Executive Assistant at Zormelo & Associates

The Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive (CE) provides high-level, confidential administrative support to the office of the CE.  Reporting directly to CE, the Executive Assistant provides executive support in a one-on-one working relationship. The Executive Assistant serves as the primary point of contact for internal and external constituencies on all matters pertaining to the Office of the Chief Executive. The Executive Assistant also serves as an administrative liaison to the board of directors and senior management teams; organizes and coordinates executive outreach and external relations efforts; and oversees special projects. The Executive Assistant must be creative and will have the ability to exercise good judgment in a variety of situations, with strong written and verbal communication, administrative, and organizational skills, and the ability to maintain a realistic balance among multiple priorities. The Executive Assistant will have the ability to work independently on projects, from conception to completion, and must be able to work under pressure at times to handle a wide variety of activities.  This position is privy to confidential information and as such, requires diplomacy and discretion.

Roles and Responsibilities

Executive Support

• Completes a broad variety of general administrative and clerical tasks including;  managing an extremely active calendar of appointments, composing and preparing correspondence that is often confidential, arranging detailed travel plans, itineraries, and agendas; and compiling documents for travel-related meetings.
• Manages the CE’s schedule and workload and ensures that the CE’s schedule is followed and respected.  Provides “gatekeeper” and “gateway” role, creating win-win situations for direct access to CE’s time and office.  It is also his/her responsibility to ensure the CE is briefed on his daily schedule such that he is adequately prepared for meetings.
• Arranges travel and logistics. This may include booking flights, car rental and hotel accommodations. He/she is also responsible for arranging meetings, providing needed background information and completing expense reports for reimbursement after the trip.
• Prioritises conflicting needs; handles matters expeditiously, proactively and follows-through on projects to successful completion, often with deadline pressures.

Board Support & Liaison

• Serves as the CE’s administrative liaison to the Bank’s board of directors.  Duties can include working with the Company Secretary to schedule board meetings, handling logistics of board meetings, functions, sending materials for review prior to the meetings, taking and distributing notes and fielding general queries from board members
• Maintains discretion and confidentiality in relationships with all board members
• Assists board members with travel arrangements, lodging, and meal planning as required

Senior Management Liaison

• Provides a bridge for smooth communication between the CE’s Office and internal departments; demonstrating leadership to maintain credibility, trust and support with senior management staff
• Participates as an adjunct member of the Executive Committee including assisting in scheduling meetings, coordinating the agenda of and attending all senior management team meetings, offsites and all-staff meetings

Communications, Partnerships, and Outreach

• Ensures that the CE’s bio is kept updated and responds to requests for materials regarding the CE and the organization in general.
• Edits all, and completes first drafts for written communications to external stakeholders

Strategic Initiatives

• Provides leadership to build relationships crucial to the success of the Bank and manages a variety of special projects for the CE, some of which may have organizational impact.
• Works with the Marketing team in coordinating the CE’s external and public engagements

Qualifications

• Strong organizational skills that reflect the ability to perform and prioritise multiple tasks seamlessly with excellent attention to detail
• Very strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build relationships with stakeholders, including staff, board members, etc
• Expert-level written and verbal communication skills
• Demonstrated proactive approaches to problem-solving with strong decision-making capability
• Emotional maturity
• Highly resourceful team-player, with the ability to work independently when required
• Proven ability to handle confidential information with discretion, be adaptable to changing priorities, and demonstrate the highest level of customer service and response
• Demonstrated ability to achieve high performance goals and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Forward-looking thinker, who actively seeks opportunities and proposes solutions

Education and Experience Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required
• Strong work experience: five to ten years of experience supporting C-Level Executives, preferably in a financial services organization
• Experience and interest in internal and external communications,
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, and Power Point), Adobe Acrobat, and Socials Media web platforms.