About This Role:
As the Executive Assistant to the Head of Research, you will be an integral part of our research leadership team, providing high-level administrative support and coordination. Your role will involve managing various crucial tasks such as organizing efficient communication, handling confidential information, and prioritizing multiple activities to ensure the smooth operation of the department. You will also collaborate with other administrative and operations staff to coordinate large site-level activities. Your contributions will help drive the success of our research initiatives and maintain the department's seamless integration into the overall business structure. This position requires a blend of professionalism, urgency, and the ability to handle sensitive material with the utmost discretion. If you are highly organized, agile and able to multi-task, comfortable with change, and have a background in projects or event coordination in the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry, along with experience supporting executive or C-suite organizations, this role is tailored for you. You must be within commuting distance to our Cambridge office, as onsite presence is required up to three times per week.
What You’ll Do:
Build and maintain a strong working relationship with the Head of Research and the leadership team.
Provide comprehensive administrative support, including calendar management, meeting coordination, and travel arrangements.
Proactively address complex issues, make responsible decisions, and accomplish tasks independently.
Collaborate with administrative and operations staff, offering support and maintaining effective communication.
Maintain a working knowledge of relevant company policies and procedures.
Assist in preparing business and operating review materials for internal and external meetings.
Manage group document and knowledge repositories, ensuring efficient workflow.
Support large-scale meetings with logistics coordination and other related activities.
Act as a central point of contact for communication management, handling emails and phone calls.
Prepare meeting agendas, track follow-up items, and coordinate travel arrangements.
Assist in tracking the progress of research projects and ensure deadlines are met.
Organize and maintain files and databases, ensuring confidentiality and easy access to information.
Handle confidential information with discretion and integrity.
Foster positive relationships with colleagues and external partners.
Who You Are:
You are proactive, agile, and organized, thriving under pressure while maintaining a collaborative spirit. Your exceptional communication skills and calm demeanor enable you to interact effectively with senior leaders and stakeholders. You possess a knack for organization, initiative, and sound judgment, always ready to take on additional responsibilities to meet organizational goals. Your enthusiasm and positive outlook make you a valued team player in a fast-paced environment.
Required Skills:
Associate’s degree is required; Bachelor’s degree preferred.
7+ years of administrative experience supporting executive-level teams, ideally in the life sciences industry.
Ability to deliver in a fast-paced environment with attention to detail and minimal supervision.
Sound judgment, strategic and critical thinking skills for proactive problem-solving.
High degree of maturity, discretion, and integrity in handling sensitive information.
Team-oriented and collaborative with a strong work ethic.
Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and writing skills with strong emotional intelligence.
Exceptional organizational skills and resourcefulness.
Strong business acumen and ability to learn quickly.
Proficiency in MS Office Suite; proficiency in SharePoint preferred.
Preferred Skills:
Proficiency in creating and maintaining a department intranet site.
Experience in the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry.
Prior support experience for executive or C-suite organizations.
Additional Information
Base salary offered is determined through an analytical approach utilizing a combination of factors including, but not limited to, relevant skills & experience, job location, and internal equity.
Regular employees are eligible to receive both short term and long-term incentives, including cash bonus and equity incentive opportunities, designed to reward recent achievements and recognize your future potential based on individual, business unit and company performance.
In addition to compensation, Biogen offers a full and highly competitive range of benefits designed to support our employees’ and their families physical, financial, emotional, and social well-being; including, but not limited to:
- Medical, Dental, Vision, & Life insurances
- Fitness & Wellness programs including a fitness reimbursement
- Short- and Long-Term Disability insurance
- A minimum of 15 days of paid vacation and an additional end-of-year shutdown time off (Dec 26-Dec 31)
- Up to 12 company paid holidays + 3 paid days off for Personal Significance
- 80 hours of sick time per calendar year
- Paid Maternity and Parental Leave benefit
- 401(k) program participation with company matched contributions
- Employee stock purchase plan
- Tuition reimbursement of up to $10,000 per calendar year
- Employee Resource Groups participation
Why Biogen?
We are a global team with a commitment to excellence, and a pioneering spirit. As a mid-sized biotechnology company, we provide the stability and resources of a well-established business while fostering an environment where individual contributions make a significant impact. Our team encompasses some of the most talented and passionate achievers who have unparalleled opportunities for learning, growth, and expanding their skills. Above all, we work together to deliver life-changing medicines, with every role playing a vital part in our mission. Caring Deeply. Achieving Excellence. Changing Lives.
At Biogen, we are committed to building on our culture of inclusion and belonging that reflects the communities where we operate and the patients we serve. We know that diverse backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives make us a stronger and more innovative company, and we are focused on building teams where every employee feels empowered and inspired. Read on to learn more about our DE&I efforts.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, race, color, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, religion, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law. Biogen is an E-Verify Employer in the United States.
Top Skills
What We Do
Through cutting-edge science and medicine, Biogen discovers, develops and delivers innovative therapies worldwide for people living with serious neurological and neurodegenerative diseases.
Founded in 1978, Biogen is a pioneer in biotechnology and today the Company has the leading portfolio of medicines to treat multiple sclerosis, has introduced the first and only approved treatment for spinal muscular atrophy, and is at the forefront of neurology research for conditions including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Biogen also manufactures and commercializes biosimilars of advanced biologics.
With approximately 7000 people worldwide, we are truly a global organization, headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which is also home to our research operations. Our international headquarters are based in Zug, Switzerland and we have world-class manufacturing facilities in North Carolina and Denmark. We offer therapies globally through direct affiliate presence in 30 countries and a network of distribution partners in over 50 additional countries.
For more information, please visit www.biogen.com. Follow us on social media – Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube.
