and off-sites.

• Coordinate catering and onsite experiences with a high standard of quality and attention to detail.

• Provide responsive support for ad hoc team needs, including meeting setup and event logistics.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of executive administrative experience with meaningful exposure to office management, facilities, and vendor oversight. 

• A bachelor's degree is preferred; candidates without a degree who bring 9-13 years of equivalent experience are encouraged to apply.

• Strong judgment and decision-making, with the ability to balance strategic perspective and tactical execution.

• Proven ability to manage complex, competing priorities with sound judgment and a high sense of urgency.

• Demonstrated experience handling correspondence and communications with autonomy, professionalism, and discretion.

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; able to represent senior leaders credibly in all interactions.

• Highly organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple concurrent workstreams under tight deadlines.

• Comfortable operating in fast-moving, ambiguous environments; adapts quickly without losing rigor.

• Collaborative team player who can also work independently with minimal direction.

• Proficienct in Google Suite, Microsoft Office, and Asana, with hands-on experience using AI tools (including Claude), travel and expense platforms, and virtual collaboration tools; quick to adopt new systems and workflows.

• Experience with dual or multi-executive support is a strong plus.

• Must be able to lift items up to 35 pounds.

The pay range for this position at commencement of employment is expected to be between $122,000 and $167,000/year for Massachusetts-based roles. Base pay offered will depend on multiple individualized factors, including, but not limited to, a candidate's experience, skills, job-related knowledge, and market location. TRI offers a generous benefits package including medical, dental, and vision insurance, 401(k) eligibility, paid time off benefits (including vacation, sick time, and parental leave), and an annual cash bonus structure. Additional details regarding these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment.

Please reference this Candidate Privacy Notice to inform you of the categories of personal information that we collect from individuals who inquire about and/or apply to work for Toyota Research Institute, Inc. or its subsidiaries, including Toyota A.I. Ventures GP, L.P., and the purposes for which we use such personal information.

TRI is fueled by a diverse and inclusive community of people with unique backgrounds, education and life experiences. We are dedicated to fostering an innovative and collaborative environment by living the values that are an essential part of our culture. We believe diversity makes us stronger and are proud to provide Equal Employment Opportunity for all, without regard to an applicant’s race, color, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, religion, marital status, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state or local laws.

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.