This is a hybrid role with at least 3 days per week at Cisco’s San Jose office.

Meet the Team

Cisco is seeking a seasoned executive assistant to support our brand new SVP/GM, Engineering.

Your Impact

You will be extremely forward-thinking with a professional and approachable demeanor in all interactions; possess outstanding communication skills with all levels of staff, executives, customers, vendors; and good judgment.

• Calendar Management: Management of SVP's calendar and daily schedule to include prioritizing conflicting meeting requests, supervising action items and commitments of executive and following-up to ensure completion. This will require outstanding organization skills, prioritizing multiple priorities and keeping a lively executive on track and on schedule.
• Event Speaking Engagement Coordination: Responsible for a running list of SVP's engagements and works closely with communications team to ensure content needs are understood and set in motion so the SVP is prepared for each engagement.
• Meeting Planning and Organization: Assisting Senior VP in planning and organizing meetings by taking ownership for assembling the agenda, location, accommodating technology requirements based upon participant needs, and all other meeting logistics. May further prepare meeting briefing documents by taking and disseminating notes and formulating post meeting action item list.
• Travel Briefing Preparation: Creating travel packs for international trips. This work includes combining all event information in addition to coordinated logistics of travel and also customer/team asks.
• Correspondence/Approvals: Supporting SVP by acting as proxy for communications and approvals as authorized. Answering general questions as crucial, referring (filtering) routine matters to appropriate parties, and following up to ensure proper disposition. Taking initiative to resolve issues within specified policies and guidelines, and providing mentorship to administrative community members on problem solving. Resolving when executive action is required and supplying a recommendation where appropriate.
• Travel and Expense Management: Responsible for making in-depth global travel arrangements for SVP and handling Cisco expenses.
• Special Projects: Providing analytical support to assist executive on special projects. Researching issues, analyzing problems, compiling data, and preparing reports.
• Confidentiality: Candidate will deal expertly with highly critical and confidential matters and materials.
• Mentor new Executive Administrative Assistants and other administrators. Participates in a cross-functional EA network and will lead the organization’s community of Admins.

In addition to general administrative duties of an EA, daily tasks are carried out at a higher level of complexity. Specifically, the critical behaviors of this role are:

• Self-motivated and proactive around needs of the SVP and the Organization
• Able to work with limited direction and have a take-charge demeanor
• Able to operate successfully with limited direction and ambiguity
• Use tact, subtlety and a practical knowledge of company policies, practices and procedures
• Responsiveness to all levels of inquiry
• Challenge ‘the way we’ve always done it’ and provide a deeper more innovative way of doing things
• Keep the big picture in mind when making independent decisions that affect the SVP’s calendar
• The ability to exercise critical and independent judgment when it comes to the SVP’s calendar and time
• Organized and efficient with their own time
• Able to think creatively and calmly when it comes to quick and unplanned changes in schedule
• Earn administrative community respect and have the ability to work with and through others as needed

You take initiative, can handle a full desk with ease and thrive in a lively environment. You have high-energy with a passion for thinking bigger and broader than the role itself. This position requires strong interpersonal skills, independent judgment, utmost integrity and ability to balance both strategic and tactical actions. You have outstanding attention to detail and the ability to handle confidential information. You enjoy a collaborative environment, are committed to improvement, solve problems and make decisions. You have a proven ability to multitask and work in a focused manner. You are comfortable working without instruction on routine tasks and very little instruction on new projects.

Minimum Qualifications

• 7+ years experience in administrative environment, with a minimum of 2 years supporting at the VP level or above.
• Expert level knowledge of Windows desktop computer applications: Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Experience in calendar management, planning meetings and coordinating travel.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills including the ability to connect with all levels of Executive/Senior staff and clients.
• Ability to navigate web and email at high competency knowledge.

Preferred Qualifications

• BA/BS or equivalent experience
• Past work experience in the high-tech industry