Executive Assistant to Chairman & CEO

Job Description

The Executive Assistant (EA) to the Chairman & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is a trusted high-impact facilitator who operates behind the scenes to maximize the CEO’s time, protect executive focus, and orchestrate the day-to-day operations of the executive office.  This role goes far beyond traditional administrative support; it demands a polished professional capable of managing both routine and high-stakes interactions with our company’s executive team, as well as external leaders across industry, government and media. Functioning as the primary gateway to the CEO's office, this highly visible role represents the company's executive brand daily, requiring exceptional emotional intelligence, flawless diplomatic tact, and the agility to navigate complex, fast-moving global environments.

The EA to the CEO is a critical enterprise guardian role requiring at least 10 years of administrative experience (including 5 years supporting senior executives). It demands a rare blend of masterful logistics control (calendar, travel, meetings), advanced tool proficiency (Workday, Concur, Ariba), and impeccable emotional intelligence to handle highly confidential enterprise matters.

Responsibilities include but may not be limited to:

1. Executive Calendar and Time Management

• Manage the CEO’s calendar, including meetings, calls, appointments, events, and recurring commitments.
• Prioritize requests based on business importance, urgency, and strategic value.
• Resolve calendar conflicts and ensure the CEO has appropriate transition time between commitments.
• Coordinate across multiple time zones for domestic and international meetings.
• Build in preparation time, travel time, follow-up time, and focus blocks where needed.

2. Communications

• Serve as a primary point of contact for internal and external stakeholders.
• Screen, prioritize, and route e-mails, calls, meeting requests, and inquiries.
• Draft, edit, proofread, and send correspondence on behalf of the CEO when authorized.
• Track important messages requiring CEO attention or response.
• Use discretion and judgment when determining what should be escalated, delegated, or deferred.

3. Meeting Preparation and Follow-Up

• Work in partnership with the Chief of Staff to ensure the timely development and review of high-quality agendas, presentations, briefing materials, reports, talking points, and supporting documentation for executive meetings and engagements.
• Coordinate meeting logistics, including location, virtual meeting links, attendees, materials, catering, and technology needs.
• Capture notes, decisions, action items, and next steps when requested.
• Follow up with responsible parties to ensure commitments are completed on time.
• Maintain awareness of open items and upcoming deadlines connected to the CEO’s priorities.

4. Travel, Events, and Logistics

• Arrange domestic and international travel, including flights, lodging, ground transportation, visas, itineraries, and contingency plans.
• Prepare detailed travel packets with schedules, contacts, confirmations, meeting locations, and relevant background information.
• Coordinate executive events, off-sites, dinners, receptions, town halls, board-related activities, and stakeholder visits.
• Anticipate logistical risks such as tight connections, weather delays, security requirements, or schedule changes.
• Partner with internal teams, travel providers, security, facilities, and event staff as needed.

5. Document, Records, and Information Management

• Create, edit, organize, and maintain executive documents, presentations, reports, correspondence, and reference files.
• Maintain accurate filing systems for quick retrieval of key materials.
• Track approvals, signature requests, governance materials, and executive documentation.
• Ensure records are handled according to company policy, confidentiality requirements, and retention standards.
• Support audit readiness by keeping documentation organized and complete.

6. Stakeholder and Relationship Management

• Maintain professional relationships with Executive Team, board members, senior leaders, external partners, customers, government contacts, community representatives, and other key stakeholders.
• Coordinate introductions, follow-ups, meeting logistics, and background preparation.
• Represent the CEO’s office with professionalism, responsiveness, and discretion.
• Understand stakeholder sensitivities and tailor communication accordingly.
• Help ensure a consistent and polished experience for anyone engaging with the CEO’s office.

7. Project and Priority Tracking

• Track deadlines, deliverables, and outstanding decisions connected to the CEO’s priorities.
• Maintain action logs, follow-up trackers, project lists, and status updates.
• Coordinate with executives and teams to collect updates and keep work moving.
• Anticipate bottlenecks and escalate issues appropriately.
• Support special projects, confidential assignments, and ad hoc requests as needed.

8. Confidentiality, Judgment, and Professional Boundaries

• Protect confidential business, personal, legal, financial, personnel, and strategic information.
• Use sound judgment when handling sensitive communications, company announcements, and private matters.
• Understand what can be shared, what must remain confidential, and when legal, HR, compliance, security, or communications teams should be consulted.

• Technical proficiency with calendar, e-mail, travel, expense, document, and collaboration tools.
• Flexibility to support urgent changes, shifting priorities, and occasional after-hours needs.

Education:

• Required: High School Diploma or equivalent
• Preferred: Advanced education or certifications (e.g., Associate’s degree, Certified Administrative Professional, Project Management Professional Certification) 

Required Experience and Skills:

• Ten (10) years of administrative experience including five (5) years of experience supporting a senior executive.
• Advanced computer skills (Outlook, Excel, Power Point, MS Word, etc.) and operation of other related programs, including advanced knowledge of Workday, Concur and Ariba
• Exceptional organization, prioritization, and attention to detail.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• High discretion, confidentiality, and emotional intelligence.
• Ability to anticipate needs and solve problems proactively.
• Comfort working in a fast-paced, high-pressure executive environment.
• Professional judgment when interacting with senior leaders and external stakeholders.
• Flexibility to support urgent changes, shifting priorities, and occasional after-hours needs.

Required Skills:

Administrative Support Work (Inactive), Confidential Data Handling, Customer Service, Database Management Systems (DBMS), Document Management, Event Planning, Facility Management, Office Applications, Office Management, Process Improvements, Project Management Tools, Software Proficiency, Strategic Thinking, Travel Coordination, Working Independently

Preferred Skills:

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

US and Puerto Rico Residents Only:

Our company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities. Please click here if you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process.

As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, we provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.  As a federal contractor, we comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.  For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit:

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We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing together, talented, and committed people with diverse experiences, perspectives, skills and backgrounds. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when people with diverse ideas, broad experiences, backgrounds, and skills come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively.

Learn more about your rights, including under California, Colorado and other US State Acts

The salary range for this role is

$156,900.00 - $247,000.00

This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, government requirements, and business or organizational needs.

The successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits.  Available benefits include medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, including 401(k), paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days. More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.

You can apply for this role through https://jobs.merck.com/us/en (or via the Workday Jobs Hub if you are a current employee). The application deadline for this position is stated on this posting.

San Francisco Residents Only: We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance

Los Angeles Residents Only: We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance

Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully 
Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company.  No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails. 

Employee Status:

Regular

Relocation:

Domestic

VISA Sponsorship:

No

Travel Requirements:

10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Not Applicable

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

n/a

Job Posting End Date:

09/4/2026

*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.