Senior Administrative Assistant, Portfolio Strategy & Pipeline Governance

Location

Gaithersburg, MD

Are you energized by being the force multiplier who keeps a complex, high‑stakes portfolio moving at pace? Do you thrive in fast‑changing environments where exceptional judgment, discretion, and proactive problem‑solving directly influence senior leaders’ focus and enterprise decision‑making? In this role you will partner closely with the Head & Executive Director of Portfolio Strategy & Pipeline Governance, streamline priorities, sharpen leadership focus, and enable timely, well‑informed decisions that shape our pipeline and patients’ lives.

You will interface regularly with senior executives and their assistants, build trusted relationships, and ensure the right conversations happen at the right time with the right preparation.

You will coordinate key team operations for a ~15‑person strategy and governance team, managing calendars, inbox triage, meeting preparation, budget tracking, and travel logistics to allow leaders and teams to concentrate on their highest‑impact work.

• Act as trusted partner to the team leader: filter requests, pressure‑test meeting needs, protect priority work; prepare daily briefings and maintain a conflict‑free two‑week view to drive focus and momentum. May support other GPPM leadership members as required.
• Proactively manage complex global calendars across time zones; prioritize and trade‑off decisions aligned to leadership priorities; ensure readiness through pre‑reads and briefing materials.
• Triage a high‑volume inbox, distill messages into clear actions and decisions; draft correspondence and maintain organized digital files.
• Represent the team leader with credibility; align stakeholders and resolve issues before escalation; build strong relationships with senior executives and assistants to speed decision‑making and remove friction.
• Track team priorities and deliverables; coordinate leadership and staff meetings with clear agendas and documentation; maintain transparency of work and progress.
• Partner with Finance to track budget and expenditures; process expenses, purchase orders, invoices on time and in compliance; manage vendor creation and qualification.
• Identify operational bottlenecks and implement practical systems that enhance speed, quality, and consistency across day‑to‑day workflows.
• Coordinate domestic and international travel; organize meetings and large‑scale virtual sessions across time zones; ensure rooms, technology, and materials are set for productive discussions.

• 5+ years supporting Executive Director or VP‑level leaders in complex, matrix organizations; demonstrated ability in managing complex schedules and competing priorities in a highly visible position.
• Experience in global, matrix organizations with diverse stakeholders across time zones.
• Exceptional judgment and discretion in handling confidential portfolio, financial, strategic, and other sensitive business information.
• Proactive problem‑solving—able to stay two steps ahead and anticipate needs.
• Strong gatekeeping abilities—comfortable diplomatically saying “no” to protect executive time.
• High emotional intelligence and stakeholder management skills; excellent customer service orientation.
• Calm under pressure managing multiple competing priorities simultaneously.
• Resourceful and independent—gets things done without step‑by‑step direction.
• Flexible and agile—adapts quickly when plans change.
• Multi‑tasking excellence in high‑volume environments; strong organizational systems and meticulous follow‑through.
• Confident with a positive demeanor; has the courage and tact to proactively challenge leadership, recommend actions on team management nuances where executive bandwidth is limited.
• Advanced Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint); expert‑level SharePoint and Teams proficiency; ability to format documents for consistent, professional appearance.
• Experience with budget tracking tools and financial systems (SAP, Coupa preferred).
• Excellent written and verbal communication—draft professional emails, documents, and presentations on behalf of executive; professional presence and credibility with senior…