Senior Executive Assistant, Presidents & Staff - Westchester, IL

Position Overview

Follett Higher Education is a leading educational service provider and omnichannel retailer, providing students, faculty, staff, parents, and fans with the course materials, learning tools, and retail services needed to successfully support the collegiate journey. Follett Higher Education supports over 6 million students through its 1,100 physical and 1,750 eCommerce campus stores across North America.

The Senior Executive Assistant, Presidents & Staff provides high-level administrative and operational support to the Chief of Store and senior store leaders. This highly organized, technologically savvy professional supports the Chief of Store and senior store leaders and provides backup support to other executives as needed. The role focuses on operational priorities, data and reporting, project coordination, and communication. The ideal candidate is proactive, analytical, comfortable working with technology and data, and able to anticipate needs, identify gaps, and drive work to completion with limited direction.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-level administrative and operational support to the Chief of Store and the senior store leadership team.
• Manage complex calendars, meetings, travel arrangements, communications, and competing executive priorities.
• Prepare executive presentations, reports, meeting agendas, briefing materials, and leadership communications.
• Coordinate leadership meetings, business reviews, and planning activities, ensuring timely follow-up on key decisions and action items.
• Serve as a central point of communication between the Chief of Store, senior leaders, and cross-functional business partners.
• Organize, analyze, and present business data to support leadership decisions and operational priorities.
• Develop and maintain dashboards, reporting tools, trackers, and processes to improve visibility and accountability.
• Identify opportunities to improve workflows, streamline processes, and leverage technology, automation, and AI tools to increase efficiency.
• Coordinate cross-functional projects, track milestones, and ensure deliverables are completed accurately and on time.
• Proactively anticipate business needs, identify operational challenges, and recommend solutions with minimal direction.
• Maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment when handling sensitive business and executive information.

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent required.
• 5+ years of experience providing administrative and operational support to senior executives in a fast-paced business environment.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft 365, particularly Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint; strong working knowledge of Slack.
• Strong analytical skills with experience developing reports, dashboards, presentations, and executive-level materials.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, complex schedules, projects, and deadlines.
• Experience coordinating cross-functional initiatives and collaborating with senior leadership and business partners.
• Strong organizational, problem-solving, and project coordination skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with a high level of executive professionalism.
• Ability to work independently, anticipate needs, take initiative, and drive projects through completion.
• Experience leveraging technology, automation, and AI tools to improve processes and operational efficiency.
• Strong business judgment, discretion, and ability to handle confidential information.
• Proven ability to build relationships, influence stakeholders, and drive accountability without direct authority.