Executive Assistant

BMO•Chicago, IL

1d•Onsite

About The Position

This role requires a trusted strategic partner, not just administrative support—someone who understands executive priorities, protects time, enables decision‑making, and ensures flawless execution across a complex retail organization. This role is fully onsite and requires daily, in‑person presence at the assigned work location. Remote or hybrid arrangements are not available. The Executive Assistant performs a variety of administrative and clerical tasks, financial and human resources administration and provides professional support to one or more Managers and their direct reports. The role provides general offices services ensuring all administrative and operational processes and control standards are followed, while seeking to determine, develop, and participate in implementation of improvement opportunities, contributing to the effective and efficient operation of the business group. This position provides subject matter expertise and advice related to assigned strategic initiatives and acts as relationship management for assigned initiatives. It involves building effective relationships with internal/external stakeholders, breaking down strategic problems, and analyzing data and information to provide insights and recommendations. The role also includes gathering and formatting data into regular and ad-hoc reports and dashboards, and leading the planning, coordinating and implementing department events. The Executive Assistant provides senior level administrative and operational support within a large, diverse team including one or more senior executives, employing systems to manage information and integrating information from multiple sources for efficiency. Responsibilities also include providing input into the planning and implementation of administrative programs, coordinating and monitoring budgets, and coaching more junior administrative assistants. The role manages calendars, dispatches meeting invitations, books meeting rooms, and arranges resources for meetings. It supports department events, develops and maintains filing systems, and supports the development and distribution of tailored communications. The Executive Assistant answers phone lines, processes invoices, prepares and logs expense claims, tracks expenses, and makes travel arrangements. They liaise with internal business units and external vendors for premises and building related matters, maintain supplies inventory, and manage vacation and absence scheduling. The role coordinates staff training requirements, collaborates with stakeholders, organizes work information for accuracy, thinks creatively to propose solutions, and exercises judgment to solve problems. The individual works mostly independently and is expected to take measured risks while adhering to the bank's Risk Management Framework.

Requirements

Typically 7+ years of relevant experience in an administrative/ professional support function, demonstrating progressive responsibility.
Post-secondary degree in related field of study.
Specialized knowledge from education and/or business experience.
In-depth verbal & written communication skills.
In-depth Calendar Management skills.
Advanced working knowledge of Excel and Power Point.
In-depth collaboration & team skills.
In-depth analytical and problem solving skills.
In-depth influence skills.

Responsibilities

Act as a trusted strategic partner, understanding executive priorities, protecting time, enabling decision‑making, and ensuring flawless execution across a complex retail organization.
Perform a variety of administrative and clerical tasks, financial and human resources administration.
Provide professional support to one or more Managers and their direct reports.
Provide general office services ensuring all administrative and operational processes and control standards are followed.
Determine, develop, and participate in implementation of improvement opportunities, contributing to the effective and efficient operation of the business group.
Provide subject matter expertise and advice related to assigned strategic initiatives and act as relationship management for assigned initiatives.
Build effective relationships with internal/external stakeholders.
Break down strategic problems, and analyse data and information to provide insights and recommendations.
Gather and format data into regular and ad-hoc reports, and dashboards.
Lead the planning, coordinating and implementing department events.
Provide senior level administrative and operational support within a large, diverse team including one or more senior executives.
Employ systems (e.g. customized exception reports, tracking reports etc.) to manage information.
Integrate information from multiple sources to enable more efficient processes, enhanced analysis and/or streamlined reporting.
Provide input into the planning and implementation of administrative programs.
Coordinate and monitor budgets and reporting on results vs. budget.
Provide coaching and mentoring to more junior administrative assistants to support them in developing capability to carry out current job accountabilities.
Manage and monitor calendars and upcoming events.
Dispatch meeting invitations, books meeting rooms and arranges for resources and other requirements in support of smooth and efficient meeting facilitation.
Support the coordination and implementation of department events.
Develop and maintain a filing system; ensures business and operational reports, forms, and other documentation, paper or electronic, are readily available.
Support the development of tailored messaging, which may include writing, editing and distributing communications (e.g., correspondence, presentations, policies & procedures).
Dispatch outgoing communications.
Answer central phone line, responding to and resolving/escalating inquiries.
Process invoices for payment in adherence with documented processes and guidelines and vendor agreements.
Prepare and log departmental expense claims and reports.
Track expenses to ensure they stay within budget.
Make travel arrangements, booking flight/hotel reservations as needed.
Liaise with internal business units and external vendors and participates in the local coordination and implementation of premises and building related matters including incoming / outgoing staff and contractors, relocations, office planning and new furniture requirements while ensuring minimal interruptions to business operations.
Maintain supplies inventory by checking stock to determine inventory level; anticipating needed supplies; placing and expediting orders for supplies; verifying receipt of supplies.
Ensure all vacation and absence scheduling is documented, takes into account critical business needs, follows guidelines, and is managed consistently across employees in the group; identifies scheduling conflicts for resolution.
Coordinate training requirements for staff (research, booking, cancellations, confirmations, etc.).
Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders in order to deliver on business objectives.
Organize work information to ensure accuracy and completeness.
Think creatively and propose new solutions.
Exercise judgment to identify, diagnose, and solve problems within given rules.
Work mostly independently.
Take measured risks while protecting the bank by applying our Risk Management Framework in the execution of your role, in line with our Risk Culture and within our approved Risk Appetite, making sound and risk informed decisions that align to business strategy, protect assets, and adhere to applicable policy documents (Frameworks, Policies, Standards, Procedures and Supporting documents), laws and regulations.