Executive Assistant

Role Overview

This is a high-trust executive support role based in Lincolnwood, IL. It is a full-time, in-office position focused on helping a growing design firm’s leadership team stay organized, prepared, and aligned. The role is centered on proactive partnership rather than routine administration, with an emphasis on anticipating needs, protecting executive time, and keeping priorities moving.

The company creates museum, cultural, and immersive experiences that are intended to leave a lasting impression. As part of an ambitious growth phase, the business operates across studios in Chicago, Seattle, New York, and London. In this role, you will support the CEO directly and also provide important administrative assistance to the Managing Director and Chief Creative Officer.

Executive Operations and Daily Support

You will help the leadership team move through busy days with clarity and focus by managing schedules, travel, and meeting preparation. The work involves triaging requests, maintaining confidentiality, producing briefings, and keeping follow-ups on track so decisions and commitments do not slip.

• Anticipate what leadership needs ahead of meetings, travel, and decisions, including context, timing, and people involved.
• Handle complex calendars, multi-time-zone scheduling, and travel arrangements while balancing priorities and energy levels.
• Act as an initial filter for requests so the executive team can stay focused on high-value work.
• Prepare daily and weekly briefing materials with background, decisions, and next steps.
• Manage communication with care, warmth, and discretion, while maintaining strict confidentiality.
• Track follow-through items and commitments to ensure accountability.

Coordination and Initiative Tracking

The role also supports company priorities and leadership initiatives by keeping timelines, deliverables, and follow-ups organized. You will help maintain efficient systems and ensure executive priorities remain aligned with broader studio goals.

• Keep leadership priorities and studio initiatives aligned and progressing.
• Track action items from executive and leadership meetings and communicate updates.
• Help move company-wide initiatives forward by monitoring timelines and accountability.
• Coordinate quarterly planning sessions and key executive milestones.
• Build and maintain systems for meeting preparation, notes, and task tracking.
• Notice patterns, anticipate next steps, and help leadership stay ahead of deadlines and opportunities.
• Support business development efforts by keeping the CEO informed, prepared, and connected with the business development team.
• Coordinate the CEO’s participation in proposals, reviews, client meetings, outreach, and travel.

Leadership and External Support

You will prepare materials and logistics for leadership interactions, support communications with advisors and stakeholders, and help ensure executive representation is polished and well-prepared in every setting.

• Prepare agendas, summaries, notes, and supporting materials for internal and external leadership meetings.
• Coordinate scheduling and communication with advisors and outside stakeholders.
• Organize the CEO’s involvement in industry leadership groups and committees.
• Manage logistics, materials, and follow-up for those engagements.

Communication and External Relations

This role contributes to presentations, speeches, company communications, and external visibility efforts. You will work closely with Marketing and communicate on behalf of senior leaders with professionalism and warmth.

• Draft, coordinate, and support presentations, speeches, and company-wide communications in the CEO’s or CCO’s voice.
• Partner with Marketing on external visibility efforts such as speaking engagements, interviews, panels, and events.
• Help Marketing capture and reuse thought leadership content and social content.
• Communicate on behalf of the CEO and CCO with clients, collaborators, and industry leaders.
• Support logistics and communication for conferences, events, and studio gatherings.

Culture, Team, and Studio Connection

The position also helps keep leadership closely connected to the wider studio culture through internal communications, celebrations, and team moments. A warm, grounded presence is valued in a fast-moving environment.

• Keep the CEO and Executive Team connected to the studio through culture initiatives, celebrations, and team moments.
• Support internal communication and cross-team alignment.
• Bring empathy, steadiness, and optimism to busy or high-pressure moments.
• Model the organization’s values of curiosity, empathy, and collaboration.

Administrative, Financial, and Systems Support

In addition to coordination work, you will support the practical systems that keep leadership operations running smoothly, including expenses, records, documentation, and digital organization.

• Manage expense reports, budgets, and timesheets for the CEO and Executive Team.
• Track contracts, travel arrangements, and documents for special initiatives.
• Maintain digital systems for presentations, notes, and key records.
• Research and implement tools that improve communication, project tracking, and everyday efficiency.

Research and Insight Development

You will also help leadership stay informed by gathering context and research before meetings and conversations. The work includes monitoring relevant trends and providing thoughtful background insights.

• Conduct background research for meetings, clients, and partnerships.
• Stay current on trends and developments in design, culture, and education.
• Provide relevant insight and context to help the CEO prepare for conversations.

Who You Are

The ideal candidate is highly organized, perceptive, and comfortable making sound judgments independently. You should be someone who naturally takes initiative, follows through reliably, and handles sensitive information with tact and maturity.

• You notice what is needed before others point it out and move quickly to help.
• You combine strong process discipline with empathy and care.
• You are emotionally intelligent, grounded, and trusted with confidential matters.
• You keep calendars and schedules exceptionally well organized and current.
• You remember personal details and small follow-ups that make people feel valued.
• You communicate clearly and warmly, both in writing and in person.
• You stay curious, informed, and culturally aware.
• You enjoy building strong working relationships and take pride in executive support as a craft.

About the Company

The organization designs immersive experiences that help people connect with ideas, with one another, and with the world around them. It partners with museums, cultural spaces, and brands to turn stories into environments that inspire emotion, learning, and lasting memory. The business is growing quickly and expanding partnerships with museums, architects, and cultural institutions.

About the Executive Team

The executive team leads with imagination, purpose, and ambition, working to build a globally recognized design firm. Success in this role depends on thinking ahead, anticipating needs, and turning inspiration into organized action. You will serve as an anchor for the team, helping convert vision into meaningful results.

Location and Work Arrangement

This position is based in Lincolnwood, Illinois, and requires full-time, in-office work.