Executive Assistant - COO

Mount Pleasant, SC

Description

This is not a traditional administrative role. The Executive Assistant to the COO serves as a trusted force multiplier — protecting the executive’s time, extending his reach across a complex multi-entity operation, and ensuring the right things get done by the right people at the right time. Equal parts strategic operator and personal logistics expert, this person handles everything from high-stakes board communications to monitoring a flight’s departure status before the COO even thinks to check.

The ideal candidate thinks two, three, and four steps ahead. They anticipate needs before they are voiced, surface problems before they become crises, and operate with the discretion and judgment required of someone trusted with sensitive business strategy, family enterprise dynamics, and personal matters alike.

What this role is not: If your goal is to manage calendars and book travel, this is not the right fit. The COO needs someone who is energized by complexity, capable of operating with significant autonomy, and wired to think ahead rather than wait to be asked.

Scope of the Role

The COO oversees a fourth-generation wholesale insurance MGA/brokerage, a resort and marina operation in the Bahamas, and a marina in Charleston — while managing board relationships, active capital projects, technology modernization programs, and strategic planning across multiple business entities. This role supports him across all of it.

Core Responsibilities

1 — Anticipatory Support & Time Protection

The single most important function of this role is staying ahead of the COO’s world so that he is never caught off guard by something that was knowable. This means:

• Monitoring upcoming travel logistics proactively — flight status, connections, ground transportation, weather, and contingencies — and flagging issues before they are asked about

• Reviewing the upcoming week’s calendar each Monday and ensuring every meeting has necessary briefing materials, context, and preparation completed in advance

• Tracking key deliverables, commitments, and deadlines across the COO’s agenda and surfacing items at risk of slipping before they become problems

• Knowing the COO’s priorities well enough to make real-time judgment calls about what is urgent, what can wait, and what needs to be escalated immediately

2 — Calendar & Schedule Management

• Own the COO’s calendar with strategic intent — not just scheduling, but protecting deep work time, building in preparation windows before key meetings, and avoiding overcommitment

• Manage conflicting priorities and guard against time fragmentation; push back when the schedule is not working

• Coordinate meeting logistics end-to-end: agendas, attendees, materials, room or video setup, and follow-up

3 — Communications Management

• Filter and triage all inbound communications — calls, correspondence — and determine priority; handle, route, or hold as appropriate

• Draft high-quality written communications on behalf of the COO including board correspondence, executive memos, partner and vendor communications, and internal leadership messaging

• Ensure the COO’s voice and intent are accurately represented in all outbound communications; know when to write it and when to bring it to him

• Represent the COO with professionalism and discretion in all external interactions

4 — Operational & Project Coordination

• Act as a project coordinator on COO-led initiatives: track milestones, coordinate across teams, follow up with owners, and keep work moving

• Attend leadership and board meetings; capture decisions and action items; distribute notes and follow up with owners to ensure commitments are met

• Hold the COO’s organizational commitments visible and accountable — escalate gaps professionally when deliverables are not on track

• Prepare briefing materials, talking points, decision summaries, and board prep packages as needed

5 — Travel & Logistics

• Manage all corporate and personal travel end-to-end: flights, hotels, ground transportation, itineraries, and contingency plans for the COO and family as needed

• Proactively monitor travel plans for disruptions and have solutions ready before being asked

• Coordinate logistics for company events, leadership offsites, board dinners, and corporate functions from start to finish

• Maintain awareness of the COO’s personal schedule cadence (hunting and fishing trips, cycling events, family travel) and coordinate logistics accordingly

6 — Personal & Family Support

• Handle personal errands, returns, and scheduling matters with the same efficiency and discretion as business matters

• Coordinate family travel, personal reservations, and event logistics as requested

• Assist with household-adjacent tasks that arise from time to time — vendor coordination, personal appointments, and similar

• Maintain full confidentiality on all personal and family matters; this is non-negotiable

7 — Information & Document Management

• Maintain organized systems for contracts, licensing documents, correspondence, and executive records

• Create and manage spreadsheets, presentations, reports, and general business correspondence as needed

• Ensure the COO has the right information at the right time — not too much, not too late

Education & Experience

• Prior experience in a high-accountability EA role is a strong differentiator

• Exposure to insurance, financial services, real estate, or hospitality is a plus but not required

Skills & Attributes

• Exceptional written and verbal communication — able to write and speak credibly on behalf of a senior executive

• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook); comfort with project tracking tools (Smartsheet, Asana, or similar), and comfort using AI tools (Claude, Chat, etc)

• High emotional intelligence — reads the room, builds trust quickly, handles sensitive situations with care and composure

• Proactive and self-directed — doesn’t wait to be told what to do next; anticipates and acts

• Organized but not rigid — able to build systems while adapting when priorities shift

• Discreet and trustworthy — handles confidential personal, legal, financial, and succession-related information at the highest level

• Comfortable managing up and across — able to hold senior leaders and team members accountable to commitments professionally

• Willing and able to travel and work flexible hours as business and personal needs require

Johnson & Johnson, Inc.

Latest Jobs

Executive Assistant - COO