Granite State Manufacturing produces precision mechanical components and systems for U.S. Navy submarines — one of the most critical missions in our nation's defense. We’re a growing, mission-driven manufacturer looking for a highly organized, proactive Executive Assistant to support our leadership team. This role is open due to the planned retirement of our current Executive Assistant of 12 years. She will provide 2–3 months of dedicated, side-by-side training to ensure a smooth transition.
About the Role
You’ll provide primary administrative support to the CEO, with additional support to the President and Vice President as needed. Your core objective is to keep the CEO organized, prepared, informed, and focused on company priorities. This is a highly visible position that. requires excellent judgment, discretion, strong communication skills, and the ability to juggle multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment. You’ll also roll up your sleeves on special projects as the company continues to grow. We're looking for someone who:
- Is dependable, discreet, resourceful, and calm under pressure
- Genuinely loves to learn and lights up at new tools or opportunities
- Spots what needs doing and takes ownership without waiting to be asked
- Has a professional yet approachable presence when interacting with employees, executives, customers, visitors, and community partners
If that sounds like you, you’ll have real room to grow here — not just hold a job.
Schedule
Monday–Thursday, 7:00 AM–4:15 PM | Friday, 7:00 AM–noon
(Every Friday afternoon is yours!) Occasional flexibility for travel, events, or deadlines is expected, but it’s the exception, not the rule.
Key Responsibilities Executive Support (Full-time, onsite)
- Manage the CEO’s calendar, meetings, correspondence, travel, and document preparation
- Ensure the CEO is fully prepared for meetings, customer visits, leadership discussions, and deadlines
- Prepare agendas, presentations, reports, letters, and other materials
- Track action items and drive follow-through
- Provide administrative and project support to the President and Vice President as needed
- Handle confidential information with absolute discretion
- Serve as a professional point of contact for employees, customers, vendors, visitors, and community partners
- Assist with company events, employee meetings, customer visits, and special projects
In addition to executive support, this position assists with bookkeeping and financial administration tasks using QuickBooks, including:
- Enter and track invoices, expenses, and receipts in QuickBooks
- Assist with monthly reconciliations and basic financial reporting
- Support vendor payments and expense tracking
- Maintain organized financial records
Requirements
- Required Skills & Experience
- Proven experience as an Executive Assistant or in a similar high-level administrative role (ideally supporting C-suite)
- Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams)
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- High attention to detail, organizational ability, and discretion
- Comfort learning new tools quickly
- Nice-to-Have
- Experience with QuickBooks (willingness to learn is more important)
- Familiarity with AI tools (ChatGPT, Grok, Microsoft Copilot, etc.) to boost productivity
- Experience with Canva and social media
- Prior experience in a manufacturing, defense, or fast-growth environment
- Why Join GSM?
- Meaningful work supporting the U.S. Navy and national defense
- Direct partnership with the CEO and leadership team
- Clear growth path as the company expands
- Collaborative culture that values initiative and continuous learning
- Competitive compensation and benefits package
- Friday afternoons off
BenefitsCompensation & Benefits
Competitive compensation commensurate with experience, plus a benefits package that includes:
- Health insurance
- Dental & vision insurance
- 401(k) with company matching
- Paid time off, paid holidays, and floating holidays
- Health savings account and flexible spending account
- Life insurance and disability benefits
- Employee assistance program, voluntary benefits, and referral program
*Due to the nature and importance of GSM’s work, our positions require access to export-controlled information. Therefore, all candidates must qualify as a U.S. Person under applicable export-control/ITAR regulations, or otherwise be authorized to access such information under U.S. law.
Skills Required
- Experience supporting executives or senior leadership
- Proven administrative, organizational, and communication skills
- Comfortable using Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams)
- Comfortable using AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot) to improve productivity
- Bookkeeping/financial administration experience or ability to enter/track invoices, expenses, and support reconciliations in QuickBooks
- Excellent writing, proofreading, and editing skills
- Strong attention to detail and ability to manage competing priorities
- Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise discretion
- Professional presence and ability to interact effectively with employees, executives, customers, and community partners
- Willingness to obtain a New Hampshire Notary Public commission (GSM will sponsor); current commission is a plus
- Willingness to learn new tools and technologies
- Live within comfortable commuting distance to Manchester, NH; on-site work required (no remote/hybrid)
- Positive attitude, flexibility, dependability, and professionalism
- Experience in manufacturing, defense, or government contracting
- Familiarity with skilled trades, workforce development, or the Submarine Industrial Base
- Degree (helpful but not required)
- Qualification as a U.S. Person under export-control/ITAR regulations (authorization to access export-controlled information)
Granite State Manufacturing Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Granite State Manufacturing and has not been reviewed or approved by Granite State Manufacturing.
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Affordable Benefits — Health coverage is described as having low employee contributions with the employer covering a substantial share in many cases. This reduces out-of-pocket costs alongside options like FSAs and wellness incentives.
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Healthcare Strength — Medical, dental, and vision plans are offered together with company-paid short- and long-term disability and life/AD&D insurance. Additional programs such as an EAP and voluntary worksite benefits expand the protection set.
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Retirement Support — A 401(k) with company match is included to support long-term savings. The broader package is complemented by paid time off and holidays.
Granite State Manufacturing Insights
What We Do
Granite State Manufacturing (GSM) is a New Hampshire-based precision manufacturer with more than 85 years of history and a clear purpose: building complex systems that support the U.S. Navy submarine fleet. From our facilities in Manchester and Nashua, NH, our 170+-person team produces precision-machined components, certified weldments, electromechanical assemblies, and integrated systems for U.S. Navy programs, including submarine life support, sonar, & communications systems. We hold AS9100D, ISO 9001:2015, and ITAR registrations — and we take those standards seriously, because the people who use what we build depend on them. GSM is a growing company. We've received Navy Supplier Development Funding across four programs, invested in advanced 5-axis machining, large-scale welding, and high-bay assembly capability, and helped build active training partnerships with Nashua Community College, Manchester Community College, and UMass Lowell — with machining and welding programs funded in full by the U.S. Navy. Machinists, welders, quality professionals, engineers, planners, and program managers are some of the roles we hire for. People who do their best work when the stakes are real. If that sounds like you, we'd like to talk.
Why Work With Us
We machine, weld, and assemble systems for U.S. Navy submarines. Not generic contract work — specific, high-consequence builds that have to be right. Family-owned for 85+ years. Two NH facilities. Work worth being good at.
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