Executive Assistant/Office Manager

Job description

At Toyota Research Institute (TRI), we’re on a mission to improve the quality of human life. We’re developing new tools and capabilities to amplify the human experience. To lead this transformative shift in mobility, we’ve built a world-class team advancing the state of the art in AI, robotics, driving, and material sciences. **About this Role:** We are seeking a highly skilled and resourceful Executive Assistant/Office Manager to provide dual support to the VP of Energy + Materials and the VP of Finance. This role requires a proactive individual with exceptional judgment, strong discretion, and the ability to manage complex, cross-functional priorities across two distinct leadership functions. This role blends executive-level administrative support with day-to-day office operations, requiring someone who can shift fluidly between strategic coordination and hands-on execution. The ideal candidate brings strong judgment, a high degree of discretion, and a proactive approach to keeping both the executive and the office running smoothly. ### Responsibilities ### **Executive Administration:** - Manage the executive's calendar, correspondence, and meeting cadences with a strong understanding of team priorities and business rhythms. - Handle sensitive information with a high degree of confidentiality and discretion at all times. - Anticipate needs and proactively coordinate resources to support executives before requests become urgent. - Plan and coordinate international and domestic travel, including detailed itinerary and logistics management. - Prepare and manage expense reports, purchase orders, and financial documentation accurately and promptly. - Partner with the broader EA team to support cross-functional scheduling, staff meetings, and action item tracking. - Handle incoming correspondence and requests, triaging and following through independently as appropriate. - Maintain filing systems, document retention, and administrative processes consistently and with care. - Manage schedules and communications across US time zones, with flexibility to accommodate international time zones, including Japan and other locations, as business needs and executive travel require. - Provide coverage for EA team members on vacation to ensure continuity of support. ### **Office Management:** - Oversee day-to-day office operations, including vendor relationships, facilities coordination, supply management, and space planning. - Serve as on-site point of contact for visiting stakeholders, candidates, and new team members. - Support onboarding, high-visibility events, and stakeholder engagements with professionalism and attention to detail. - Lead initiatives and special projects that strengthen engagement and community within the office. - Champion TRI’s culture by encouraging participation in events, ERGs, and off-sites. - Coordinate catering and onsite experiences with a high standard of quality and attention to detail. - Provide responsive support for ad hoc team needs, including meeting setup and event logistics. ### Qualifications - 6+ years of executive administrative experience with meaningful exposure to office management, facilities, and vendor oversight. - A bachelor's degree is preferred; candidates without a degree who bring 9-13 years of equivalent experience are encouraged to apply. - Strong judgment and decision-making, with the ability to balance strategic perspective and tactical execution. - Proven ability to manage complex, competing priorities with sound judgment and a high sense of urgency. - Demonstrated experience handling correspondence and communications with autonomy, professionalism, and discretion. - Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; able to represent senior leaders credibly in all interactions. - Highly organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple concurrent workstreams under tight deadlines. - Comfortable operating in fast-moving, ambiguous environments; adapts quickly without losing rigor. - Collaborative team player who can also work independently with minimal direction. - Proficienct in Google Suite, Microsoft Office, and Asana, with hands-on experience using AI tools (including Claude), travel and expense platforms, and virtual collaboration tools; quick to adopt new systems and workflows. - Experience with dual or multi-executive support is a strong plus. - Must be able to lift items up to 35 pounds.