Specialist, Administrative Support

Specialist, Administrative Support Durham, NC Workplace Type: On-site Job: Operations Schedule: FULL_TIME Req ID: 23878 Executive Assistant / Office Manager Job Summary We are seeking an organized and proactive Executive Administrative Assistant and Office Manager to join our organization in the Durham, NC office. This Executive Assistant provides support to a group of individuals by handling correspondence, managing calendars and appointments, arranging conferences, making travel arrangements, and providing other administrative tasks. A strong administrative assistant candidate will excel at organization, management of multiple peoples' time and expectations, juggling shifting priorities, have a self-starter attitude, and getting things done before others recognize the need. In addition, this role requires solid financial acumen including comfort working with budgets, purchase orders, and basic financial reporting and strong spreadsheet skills (e.g., Excel/Google Sheets) to track spend, reconcile information, and produce clear summaries. Executive Assistant Duties and Responsibilities Support a team of executives with administrative tasks, especially management of calendars. Leaders are across the US, thus time zone management must be flexible. In office hours are Tuesday through Thursday, 8:30am to 5pm ET. Plan and schedule meetings, presentations, other office-related events, and travel arrangements; send reminders regarding upcoming appointments. Welcome onsite visitors to our office for executive meetings. Maintain trackers in Excel/Google Sheets (e.g., spend logs, vendor lists, action items) and provide timely, accurate status updates. Coordinate and support office engagement events and onsite meetings (e.g., team events, hosted lunches, and celebrations), including managing catering requests, collecting dietary requirements, coordinating delivery logistics, and overseeing event setup/cleanup in partnership with vendors. Serve as a key point of contact for the executives, triaging inbound requests, exercising sound judgment on prioritization, and ensuring timely follow-through. Increase meeting effectiveness by coordinating agendas and pre-reads, capturing action items and decisions, and tracking follow-ups to completion. Manage end-to-end travel planning and logistics, including itinerary coordination, policy-compliant booking, and rapid adjustments when plans change. This includes international travel coordination for visas, UK Travel Applications, etc. Provide light project coordination support for cross-functional initiatives (e.g., onboarding/offboarding logistics, office initiatives), including timelines, status tracking, and risk/issue escalation. Continuously improve administrative and office processes by creating and maintaining templates, checklists, and repeatable workflows. Draft, edit, and format internal communications and materials on behalf of the executives, ensuring clarity, professionalism, and appropriate tone. Handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion and professionalism. Coordinate with facilities/building management and office vendors to support a well-functioning office environment, including issue resolution and service requests. Run basic reports for adherence to office policies and support periodic reporting needs (e.g., headcount, office utilization, and expense summaries) Management and tracking of purchase orders, invoices, and contract signature processes; maintain accurate logs, support invoice/PO matching, and help monitor spend against budget Administrative Assistant Requirements and Qualifications High school diploma or general education degree (GED) required. Associate degree in Business Administration preferred. 5+ years of executive administrative, secretarial, or office experience Proficient computer skills, including Microsoft Office (strong Excel skills preferred) and/or Google Workspace Demonstrated ability to build and maintain spreadsheets for tracking and reporting (e.g., formulas/functions, basic charts, pivot tables, and lookups such as VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP) Financial acumen and attention to detail comfortable with budget tracking, expense categorization, reconciliations, and supporting purchase order/invoice workflows Strong verbal and written communication skills Demonstrated professionalism, discretion, and sound judgment when handling confidential information Experience coordinating complex calendars, meetings, and travel arrangements, including working across time zones Ability to manage small projects and improve processes through strong organization, follow-through, and clear status communication Experience supporting office events and catering coordination, including vendor management and handling last-minute changes Comfortable with routinely shifting demands High degree of attention to detail Pearson is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a member of E-Verify. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit and business need. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status or any other group protected by law. We actively seek qualified candidates who are protected veterans and individuals with disabilities as defined under VEVRAA and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act. If you are an individual with a disability and are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our career site as a result of your disability, you may request reasonable accommodations by emailing TalentExperienceGlobalTeam@grp.pearson.com.