Senior Executive Assistant – Chief People Officer, People Center

National Life Insurance Company•Montpelier, VT

7d•$34 - $50•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Executive Assistant to the Chief People Officer (CPO) serves as a trusted partner to the CPO, enabling the effective operation of the People Center through exceptional executive support, proactive planning, disciplined follow-through, and strong judgment. The role combines sophisticated calendar and communications management with project coordination, Board and committee support, event and meeting logistics, vendor administration, and the careful handling of highly confidential information. Success requires the ability to anticipate needs, understand organizational context, manage competing priorities, connect the right people and resources at the right time, identify issues, recommend solutions, and help advance People Center priorities. This position works across the People Center and throughout National Life Group, partnering with leaders, administrative professionals, associates, new hires, vendors, and other stakeholders to keep information moving and commitments on track. This position currently offers an onsite work schedule, with the expectation that you will be in the office four (4) days per week during onsite core days. Our current onsite core days are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The work schedule type and core days are subject to change with advance notification and manager discretion.

Requirements

Minimum of 8 years of high-level executive support experience with a demonstrated record of success
Bachelor’s degree in business or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience
Demonstrated judgment and discretion in handling sensitive and confidential information
Exceptional organizational skills, with the ability to perform and prioritize multiple tasks seamlessly and with excellent attention to detail
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to draft on behalf of a senior leader
Demonstrated ability to create, edit, and format polished executive-level presentations, reports, meeting materials, and communications
Proficiency across Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint), video conferencing platforms, and e-signature tools, plus the demonstrated ability to rapidly learn new company-specific systems
Familiarity with expense and travel management systems, and with project tracking tools (Concur, Deem, Docusign, etc.) as well as employee records and other systems containing confidential workforce data
A customer-centric mindset grounded in servant leadership principles, with the ability to build trusted relationships, understand business priorities, influence without formal authority, and prioritize the success of the team over personal success
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, establish priorities, and meet deadlines while juggling competing demands
Ability to pass a background check
Leverage approved AI tools, where appropriate, to improve the efficiency, quality, and impact of their work.
Stay curious and open to new AI-enabled ways of working.
Exercise sound judgment by reviewing and validating AI-generated content.
Maintain accountability for the accuracy, quality, fairness, and integrity of work products by adhering to National Life's AI guiding principles.
Use AI responsibly and in accordance with company policies related to confidentiality, data privacy, security, compliance, retention, and intellectual property.

Nice To Haves

3-5 years of experience in financial services or a comparable regulated industry
Experience supporting a C-suite executive, including Board or committee preparation
Experience supporting HR or people function, with familiarity handling associate data
Demonstrated use of AI tools within documented workflows to improve speed or quality of work
Experience coordinating across multiple sites or time zones
Certified Administrative Professional (CAP) certification

Responsibilities

Provide high-level executive support to the CPO and targeted administrative support to People Center leadership, creating and maintaining a system of documentation that enhances productivity and eliminates redundancy
Manage the day-to-day administrative affairs of the CPO, anticipating needs and proactively bringing together the right people and resources to address issues
Provide sophisticated calendar management: prioritize inquiries and requests, troubleshoot conflicts with little guidance, and make judgments and recommendations that keep the day running smoothly
Exercise independent judgment on behalf of the CPO, understanding when to act independently, when to consult, and when to escalate; identify issues and recommend solutions based on an understanding of priorities and organizational context
Maintain a disciplined system for tracking decisions, commitments, action items, and key deliverables, following up with owners to ensure timely completion
Facilitate communication across the organization to accelerate response times and keep messages moving; triage and draft replies to email, and communicate People Center strategy clearly and accurately
Work collaboratively with other administrative professionals to request and assemble information, format and proofread business documents, and support internal and external communications, using judgement based on priorities, audience and level of detail
Prepare the CPO for meetings and decisions by coordinating executive-ready briefing materials, agendas, pre-reads, talking points, background information, and other materials
Build and maintain effective working relationship across the People Center, executive leadership, administrative professionals and external stakeholders, using discretion and diplomacy to facilitate communication and advance priorities
Communicate People Center priorities and messages clearly, accurately, and with appropriate context
Support the CPO's preparation for Board and committee meetings, including materials deadlines, document assembly, distribution, and pre-meeting logistics
Coordinate with the Corporate Secretary's office and other executive assistants on Board calendars and cycles
Handle board and committee information with a high degree of discretion and attention to confidentiality
Coordinate domestic travel, including itineraries, ground transportation, and on-site logistics
Prepare and reconcile expense reports and corporate card activity in line with company policy
Process invoices and purchase orders, and support vendor onboarding, contract routing, and renewal tracking for People Center partners
Support the annual People Center budgeting process and ongoing financial management, including coordinating budget inputs, tracking actual spend again budget, maintaining forecasts, and identifying variances or items requiring leadership attention
Partner with the CPO on strategic and operational projects by establishing objectives, clarifying priorities into actionable plans, managing timelines, tracking deliverables, and maintaining momentum through disciplined execution
Create status reports and tracking mechanisms to ensure objectives are achieved through a detailed approach to execution
Identify opportunities to simplify recurring People Center workflows through process improvement, technology, automation, and approved AI-enabled solutions
Participate on special projects and transformation teams as needed to meet business goals
Plan and execute People Center meetings, offsites, leadership sessions, and recognition and associate events across both campuses
Manage hybrid meeting logistics, including room and AV setup, virtual facilitation support, catering, and materials
Handle highly sensitive information with discretion, including associate relations matters, compensation and performance data, organizational changes, and pre-announcement information
Follow company policies on data privacy, records retention, and the handling of material non-public information
Exercise high-level interpersonal skills, poise, tact, and diplomacy when managing sensitive and confidential situations
Other duties as assigned by the CPO