How to hire a senior executive administrative assistant

How to hire a senior executive administrative assistant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step senior executive administrative assistant hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a senior executive administrative assistant job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new senior executive administrative assistant
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

Post a senior executive administrative assistant job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your senior executive administrative assistant job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a senior executive administrative assistant for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A senior executive administrative assistant's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, senior executive administrative assistants from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents senior executive administrative assistant salaries for various positions.

   Type of Senior Executive Administrative Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior Executive Administrative Assistant	Secretaries and administrative assistants perform clerical and administrative duties. They organize files, prepare documents, schedule appointments, and support other staff.	$16-37
   Administrative Support	Administrative support specialists provide different types of governmental assistance. They carry out varied clerical duties in almost all industries... Show more	$12-25
   Administrative Staff	As the administrative staff, they primarily provide administrative and secretarial support for the department. Typically, they do report-writing, filing and scheduling, and payroll... Show more	$27-48

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • PowerPoint
   • Phone Calls
   • Calendar Management
   • Reservations
   • Provides Administrative Support
   • Conference Calls
   • Telephone Calls
   • Office Equipment
   • Meeting Minutes
   • Administrative Tasks
   • Financial Reports
   • Word Processing
   • Presentation Materials
   • Hotel Reservations

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and coordinate complex internal and external meetings and/or events via videoconferencing, WebEx and teleconference calls.
   • Complete all travel arrangements, corporate agendas and itineraries for SVP and entire staff.
   • Maintain calendar and domestic/international travel for SVP.
   • Update and upload internal communications, departmental calendars and meeting materials using SharePoint.
   • Administer Microsoft SharePoint team site and maintain electronic data room, including access permissions.
   • Prepared/Design PowerPoint presentations upon request, and gather articles need to publish the monthly company newsletter.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your senior executive administrative assistant job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A senior executive administrative assistant can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, senior executive administrative assistants' average salary in maine is 56% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level senior executive administrative assistants 56% less than senior-level senior executive administrative assistants.
   • Certifications. A senior executive administrative assistant with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a senior executive administrative assistant's salary.

   Average senior executive administrative assistant salary

   $52,191yearly

   $25.09 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level senior executive administrative assistant salary

   $34,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

4. Writing a senior executive administrative assistant job description

   A job description for a senior executive administrative assistant role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a senior executive administrative assistant job description:

   Senior executive administrative assistant job description example

   Where do you belong?
   
   Your career is more than just a job, it's part of your life. Whether you're a clinician, or non-clinical professional, at USACS you'll feel a sense of connection working with clinicians and office staff who share your interests and values. We want you to love coming to work each day because you believe in what you do and the people with whom you work. We care about your success.
   
   USACS also understands that location is important. We offer career opportunities for clinicians and non-clinical support staff from New York to Hawaii and numerous points in between. Our supportive culture, outstanding benefits and competitive compensation package is best in class.
   
   Job Description
   
   Responsible for providing support and completing a broad variety of administrative tasks for executive leader(s).
   
   ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
   The ability to work in a fast-paced environment while remaining flexible, proactive, resourceful and efficient with a high level of professionalism and confidentiality.Attention to detail and ability to produce extremely accurate work required.Ability to effectively work in a multi-task environment and to coordinate and prioritize various activities and duties simultaneously.Ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing with employees (clinician and non-clinician), management, and external business contacts and vendors in a courteous and professional manner. Must have knowledge of correct English and grammar usage.Ability to identify, research, and resolve problems and discrepancies.Ability to maintain patience and composure in difficult situations.Knowledge of and skill in using personal computers in a Windows environment with an emphasis on word processing, presentation, spreadsheet, and database applications and Internet usage.
   
   KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
   Word and Outlook skills necessary for position Strong PowerPoint (presentation) skills required Excel (spreadsheet) skills preferred but not required
   
   EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
   Minimum of five years related experience required Candidate with previous experience supporting executive level leadership is desired Word and Outlook skills necessary for position Strong PowerPoint (presentation) skills required Excel (spreadsheet) skills preferred but not required

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right senior executive administrative assistant for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with senior executive administrative assistants they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit senior executive administrative assistants who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your senior executive administrative assistant job on Zippia to find and recruit senior executive administrative assistant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting senior executive administrative assistants requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new senior executive administrative assistant

   Once you've decided on a perfect senior executive administrative assistant candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new senior executive administrative assistant. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a senior executive administrative assistant?