Sr Executive Assistant to CEO

Executive Assistant To The CEO

At Cengage, our employees have a direct impact in helping students around the world discover the power and joy of learning. We are bonded by our shared purpose – driving innovation that helps millions of learners improve their lives and achieve their dreams through education.

Cengage's portfolio of businesses supports student choice by providing a range of pathways that help learners achieve their goals and lead a choice-filled life.

Our culture values inclusion, engagement, and discovery

The Executive Assistant to the CEO is a senior operations role responsible for managing the CEO's time, attention, and commitments with precision and foresight. As Cengage evolves into a digital-first, recurring-revenue education and data company preparing for public status, this position is essential for maintaining top-level rigor in executive operations, Board involvement, and interactions with external partners. This role is a key part of the Office of the CEO and collaborates closely with the Chief of Staff to help the CEO concentrate on the most important priorities that influence company results.

What you'll do here:

• In partnership with CEO, act as a gatekeeper and savvy time organizer to ensure CEO's effective use of time based upon agreed OoCEO priorities
• Ensure meetings are passionate, well-prepared, and aligned to decision-making needs
• Manage the CEO's inbox and communications flow with good judgment and discretion
• Evaluate, order, and compose responses representing the CEO when suitable, guaranteeing timely follow-up on inquiries and duties
• Plan and handle all CEO travel, including complex domestic and international itineraries. Ensure travel aligns with business priorities, optimizes time and cost, and allows for preparation and recovery.
• Coordinate logistics for Board meetings, investor engagements, and key industry events
• Manage the daily operational functions of the Office of the CEO with public-company precision
• With Chief of Staff, establish and maintain weekly, monthly, and quarterly operating rhythms (CEO priorities, key commitments, achievements)
• Track CEO-owned actions and decisions, ensuring closed-loop follow-through and visibility

Board, Investor, and Governance Enablement

• Support execution of Board and committee logistics to ensure materials flow, appropriate scheduling, confidentiality, and preparation standards meet public company expectations
• Maintain rigor around deadlines, version control, and secure distribution of sensitive materials

External & Industry Collaborator Coordination

• Support CEO engagements with industry collaborators, institutional partners, and ecosystem leaders
• Ensure engagements are well-briefed, aligned to enterprise narrative, and followed by detailed outcomes or commitments
• Track and manage external commitments to ensure internal ownership and follow-through

Skills you will need here:

• 8–12+ years of experience supporting C-suite executives in complex, scaled, or public company environments
• Outstanding organization skills and strong attention to detail and diligent follow up is crucial.
• Experience in private and public companies supporting CEO, Executive Team and engaging with Boards
• Demonstrated ability to anticipate needs and situations before they are fully developed
• Model integrity, accountability, and operational excellence across the enterprise
• Demonstrated success operating with high levels of autonomy, judgment, and discretion
• Strong operational rigor: experience in consulting, finance, legal, enterprise PMO, or governance adjacent roles is a plus
• Proven ability to manage competing priorities in fast paced, ambiguous environments
• Strong executive presence and confidence interacting with senior leaders, Board members, and external collaborators
• Advanced written and verbal communication skills as well as high proficiency in Microsoft Office
• Absolute dedication to confidentiality and integrity

Cengage is committed to working with broad talent pools to attract and hire strong and most qualified individuals. Our job applicants are considered regardless of any classification protected by applicable federal, state, provincial or local laws.

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