Position Summary
The Executive Assistant serves as a trusted business partner to both the President, VWR Distribution & Services and the Executive Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer, providing high-level executive support, driving operational excellence, and enabling strategic priorities across the organization. This role goes beyond traditional administrative responsibilities by serving as a proactive coordinator, project manager, and technology-enabled problem solver who anticipates business needs, removes barriers, and enhances executive effectiveness.
The ideal candidate possesses exceptional organizational skills, strong business acumen, project management expertise, and the ability to operate with confidentiality, discretion, and independent judgment in a fast-paced, highly matrixed environment.
Key Responsibilities
Executive Partnership & Strategic Support
Manage complex calendars, prioritizing competing demands and ensuring executives' time is optimized against critical business objectives.
Act as a trusted advisor, proactively identifying scheduling conflicts, prioritization challenges, and opportunities to improve executive efficiency.
Prepare executives for meetings, business reviews, leadership forums, and customer interactions through briefing materials, agendas, and follow-up actions.
Serve as a primary point of contact for internal and external stakeholders, exercising sound judgment and professionalism.
Coordinate domestic and international travel arrangements, ensuring seamless logistics and adherence to company policies and leader travel preferences.
Project Management & Business Operations
Lead and coordinate cross-functional projects on behalf of executives, ensuring milestones, deliverables, and timelines remain on track. Projects include leadership team presentations and team slide contributions.
Establish project plans, monitor progress, facilitate follow-up actions, and escalate risks when appropriate.
Drive accountability across stakeholders by tracking commitments, action items, and project outcomes.
Partner with HR, Finance, Commercial, and Corporate Functions teams to support organizational initiatives and leadership priorities.
Coordinate leadership meetings, operating reviews, team offsites, and strategic planning sessions.
Technology & Process Optimization
Leverage technology and automation tools to streamline administrative and business processes, including execution of all business processes in Workday on behalf of executives (i.e. expense reports, job requisition approvals)
Demonstrate expertise in Microsoft 365 applications including Outlook, Teams, PowerPoint, Excel, SharePoint, OneNote, Copilot, and other collaboration platforms.
Identify opportunities to improve workflows through automation, AI-enabled capabilities, and process redesign.
Maintain and organize digital files, shared resources, meeting documentation, and project repositories.
Support virtual, hybrid, and in-person leadership events utilizing advanced technology solutions.
Meeting & Governance Management
Plan and coordinate executive leadership meetings, preparing agendas, materials, and meeting logistics.
Capture meeting outcomes, decisions, and action items while ensuring timely follow-up and execution.
Support governance processes, leadership routines, and operational cadences.
Coordinate confidential leadership discussions and sensitive personnel matters with discretion.
Stakeholder & Relationship Management
Build strong working relationships across all organizational levels.
Interface effectively with senior leaders, board-level stakeholders, customers, and external partners.
Represent the executives with professionalism, responsiveness, and a customer-focused mindset.
Anticipate stakeholder needs and proactively resolve issues before escalation occurs.
Qualifications
Bachelor's degree preferred or equivalent combination of education and experience.
5+ years supporting senior executives, preferably VP, SVP, CHRO, COO, or C-suite leaders.
Demonstrated experience managing complex executive calendars and competing priorities.
Proven project management experience coordinating multiple initiatives simultaneously.
Exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
Advanced Microsoft Office and Microsoft 365 proficiency.
Experience working with executive-level presentations, data reporting, and business communications.
Strong organizational skills and meticulous attention to detail.
Ability to handle highly confidential and sensitive information with discretion.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience supporting HR, Commercial, Corporate Functions, or Global Business Services leaders.
Exposure to organizational change, transformation initiatives, or mergers and acquisitions environments.
Experience working in a global, matrixed organization.
Leadership Competencies
Proactive Leadership
Anticipates needs before they arise.
Identifies potential issues and develops solutions independently.
Demonstrates ownership and accountability for outcomes
Business Acumen
Understands organizational priorities and strategic objectives.
Connects daily activities to broader business goals.
Exercises strong judgment and decision-making.
Project Management Excellence
Successfully manages multiple priorities and stakeholders.
Drives execution while maintaining attention to detail.
Delivers results under tight timelines.
Technology Savvy
Embraces emerging technologies and AI-enabled tools.
Continuously seeks opportunities to simplify and automate work.
Learns new systems quickly and effectively.
Executive Presence
Maintains professionalism and credibility at all levels.
Demonstrates confidence, diplomacy, and discretion.
Communicates effectively with senior leadership and external partners.
Disclaimer
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of employees assigned to this position. Avantor is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.
Why Avantor?
Dare to go further in your career. Join our global team of 14,000+ associates whose passion for discovery and determination to overcome challenges relentlessly advances life-changing science.
The work we do changes people's lives for the better. It brings new patient treatments and therapies to market, giving a cancer survivor the chance to walk his daughter down the aisle. It enables medical devices that help a little boy hear his mom's voice for the first time. Outcomes such as these create unlimited opportunities for you to contribute your talents, learn new skills and grow your career at Avantor.
We are committed to helping you on this journey through our diverse, equitable and inclusive culture which includes learning experiences to support your career growth and success. At Avantor, dare to go further and see how the impact of your contributions set science in motion to create a better world. Apply today!
EEO Statement
We are an Equal Employment/Affirmative Action employer and VEVRAA Federal Contractor. We do not discriminate in hiring on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected Veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state/province, or local law.
If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact us by email at recruiting@avantorsciences.com and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Requests for accommodation will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Please note that only inquiries concerning a request for reasonable accommodation will be responded to from this email address.
For more information about equal employment opportunity protections, please view the Know Your Rights poster.
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By submitting candidates without having been formally assigned on and contracted for a specific job requisition by Avantor, or by failing to comply with the Avantor recruitment process, you forfeit any fee on the submitted candidates, regardless of your usual terms and conditions. Avantor works with a preferred supplier list and will take the initiative to engage with recruitment agencies based on its needs and will not be accepting any form of solicitation.
