Administrative Partner

Illumina • San Diego, CA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

Illumina is seeking an experienced Administrative Partner to provide strategic, high-impact support to the Vice President, Global Head of Advanced Science and a Senior Director. This role is based on-site 5 days per week at Illumina's San Diego headquarters and serves as a trusted partner to executive leadership. The Administrative Partner will own cross-functional coordination, strategic execution, and support in the introduction of AI-driven tools to accelerate research and enhance operational efficiency across a distributed, global organization spanning five sites (San Diego, Cambridge UK, Singapore, Boulder CO, Madison WI). This is a complex, fast-paced environment requiring independent judgment, strategic thinking, and the ability to influence and coordinate across multiple teams and geographies without direct authority. Understanding of scientific and technical context is essential to engage meaningfully with research teams during staff meetings and strategic discussions.

Requirements

• Willingness to learn basic understanding of chemistry, physics, or biology fundamentals to be able to follow conversations with staff and demonstrate basic ability to understand research concepts, laboratory workflows, and scientific priorities discussed at staff meetings.
• Ability to understand business strategy, translate goals into actionable plans, anticipate bottlenecks, and drive proactive solutions.
• Comfort with ambiguity and ability to work independently with minimal direction.
• Proven ability to exercise sound judgment on behalf of executives within defined parameters.
• Capability to escalate complex or sensitive issues appropriately while handling routine decisions autonomously.
• Exceptional ability to manage competing priorities in a dynamic, fast-paced, global environment.
• Strong attention to detail with demonstrated ability to drive tasks and action items to completion despite complexity.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with demonstrated ability to build trust and influence across organizational boundaries.
• Strong executive presence with ability to remain calm, confident, and composed under pressure.
• Demonstrated flexibility and willingness to learn new tools, methodologies, and technologies.
• Ability to quickly absorb new information and apply it in practical ways.
• Comfort with emerging technologies and innovation.
• Experience managing complex logistics (ex. Travel, meetings, social events, communications) across geographies, time zones, and distributed teams.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Comfort with emerging tools and platforms like Claude, ChatGPT, and others.
• Ability to quickly learn new software and recommend tool adoption based on organizational needs.
• High degree of integrity, accountability, and professionalism.
• Ability to handle highly confidential information with discretion.
• Strong business ethics and alignment with company values.
• Typically requires a minimum of 4 - 6 years of related experience in a mid to large-sized organization.
• Proven track record of supporting multiple senior leaders and managing complex, distributed teams.
• Demonstrated experience managing projects with cross-functional stakeholders.
• Demonstrated experience with calendar management, meeting coordination, project management, and event execution.
• Ability to engage effectively with senior leaders, internal teams, external partners, and customers with professionalism and credibility.
• Basic understanding or willingness to learn fundamentals of chemistry, physics, or biology; ability to follow and participate in scientific discussions.
• On-site availability 5 days per week at San Diego headquarters, ability off core hours in occasions, as needed.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in a biotechnology, pharmaceutical, or life sciences environment
• Familiar with competitive intelligence, strategic planning, and research innovation
• Executive assistant or equivalent strategic partnership role supporting senior leadership
• Experience evaluating, implementing, or optimizing new tools and technologies
• Experience with global, distributed teams or matrix organizational structures
• Bachelors Degree
• Experience with project management tools or collaboration platforms preferred

Responsibilities

• Translate executive goals and priorities into actionable operating plans, track progress against key milestones, identify and remove blockers, and hold team owners accountable for delivery.
• Serve as the connective tissue between leadership vision and team execution.
• Own and strategically manage complex executive calendars for VP and other executives (up to 2 senior directors), thoughtfully prioritizing critical business activities, governance forums, board activities, cross-functional engagements, and site-specific meetings.
• Ensure optimal use of leadership time and maintain deep understanding of priorities, preferences, and operating rhythms.
• Coordinate logistics and communications for multi-site team engagements across geographies, including travel, meeting preparation, materials coordination, and stakeholder alignment across five global locations.
• Support leadership presence and effectiveness in managing distributed teams.
• Coordinate complex internal and external partnerships, research initiatives, and collaborative projects.
• Act as the primary liaison between leadership and cross-functional teams, managing communication, alignment, decision gates, and deliverable tracking.
• Support strategic partnerships with external organizations and maintain stakeholder relationships.
• Support and participate in the research, evaluation, implementation, and optimization of AI-driven tools that enhance operational effectiveness, accelerate workflows, and improve overall team productivity.
• Help identify high-impact tools and methodologies, coordinate pilots, support adoption efforts, and track impact.
• Leverage AI solutions to streamline processes, enable data-driven decision-making, and drive continuous improvement across functions.
• Plan and execute high-visibility meetings, workshops, off-sites, social events and collaborative working sessions for leadership and broader team engagement.
• Coordinate both on-site and distributed/virtual meetings ensuring operational excellence, technology support, and effective outcomes.
• Develop strong, collaborative working relationships with leaders, direct reports, peer teams, and external partners across sites and functions.
• Act as an ambassador and advocate for new tools and methodologies.
• Build trust, foster engagement, and influence adoption through positive relationships and clear communication.
• Support high-impact strategic projects and special initiatives based on business priorities.
• Own project scoping, timeline development, resource coordination, stakeholder communication, and delivery tracking.
• Manage expense reporting and financial administration with accuracy and timeliness.
• Handle confidential information and sensitive communications with sound judgment and discretion.
• Exercise independent judgment on behalf of executives and their teams within established guidelines.
• Collaborate with peer administrative partners across Illumina to ensure effective executive coverage and contribute to process standardization and continuous improvement.
• Demonstrate strong business acumen and partnership with leaders across departments, functions, sites, and geographies.
• Serve as an internal ambassador for Illumina, exhibiting professionalism, positivity, and company values.

Benefits

• Access to genomics sequencing
• Family planning
• Health/dental/vision
• Retirement benefits
• Paid time off
• Variable cash programs (bonus or commission)
• Equity as part of the compensation package (for eligible roles)
• Zero-net gap in pay, regardless of gender, ethnicity, or race
• Employee Resource Groups (ERG) that deliver career development experiences, increase cultural awareness, and offer opportunities to engage in social responsibility

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees