Senior Executive Assistant

Senior Executive Assistant

Role Details

Work Location: Onsite in Palo Alto and San Francisco

Schedule: Monday–Friday, core hours generally 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Employment Type: Contract-to-hire

Weekly Onsite Schedule

Palo Alto: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday

San Francisco: Thursday

Candidates must be able to reliably commute to both Palo Alto and San Francisco. This is an onsite, hands-on executive support role that requires in-person meeting coordination, close partnership with the executive, and consistent support for a fast-moving Communications team.

Free parking is available at the Palo Alto office. Commute, bridge/toll, or travel reimbursement is not currently included for candidates traveling between locations or from the East Bay.

After-Hours Support

Core hours are generally 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Occasional ad hoc after-hours support may be needed depending on executive priorities, meeting follow-ups, or time-sensitive requests.

About the Role

We are seeking a highly organized, detail-oriented, and tech-savvy Senior Executive Assistant to support a senior Communications executive and provide coordination support across a fast-moving Communications team.

This is a hands-on opportunity for someone who thrives in a high-ambiguity, fast-paced environment and can operate with professionalism, discretion, and strong follow-through. The ideal candidate is comfortable supporting executive-level communication, managing complex calendars, coordinating high-priority meetings, and using modern productivity tools, including AI platforms, to improve speed, quality, and efficiency.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The strongest fit will be a polished, resourceful Senior Executive Assistant who has supported senior leaders in a demanding environment, communicates clearly, pays close attention to detail, and is comfortable using AI tools to improve administrative and communication workflows. This person should be able to operate independently, stay organized under pressure, and provide high-touch onsite executive support.

What You’ll Do

• Manage a complex, high-volume executive calendar, including prioritizing meetings, resolving conflicts, and ensuring alignment with business priorities.
• Coordinate executive meetings, team meetings, and cross-functional discussions, including agendas, materials, logistics, follow-ups, and action items.
• Prepare, proofread, edit, and organize materials, presentations, reports, and communications for executive-level meetings.
• Track decisions, deliverables, and follow-ups to ensure accountability and timely completion.
• Coordinate domestic and international travel, prepare detailed itineraries, and manage expense reporting.
• Serve as a professional liaison between the executive, internal teams, external stakeholders, vendors, and agency partners.
• Support larger scheduling needs and time-sensitive coordination across Communications and related cross-functional partners.
• Assist with meeting logistics, off-sites, events, AV, catering, materials, and other onsite support needs.
• Help onboard vendors or agency partners when needed by coordinating access, documentation, and required enablement.
• Partner with other administrative staff to maintain consistency, coverage, and communication across departments.
• Handle confidential and sensitive information with a high level of discretion and professionalism.
• Use productivity and AI tools to streamline drafting, scheduling, meeting preparation, follow-up tracking, and communication workflows.

What We’re Looking For

• Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• 7–10+ years of experience supporting senior executives, preferably in a fast-paced corporate, biotech, pharma, life sciences, technology, or high-growth environment.
• Strong executive presence, judgment, attention to detail, and ability to work with different leadership styles and personalities.
• Proven ability to manage multiple high-priority tasks, shifting deadlines, and ambiguous situations with professionalism and urgency.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft 365, including Outlook calendaring, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Teams.
• Experience with Zoom and other collaboration tools.
• Demonstrated experience using AI productivity tools such as Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Canva, Present AI, or similar platforms.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including proofreading, editing, and preparing executive-ready materials.
• Excellent organization, follow-through, and ability to anticipate needs before they arise.
• High level of integrity and discretion when handling confidential information.
• Positive, proactive, hands-on attitude with a willingness to jump in wherever needed.