Executive Assistant, SVP, Engineering

Job Description

Executive Assistant to SVP

What You'll Do

You will serve as a critical support function to the SVP of Engineering for Cisco Networking Engineering team, which is a global team with over 10k employees, while indirectly influencing broader organizational efficiency. You will maximize executive effectiveness. You handle office complexities so your supported executive can focus on critical activities. Your role goes beyond traditional administrative tasks; you will facilitate relationships with key stakeholders, both internally and externally, using direct communication as well as working with their administrative assistants and others. This role will manage a demanding calendar, considering global time zones and cultural nuances. Meetings should have agendas, with accepted attendance and travel and expense management efficiency will be key.

Responsibilities include:

• 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 organizations: Assisting SVP 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

Who You'll Work With

Supporting the SVP of Cisco Network Engineering, you will work with key executive stakeholders who develop over 30 billion of Cisco’s product Revenue. This team is comprised of highly analytical software engineering leaders that move at a fast pace to transform the networking industry.

Who You Are

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 professionalism and ability to balance both strategic and tactical actions.

Our minimum requirements for this role:

• 7+ years of experience in administrative environment and 2+ years supporting SVP level and above.
• Expert level knowledge of Windows desktop computer applications: Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Experience in planning meetings and coordinating travel.
• Ability to navigate web and email at high competency knowledge.
• Ability to prioritize and multitask.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills including the ability to connect and communicate with all levels of Executive/Senior staff and clients.
• Generally, receives no instruction on routine tasks and very little instruction on new projects.
• Works in an organized and focused manner. Detail oriented.
• Experienced desktop calendar management program experience.
• Daily presence in a Cisco office.
• Preferred: BA/BS or equivalent experience; past work experience in the high-tech industry.

Why Cisco?

#WeAreCisco. We are all unique, but collectively we bring our talents to work as a team, to develop innovative technology and power a more inclusive, digital future for everyone. How do we do it? Well, for starters – with people like you!

Nearly every internet connection around the world touches Cisco. We’re the Internet’s optimists. Our technology makes sure the data travelling at light speed across connections does so securely, yet it’s not what we make but what we make happen which marks us out. We’re helping those who work in the health service to connect with patients and each other; schools, colleges and universities to teach in even the most challenging of times. We’re helping businesses of all shapes and size to connect with their employees and customers in new ways, providing people with access to the digital skills they need and connecting the most remote parts of the world – whether through 5G, or otherwise.

We tackle whatever challenges come our way. We have each other’s backs, we recognise our accomplishments, and we grow together. We celebrate and support one another – from big and small things in life to big career moments. And giving back is in our DNA (we get 10 days off each year to do just that).

We know that powering an inclusive future starts with us. Because without diversity and a dedication to equality, there is no moving forward. Our 30 Inclusive Communities, that bring people together around commonalities or passions, are leading the way. Together we’re committed to learning, listening, caring for our communities, whilst supporting the most vulnerable with a collective effort to make this world a better place either with technology, or through our actions.

So, you have colorful hair? Don’t care. Tattoos? Show off your ink. Like polka dots? That’s cool. Pop culture geek? Many of us are. Passion for technology and world changing? Be you, with us! #WeAreCisco