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Senior Executive Assistant & Project Coordinator

Nektar Therapeutics

Any City, USOnsitePosted 19 days ago
Full TimeSenior LevelProgram / Project ManagementBiotechnology
Original posting ↗

Summary

Nektar Therapeutics, a Phase 3 mid-sized biotechnology company working on medicines to treat immunological conditions, is seeking a highly organized, detail oriented, proactive, and resourceful Senior Executive Administrative Assistant and Project Coordinator in the Office of the Chief Business Officer (CBO). The Office spans activities across the Company’s Commercial Strategy, Business Development and Investor Relations functions.

Job description

This is an external-facing and highly visible role and requires an individual able to manage multiple priorities and communicate effectively across various levels of the organization while also owning discrete projects on the CBO’s behalf, acting as a trusted proxy in cross-functional settings. This role ensures the CBO’s priorities are executed efficiently and administrative aspects of the department run smoothly. Role provides opportunity for growth within project management and department operations.

The ideal candidate is an experienced administrative professional with strong project coordination and technical skills who thrives in a fast-paced environment, demonstrates exceptional attention to detail, and can effectively balance executive-level support, project coordination, and contract processing and other responsibilities.

The Opportunity

  • Calendaring and time management: Own and prioritize the CBO’s calendar, scheduling meetings, travel, and appointments. Proactively resolve scheduling conflicts without letting deadlines slip and keep appointments on track.
  • Communication and information triage: Serve as the primary point of contact between the CBO and certain internal and external stakeholders.
  • Draft and edit correspondence to internal and external stakeholders. Use AI-assisted summarization and triage to reduce a high-volume inbox and document flow into a prioritized, decision-ready view.
  • Strategic and project support: Lead or co-lead discrete cross-functional projects assigned by the CBO – including cross-functional calendar planning and tracking strategic department projects
  • Prepare presentations for the Office of CBO
  • Act as a proxy for the CBO in selecting internal meetings: representing priorities, capturing decisions, and driving follow-through without requiring the CBO’s direct involvement.
  • Partner with functional leaders and other Executive Assistants across the organization to achieve CBO and team members objectives
  • Establish shared standards, tools, and processes across the Office of the CBO to ensure consistency, coverage, and quality regardless of which department leader is being supported.
  • Serve as the escalation point for scheduling conflicts, resourcing gaps, or coverage needs across the team, and coordinate backup support during absences.
  • Travel and logistics: Coordinate complex domestic and international travel arrangements, including flights, accommodations, ground transportation, and itineraries, ensuring optimal time management.
  • Serve as a primary departmental administrative liaison between executives, employees, and external partners
  • Meeting support: Plan and organize meetings, including preparing agendas, gathering materials, and taking detailed minutes. Follow up on action items and ensure timely completion.
  • Document and budget management: Maintain and organize files and documents, including contracts, non-disclosure agreements and other critical department documents, ensuring quick retrieval and confidentiality. Handle sensitive information with discretion. Track department budget working closely with the CBO on budgeting activities.
  • Contract management: Coordinate the processing, routing, tracking, and execution of contracts, statements of work, consulting agreements, and vendor agreements. Partner with Legal, Finance, Procurement, and business leaders to facilitate timely contract review and approvals.
  • Event management: Assist in organizing internal and external events, employee meetings, offsites, and conferences, including logistics, materials preparation, and on-site support. Coordinate with executive assistants across the leadership team and take on discrete projects on the CSO’s behalf.

What You’ll Bring

  • Minimum of associate’s degree required. Bachelor's Degree preferred.
  • 8-10 years of experience in an executive administrative and/or project coordinator role, including at least 3 years supporting a C-level or functional-head role in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, healthcare, or other technical/scientific industry.
  • Demonstrated ability to exercise independent judgment on behalf of an executive, including representing their priorities and making decisions in their absence.
  • Strong organizational and multitasking skills and attention to detail, with a keen ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines.
  • Proven experience managing complex calendars and schedules for senior executives, as well as leading discrete projects with cross-functional stakeholders.
  • Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to liaise professionally with all levels of the organization.
  • Advanced proficiency in Microsoft 365 Suite (Outlook, Teams, PowerPoint, Word, Excel, OneNote, SharePoint, and To Do), as well as travel systems and expense trackers
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team, demonstrating initiative and problem-solving skills.
  • Ability to maintain highest levels of confidentiality and exercise discretion.
  • Flexible and adaptable to changing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
  • A proactive approach to anticipating the needs of the CBO and offering solutions in advance.
  • A service-oriented mindset and strong business partnership skills.
  • The ability to anticipate needs and proactively solve problems.
  • Exceptional attention to detail and ownership of deliverables.
  • The flexibility to manage changing priorities while maintaining a high level of accuracy.
  • Ability to travel up to 25% of the time both domestically and internationally.

Additional Skills (Preferred)

  • AI fluency — comfort using AI assistants (e.g., Copilot or others) to draft, summarize, and triage high volumes of email and documents, and a track record of adopting new tools quickly.
  • Comfort with scientific and business vocabulary — you do not need a science background, but you do need to be unbothered by learning the language of drug discovery and clinical development.

Requirements

  • Minimum of associate’s degree required
  • 8-10 years of experience in an executive administrative and/or project coordinator role
  • At least 3 years supporting a C-level or functional-head role in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, healthcare, or other technical/scientific industry
  • Demonstrated ability to exercise independent judgment on behalf of an executive
  • Strong organizational and multitasking skills and attention to detail
  • Proven experience managing complex calendars and schedules for senior executives
  • Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
  • Advanced proficiency in Microsoft 365 Suite (Outlook, Teams, PowerPoint, Word, Excel, OneNote, SharePoint, and To Do)
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team
  • Ability to maintain highest levels of confidentiality and exercise discretion
  • Flexible and adaptable to changing priorities in a fast-paced environment
  • Ability to travel up to 25% of the time both domestically and internationally

Company overview

Nektar Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company founded in 1990 and headquartered in San Francisco, California. The company discovers and develops innovative therapies for immune-mediated diseases and inflammatory conditions, spanning basic scientific research, therapeutic discovery, clinical development, and strategic partnerships. Nektar leverages its proprietary PEGylation and advanced polymer conjugate technologies to modify drug structures, improving pharmacokinetics, solubility, half-life, and bioavailability. Its lead asset, rezpegaldesleukin, is being advanced in late-stage Phase III trials for atopic dermatitis and alopecia areata. Historically, Nektar developed the world's first inhalable non-injectable insulin (Exubera) and has served as a technology supplier to major pharmaceutical partners including Amgen, Merck, Pfizer, and UCB Pharma. Listed on Nasdaq under the ticker NKTR, the company employs approximately 500-1,000 people and continues to focus on transforming patient outcomes through immune science and clinical innovation.

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