Job description
COMPANY DESCRIPTION:
At William Blair, serving our clients starts with the capabilities and collaboration of our team—making our employees our most important asset. Unlike others, we're an independent partnership that is personally committed to our people and clients. What sets us apart is the way we do it—our culture, our values, and our commitment to local communities.
We strive to attract the most qualified, passionate candidates who specialize in investment banking, investment management, private wealth management, and a variety of other business functions.
Currently, our firm has more than 2,000 employees throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.
A top priority of ours is talent development, fostering professional and personal growth of our employees. We take pride in empowering our people to bring their best thinking each day so we can deliver the tailored, thoughtful work and problem-solving abilities that our clients have come to expect.
We work tirelessly to create an inclusive culture. Our employees have unique experiences, perspectives and backgrounds to thoughtfully meet the evolving challenges and opportunities facing our global client base amid dynamic market conditions and varying industries, whether technological, economic or geopolitical.
We are equally proud of our long-term partnerships with the communities in which we live and work, a legacy we inherited from our founder more than 85 years ago.
For more information about our firm, log onto www.williamblair.com.
William Blair Investment Management is committed to building enduring relationships with our clients. We work closely with private and public pension funds, insurance companies, endowments, foundations, and sovereign wealth funds, as well as financial advisors. We are 100% active-employee-owned with broad-based ownership. Our investment teams are solely focused on active management and employ disciplined, analytical research processes across a wide range of strategies, including U.S. equity, non-U.S. equity, emerging markets debt, and multi-asset. William Blair is based in Chicago with global resources providing expertise and solutions to meet our clients’ evolving needs.
ABOUT THE TEAM:
JOB SUMMARY & RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Executive Assistant will provide direct administrative coordination and support to senior members of our Investment Management team.
The Executive Assistant may interface with both internal and external clients and outside parties and vendors, and will work under limited guidance, due to previous experience and depth of knowledge of administrative processes. The Executive Assistant will independently exercise discretion and independent judgment and should be capable of analyzing information requests and determining trends. Additionally, the Executive Assistant will proactively identify opportunities to create greater efficiencies by utilizing technology and/or updating processes.
Responsibilities may include:
- Proactively manages calendars by anticipating needs, adjusting for conflicts, and ensuring all logistics (including materials, location, timing, etc.). Employs effective reasoning skills.
- Collaborates with appropriate internal departments/businesses/individuals and external vendors and resources to manage administrative and logistical aspects of on-site and off-site events.
- Updates and maintains contact databases. May include compiling information for inclusion in reports or presentation materials including preparing reports, charts, graphs, or tables as necessary. Demonstrates the ability to utilize software applications for maximum effect and efficiency.
- Provides office support to include answering phones, greeting and interacting with internal and external clients, distributing mail, maintaining electronic and hardcopy filing, taking meeting minutes, creating documents, processing invoices, etc.
- Participates in other projects that may require the application of independent judgment/interpretation of policies/practices. Acts as a resource and trains new and/or more junior administrative team members.
- Arranges complex travel itineraries and submits expense reports in a timely manner. Will also work with outside groups to coordinate external speaking engagements for executives.
- Ensures accurate and timely communication amongst all relevant parties.
- Ability to prioritize and manage a multitude of requests through excellent organizational skills and communication.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- High school education required, Bachelor's degree a plus.
- Extensive experience of working in an office environment in an administrative/executive support role.
- Expertise with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
- Professional services industry background preferred.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Proven problem solving and critical thinking skills.
- Willingness to adapt to change.
- Multitasking abilities.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
- Strong teamwork ability.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality.
- Attention to detail.
- Ability to prioritize.
- Strong organizational skills.
- Ability to work independently, proactively identifying opportunity for improvement.
- Excellent time management skills.
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