Administrative Assistant, Oncology

AstraZeneca•Gaithersburg, MD

About The Position

The Senior Personal Assistant / Executive Assistant provides high-level administrative and business support to the Vice President and Senior Managers. The role supports the day-to-day management of priorities, communications, meetings, documentation, and stakeholder interactions, and serves as a key contact for internal and external stakeholders. It requires professionalism, discretion, sound judgment, and the ability to manage competing priorities in a dynamic environment. The position also handles complex administrative matters, supports departmental and project-based activities, contributes to process efficiency, and provides guidance to less experienced administrative staff. The role prepares and coordinates communications and documents, manages email accounts and calendars, and supports meetings, events, and conferences, including related scheduling and travel coordination. It carries out administrative work in the local language and English as required, maintains effective administrative systems, and provides responsive, confidential support to leaders, colleagues, and stakeholders.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
At least 4 years of experience as a Personal Assistant, Executive Assistant, or in a similar administrative support role.
Ability to follow established processes and procedures accurately.
Good verbal and written communication skills.
Specialist knowledge of administrative and business support activities in the relevant area.
Competence using relevant office equipment, tools, and systems.
Experience with word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, and publishing software and systems.
Understanding of the local organization and business processes, including interfaces with related processes and information systems.
Ability to perform mathematical calculations and other administrative activities relevant to the role.
Ability to design, organize, and maintain efficient systems for personal and team use.
Excellent customer service and stakeholder management skills.
Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
Discretion, confidentiality, and independent judgment.
Professional approach when dealing with senior stakeholders and sensitive information.
Strong proofreading, formatting, and document preparation skills in the local language and English, where required.

Nice To Haves

Relevant vocational qualifications or equivalent professional experience.
Team management or informal people leadership skills.
Experience supporting Vice Presidents or senior leaders in a multinational environment.
Experience coaching or mentoring less experienced administrative staff.
Experience coordinating international meetings, travel, and cross-border stakeholder interactions.

Responsibilities

Respond on behalf of the Vice President to stakeholders, maintaining professionalism, accuracy, and appropriate prioritization of competing demands.
Handle complex or escalated inquiries from Personal Assistants or secretarial staff using judgment and discretion.
Manage Senior Managers’ email accounts, schedule appointments, and respond to or redirect routine inquiries.
Prepare, transcribe, type, format, edit, and proofread correspondence, invoices, contracts, meeting minutes, reports, speeches, and presentations.
Produce documents and materials using word processing, presentation, graphics, spreadsheet, and desktop publishing software.
Complete administrative tasks and documentation in the local language and English, as required.
Provide project-based administrative support to departmental and business initiatives.
Coordinate internal and external meetings, events, and conferences, including scheduling, travel coordination, and amenities.
Prepare and distribute documents, presentation materials, and official information releases to stakeholders in a timely manner.
Carry out additional administrative and coordination activities independently, exercising judgment and confidentiality.
Coach and mentor less experienced secretarial or help desk staff and support problem resolution and capability development.
Plan, organize, and prioritize workload using available systems and tools to ensure timely, accurate delivery.
Design, improve, and maintain efficient administrative systems and processes for individual and team productivity.
Build working relationships across the organization to support communication, responsiveness, and service delivery.
Provide a high standard of customer service and support to leaders, colleagues, and stakeholders.