Hiring the best executive assistants possible can make the difference between hugely productive executives and those who are habitually late to meetings and always floundering for information. That’s because executive assistants help their executives prepare for meetings, track their schedules and projects, and ward off distractions. To get an idea of a well-written job description, we’ve included an executive assistant job description sample below. While it is only a starting point, it highlights key elements to include in your description.
One note before you read the sample; consider the job title you want to use. The right title helps ensure that incompatible people do not apply. Elements that could go into a job title include city (or neighborhood) where the job is, whether the assistant is working with a CEO, CFO, chief of surgery, university president or some other type of executive. A few examples: “Executive Assistant CFO Los Angeles,” “High-level Executive Assistant,” “Executive Assistant at Airport.” The sample below is for a higher-level executive assistant CEO job, but it is useful no matter the requirements for your specific position.
Seattle CEO Executive Assistant Job Summary
You are a big asset to our marketing company CEO, ensuring that she is as productive as possible. You screen and route visitors and correspondence, and plan and track her schedule. You attend meetings when the CEO cannot, and you speak on her behalf as needed.
Seattle CEO Executive Assistant Job Responsibilities and Duties:
- Transcribe, format, input, type, edit and copy a wide array of text, data and graphics
- Read, research and route correspondence; write letters and emails; reach out to contacts via telephone
- Plan and track the CEO’s schedule
- Represent the CEO at some meetings, even speaking on her behalf at times
- Welcome visitors and guests with pleasant greetings, whether in person or on the telephone
- Lead several marketing projects and prepare reports
- Delegate work to clerical staff as necessary
Seattle CEO Executive Assistant Skills and Qualifications
- Business degree or degree in related field such as finance or marketing. Bachelor’s level or master’s level preferred
- At least five years of prior executive assistant or executive support experience
- Keen grasp of marketing concepts
- Proficient in Microsoft Office, particularly Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Must also be proficient in social media and Adobe Acrobat
- Bilingualism a huge plus but not required
- Accurate self-starter, friendly personality
- Ability to be accessible outside of regular business hours
Company Profile
Mardel Marketing Corp. specializes in reaching consumers via TV and print ads, and we are expanding to include other channels as well. We started in 1970 as a five-woman firm and have since expanded to a firm that employs more than 100 people. Most work in our Seattle location, but we are building a significant NYC presence as well. Our mission is to showcase what’s unique about our clients’ products through compelling and fresh presentations. Our CEO, Jane Doe, is a self-admitted “weird person who breathes marketing.” Ideas hit her 24/7, for example, when she’s in the shower or in the middle of a pleasant dream. Rather than let these ideas stagnate, she likes to call up her executive assistant and discuss. This is what our current executive assistant, who is retiring after 20 years, says, “Best job I ever had, hands down. Believe it or not, I’m going to miss these 3 a.m. calls.” While these calls may not sound fun, the upside is that you’ll get to lead several huge marketing projects, and you’ll contribute significantly to the company. As a result, we pay higher than average.
Could you be our CEO’s next sounding board? To apply, click this link today.
Writing a Job Description Best Practices
- You can use this executive assistant job description sample to jot down ideas for your own description. It’s important to be honest and clear about job requirements, and remember to follow a few dos and don’ts.
- Do include where the job is, especially for bigger businesses that have many locations.
- Do explain unique challenges of the job.
- Do remember the call to action, which directs prospects to take action.
- Don’t make your description sound interchangeable when compared with another executive assistant job description. It needs to be special.
- Don’t mislead on the description, for instance, making the job sound more glamorous than it is.
The executive assistant job description sample above is a great starting point as you work to find the best fit for your CEO and company.
Executive Assistant Job Responsibilities
When creating the list of executive assistant job responsibilities in your job description, use action verbs to keep it engaging. Include about 6-8 items on the list. Obviously, this may limit what you can put in there, so stick to the most important duties only. You want to avoid having too much in this section because jobseekers otherwise might take one look and feel like you are too demanding. Leave out the small tasks, like checking email or answering the phone, which an applicant will probably already assume are part of the job.
The responsibilities section is the meat of your executive assistant job description. It needs to convey what the daily life of an executive assistant consists of. Be detailed and direct in explaining the duties. Include areas of responsibility and special project work that the job might involve. Giving an idea of the importance of the position could be what spurs someone to apply.
Take a look at this example of a job duty list that might be found in an executive assistant job description:
- Maintains the appointments and schedule for the executive
- Takes notes and creates memos, letters and other correspondence
- Serves as the first point of contact, ensuring the management of calls, messages or visitors
- Stands in for the executive in meetings he or she cannot attend, taking notes to present to the executive afterwards
- Handles assignments made by the executive, including research projects, presentation creation and report preparation
Executive Assistant Job Specifications
When focusing on the creation of an executive assistant job description, it can be easy to overlook the importance of the job qualifications and skills section. This section is essential, though, in attracting the right candidates. If you do not properly present the requirements for the job, applicants who lack the qualifications needed may apply. This is a waste of their time and yours. To avoid this, you should create this section with a concise list of executive assistant job specifications.
To know exactly what to put here, you may want to consult with managers or other executive assistants in your company. You want to be sure you include the skills, experience and education needed to do the job properly. This will help you as you look over resumes, too, allowing you to weed out unqualified or overqualified applicants. With a solid job qualifications and skills section, the executive assistant job description can attract the right candidate.
Here is a sample of what this section should look like:
- Five years of experience working as an administrative assistant
- Strong organizational, computer and communication skills
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite
- Comprehensive understanding of general office procedures
- Professional appearance
- Bachelor’s degree in business preferred