Senior Executive Assistant to the CEO - Reston, VA

Military Spouse Corporate Career Network•Reston, VA

9d•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Executive Assistant serves as a strategic partner and central coordinator for the Office of the CEO, supporting both the CEO and the SVP, General Counsel & Ethics Officer. The role is the primary liaison among the CEO, Board of Trustees, executive leadership team, and key external stakeholders. It extends beyond traditional executive support and calls for anticipation, operational excellence, professionalism, discretion, and sound judgment. The position coordinates Board of Trustees and committee meetings, including preparation and distribution of materials, governance coordination, logistics, and follow-up on actions and resolutions. It manages complex domestic and international travel, executive calendars, expenses, vendor relationships, executive leadership meeting rhythms, and offsites. It also prepares briefing materials and talking points for public engagements, coordinates with communications and other teams, and ensures the CEO’s time is focused on high-impact priorities. The role provides indirect oversight, mentorship, and coordination across executive assistants organization-wide, and serves as an escalation point for complex scheduling, events, and cross-functional coordination. The successful candidate represents the CEO and organization with discretion, integrity, calm under pressure, polished communication, and the ability to anticipate needs, influence without authority, build trust, and navigate complex interpersonal dynamics.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship.
Ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance.
At least 10 years of progressive experience supporting C-suite executives, including at least 5 years directly supporting a CEO or President.
Bachelor's degree or additional experience in lieu of a degree.
Demonstrated direct engagement with a Board of Directors or Trustees, including preparation of Board materials and governance coordination.
Expert-level proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Teams, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, with hands-on daily use.
Proficiency with virtual meeting platforms, including Zoom and Microsoft Teams.
Demonstrated working experience using AI tools for executive summaries, presentations, research, meeting notes, prioritization, and planning.
Extensive experience managing complex domestic and international travel, including multi-country itineraries, visa coordination, information security, and contingency planning.
Proven ability to manage executive meeting cadences, capture minutes and action items, and drive follow-up to completion.
Ability to navigate competing priorities with composure and precision.
Critical thinking skills to anticipate outcomes and impacts by assessing circumstances and conflicts.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to draft executive-level correspondence, presentations, and briefing documents.
Demonstrated track record planning and executing executive offsites, Board-level engagements, and high-profile events.
Ability to travel as required.
Ability to lift up to 30 lbs.
Absolute discretion, sound judgment, and unwavering integrity when handling sensitive information.
Ability to influence without authority, build trust across organizational levels, and foster collaboration.
Polished written and verbal communication, independent judgment, and the ability to determine when to act, escalate, or defer.
Ability to facilitate senior-level discussions, represent the CEO's priorities, and navigate interpersonal dynamics.

Nice To Haves

Hands-on experience with relational and/or NoSQL databases, including schema design, data modeling, and query optimization.
Understanding of software testing methodologies, including unit testing, integration testing, and automated testing frameworks.
Experience across the full software development lifecycle, from requirements analysis and design through implementation, deployment, and maintenance.
Proficiency with Git-based version control, including branching strategies, pull request workflows, and code review practices.
Ability to manage and contribute to multiple concurrent projects while maintaining high-quality deliverables and prioritizing competing requirements.
Experience with containerization and orchestration technologies, including Docker and Kubernetes.
Experience deploying, configuring, and maintaining applications in cloud environments such as AWS, Azure, or GCP.
Knowledge of Python web frameworks such as FastAPI and Flask for RESTful APIs, microservices, and scalable backend solutions.
Ability to work across the full technology stack and learn and adopt new technologies as project needs evolve.
Experience working in Agile development environments, including sprint planning, daily standups, backlog refinement, and iterative delivery.
Proficiency in Python 3, including modern language features, type hinting, and package management best practices.
Top Secret clearance.
Experience in a mission-driven organization, government contracting, professional services, or technology environment.
Familiarity with government contracting, governance best practices, and Board management platforms.
Project management certification or equivalent experience, such as PMP or CAPM.
Experience coordinating across multiple executive assistants or leading an administrative team.
Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience.

Responsibilities

Serve as a strategic partner and central coordinator for the Office of the CEO, supporting the CEO and the SVP, General Counsel & Ethics Officer.
Act as the primary liaison among the CEO, Board of Trustees, executive leadership team, and key external stakeholders.
Maintain direct engagement with Trustees and their offices.
Prepare materials, presentations, briefings, and agendas for at least three formal Board meetings annually in coordination with the SVP/General Counsel and CEO.
Manage Board meeting logistics, including travel, catering, hospitality, venue, and technology.
Distribute pre-read materials on time and drive follow-up on meeting action items and resolutions to completion.
Support standing committee meetings and ensure alignment with governance protocols.
Plan complex domestic and international travel, including multi-city itineraries, visa and passport coordination, and contingency planning.
Develop talking points, background research, and briefing materials for keynotes, panels, media engagements, and announcements.
Coordinate messaging and logistics with communications, marketing, and government relations teams.
Maintain a forward-looking calendar of industry events and partnership opportunities.
Manage expense reports and vendor relationships for both principals.
Establish and maintain the executive leadership team's operational rhythm, including recurring meetings, strategic planning, and quarterly reviews.
Develop agendas, prepare materials, capture minutes and action items, and drive structured follow-up to completion.
Plan and execute executive offsites, including venue, agenda design, facilitator coordination, and logistics.
Ensure the CEO's time is allocated to high-impact activities and escalate stalled items as appropriate.
Enforce preparation standards for requests for the CEO's time and guide leaders in preparing requests with sufficient detail.
Provide indirect oversight, mentorship, and coordination across executive assistants organization-wide.
Coordinate schedules across the executive team, resolve conflicts, and optimize collective bandwidth.
Serve as an escalation point for complex scheduling, event planning, and cross-functional coordination.
Represent the CEO and organization professionally with Board members, clients, partners, candidates, employees, and external stakeholders.