Sr. Executive Assistant & Project Coordinator

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.

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:
o Lead or co-lead discrete cross-functional projects assigned by the CBO – including cross-functional calendar planning and tracking strategic department projects
o Prepare presentations for the Office of CBO
o 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.
o Partner with functional leaders and other Executive Assistants across the organization to achieve CBO and team members objectives 
o 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.
o 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.

Additional Information

Nektar currently anticipates the base salary for the Sr. Executive Assistant and Project Coordinator to range from $137,000 to $160,000 for candidates in the Bay Area and will depend, in part, on successful candidate's location and qualifications for the role, including education and experience.  This position will also be eligible for an annual performance bonus in accordance with the terms of the applicable plan (depending, in part, on company and individual performance and at the Company's discretion on an individual basis.)  The compensation described above is subject to change and could be higher or lower than the range described based on the market survey data.

Qualifying employees are eligible to participate in benefit programs such as:

Health Insurance (Medical/Dental/Vision)
Disability Insurance
Holiday Pay
Paid Time Off (PTO)
401(k) Match
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Wellness Programs
Parental Leave Benefits (in accordance with the terms of applicable plans)
For general information on company benefits, please go to https://www.nektar.com/careers.