Opportunity Overview
Granite Partners is seeking a full-time Executive Assistant to the CEO ("EA"). The EA serves as Representative, Advisor, and Diplomat, empowering the CEO and enabling the company’s mission to grow companies and create value for all stakeholders.
The Executive Assistant reports to the Communications Manager and collaborates with the CEO, COO, and the Granite Innovations Administrator. These five roles plan and integrate the work of the Office of the CEO and Granite Partners. The group meets weekly on Mondays from 10:00 to 11:00 am in Granite Flow meetings to reflect and plan on the Big Rocks of Granite Partners, the CEO, the COO, the Granite Innovations space, and the Granite team in general.
The current EA has a passion for community engagement and plans to transition to a Community Relations role at Granite Partners once a new EA is hired and onboarded.
This is a high-impact role on a collaborative team at an innovative company committed to wellbeing and 100-year sustainability.
The Position
The EA will be responsible for the following key objectives and tasks.
Representing, Advising, and Aligning
- Representative – the EA represents the CEO in daily, confidential communications with key internal and external stakeholders, seeking to extend and earn trust and strengthen relationships.
- Advisor – the EA provides observations, insights, and suggestions to align the CEO’s time, agenda, and impact toward the Granite mission.
- Diplomat – the EA serves as both “gatekeeper” and “gateway” to the CEO, bringing judgment, diplomacy, and consideration when accepting, deferring, delegating, referring, and/or declining meeting, information, or resource requests.
Planning and Project Coordination
The EA assists the CEO in planning and executing Granite Partners’ 10-year vision, annual objectives, quarterly Big Rocks, and monthly, weekly, and daily goals. The EA contributes to semi-annual team retreats, quarterly team meetings and “Big Rock” projects, and weekly operating team huddles.
The EA also engages in a weekly Granite Flow meeting with the CEO, COO, and Communications Manager to plan, schedule, and prioritize. These 60- to 90-minute meetings are a critical mechanism for the firm, enabling velocity and efficiency, and enhancing individual and organizational wellbeing.
Communicating and Correspondence Excellence
The EA coordinates and executes daily communication and correspondence on behalf of the CEO, including incoming and outgoing 1) Microsoft Outlook email with external stakeholders, 2) Microsoft Teams messaging with internal stakeholders, 3) U.S. mail review, and 4) parcel delivery review. The Granite Innovations Administrator opens and scans U.S. mail and parcel deliveries and sends CEO-related correspondence to the EA for review.
Publishing and Document Organization
The EA drafts, proofreads, revises, distributes, and organizes letters, memos, speeches, presentations, spreadsheets, workplans, and audio and video recordings on behalf of the CEO. Documents are distributed through Box, Monday.com, Microsoft Teams channels, and the OnBoard board management platform. The EA coordinates with the Communications Team for advanced document publishing and with the Business Analyst team for research and analysis needs.
Booking and Travel Logistics
The EA oversees travel planning, manages a travel agency and transportation vendors, and guides the Granite Innovations Administrator for booking and itinerary preparation. The EA oversees accommodations, meals, and entertainment planning for the CEO, with assistance from the Granite Innovations Administrator. The EA reviews and ensures completeness of expense reports. The EA creates opportunities for the CEO to engage with and empower stakeholders.
Partnering and Contract Administration
The EA assists the CEO in identifying, developing, and contracting with partner firms to advance the Granite mission. The EA coordinates with Granite Partners’ law firm to draft partnership agreements and contracts. The EA facilitates efficient electronic CEO signatures on agreements and contracts via DocuSign and distributes and archives executed documents for effective administration.
Coaching and Wellbeing Advocacy
The EA coaches the CEO toward leadership effectiveness and management efficiency and advocates for the CEO’s health and wellbeing for long-term endurance. The EA manages the CEO’s wellbeing program registrations including programs such as the Mayo Clinic Executive Health Program, the Aspen Ideas Festival, the IronMan Executive Challenge, and reunions for Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School, among others.
Measuring and Innovation Management
The EA measures the CEO’s time allocation, stakeholder reach, communication impact, and other effectiveness metrics over time and recommends automation, delegation, adaptations, and innovations to save time, enhance productivity, and strengthen sustainability.
QUALIFICATIONS & QUALITIES
Education & Experience
Bachelor’s degree preferred; graduate degrees valued. Five to seven or more years of work experience preferred, including executive or administrative assistant experience, preferably with a CEO or C-suite leader for two or more years.
Certifications
Specialized skills, training, and certifications are valued. Examples include advanced Microsoft Office courses, Certified Administrative Professional, Project Management Professional, Society for Human Resource Management certifications, FranklinCovey training, or LinkedIn courses.
Technology
Strong passion for and broad experience with software applications and information systems. Applications include Microsoft Office, Outlook, Teams, Zoom, Box, OnBoard, Monday.com, NetSuite, Domo, Qualtrics, Dynamo, Expensify, and more.
Qualities
Effective verbal and written communication skills; ability to anticipate needs and solve problems; organization and detail orientation; documentation and process orientation; humility and service orientation; initiative and goal orientation; excellence and quality orientation.
Locations
Residency in or near the greater St. Cloud, Minnesota region is preferred for proximity to our St. Cloud headquarters, Granite Innovations, and our stakeholder base. A majority of one-on-one meetings, small group discussions, training sessions, and public speeches by the CEO take place at Granite Innovations.
Schedules
The Executive Assistant role is fast-paced, dynamic, and deeply engaging. Supporting the CEO involves a high-velocity environment where priorities shift quickly, opportunities emerge often, and the flow of work is continuous. The EA plays a vital role in keeping everything moving with clarity and momentum. This role is not a traditional 9-to-5; it follows a rhythm and flow across the week with four to five Work Zones each day and space for personal wellbeing, family, and reflection.
Work Zones pattern: Early Morning, Late Morning, Early Afternoon, Late Afternoon, and Evening (as needed). Weekends are generally light, with optional brief triage check-ins to keep schedules and communications on track. The goal is to maintain a smooth flow of communication and decision-making so that Monday begins strong.
In short, this role suits someone who thrives in a high-energy, high-impact environment and finds fulfillment in advancing the CEO’s effectiveness and Granite Partners’ mission.
Compensation & Benefits
We offer a competitive base salary in the $70,000 to $100,000 range, based on experience and qualifications, along with an annual bonus and the opportunity to participate in a long-term incentive program after two years of service.
Benefits include medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, short- and long-term disability coverage, a health savings account with company match, a retirement plan with employer contributions through Vanguard, and access to the Granite Assistance Fund. Generous paid time off, including volunteer time off and paid holidays, supports rest and personal growth.
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