Job Description

About our family of companies:

We’re on a mission to bring learning to life! Across our family of companies—Learning Resources®, Educational Insights, and hand2mind—we create children’s toys, pet toys, educational products, and supplemental curriculum trusted by teachers and loved by families. As a growing, family-owned business and a Chicago Tribune Top Workplace, we are dedicated to helping kids succeed in school and develop a lifelong love of learning. If you’re curious, collaborative, and a kid at heart, you’ll feel right at home here. Join us in shaping the future of learning with our award-winning team!

Position Description:

We are seeking a highly organized and proactive Executive Assistant to provide comprehensive administrative and executive support to the CEO, VP of HR, and the HR team. This role will periodically extend support to other members of the Leadership Team as well. The ideal candidate is a motivated individual with exceptional communication, organizational, and critical thinking skills. A deep understanding of executive-level support, the ability to coordinate large meetings and events, manage typical office tasks and administrative projects, and maintain strict confidentiality, are essential for success in this role. This person will also function as a liaison between the VP of HR and internal stakeholders, ensuring smooth HR operations and efficient workflow within the HR department and across the organization. This position will report to the VP of HR but have a dotted line to the CEO.

What you will do day-to-day (responsibilities):

• Provide administrative support to the VP of HR on various projects and employee initiatives. This includes things like meeting preparation, data entry and tracking, interview scheduling, event coordination and sign-ups, employee mailings, office organization projects, coordinating catering for events, and/or report preparation.
• Coordinate and manage large-scale meetings and events, including scheduling, logistics, and execution. Prepare meeting materials and reports, facilitate notetaking, and ensure timely distribution of meeting takeaways. Responsibilities may also include creating detailed calendar invitations, coordinating complicated schedules, securing meeting rooms, arranging technology and set-up, facilitating all catering needs, and supporting participant enrollments.
• Manage general office tasks such as ordering office supplies, overseeing desk assignments and seating charts, completing special projects, and carrying out errands or general requests from the VP of HR, CEO, Sr. Leadership Team or the HR department.
• Utilize Concur to process all monthly expense reports. Review, track and submit all HR invoices.
• Track various activities throughout the year and maintain spreadsheets, tracking and/or notes as requested.
• Proactively oversee the CEO’s calendar, always prioritizing appointments, mailings and meetings, while proactively resolving any scheduling conflicts.
• Periodically arrange and manage domestic and international travel, including booking flights, hotel accommodations, ground transportation, and processing visa applications.
• Serve as a trusted partner to the VP of HR and CEO, staying one step ahead to proactively coordinate meetings, manage deadlines, track key deliverables, and support evolving business priorities.
• Maintain the strictest confidentiality regarding sensitive information related to Human Resources, the CEO, and the company.
• Take on additional duties, office projects or special assignments from VP of HR and/or CEO.

What we’re looking for (Key Performance Objectives):

• Within the first two weeks, set up 1:1 meetings with each member of the HR team, VP of HR, and the CEO to better understand their needs.
• Within the first 30 days, collaborate with HR to assist in reviewing all upcoming events and create a timeline of needs and priorities.
• Within the first 90 days, demonstrate proficiency in prioritization, providing adequate administrative support, routine meeting scheduling, expense reporting, travel and event planning for the CEO and VP of HR.
• Within the first 180 days, help increase the productivity of the CEO, VP of HR and Leadership Team by recommending improvements to general tasks or assignments given to you. If not already done, complete IL Notary certification in first six months.
• Within the first year, work to better understand the entire business cycle and incorporate important meetings, events and priorities on a shared Admin calendar.

Requirements/Ideal Attributes:

• 10+ years of experience as an executive level admin, preferably supporting a C-suite manager
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PPT and Outlook)
• Exemplary attention to detail, organization, and time management skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication
• Ability to work independently and also collaborate with teams across the company
• Discretion and the ability to manage highly confidential information
• This role is required to work onsite, in our Vernon Hills office 4-5 days a week

We are a drug-free workplace and an EEO employer.

Please note: This role will be filled by our internal recruitment team, so no assistance is needed from any outside staffing agency at this time.

Compensation Range: $90,000 – 105,000 annual salary – Actual compensation may vary due to other factors such as: years of experience, skill set and location. Total compensation includes profit sharing bonus potential, 401k matching, and a variety of other benefits (details can be found here).