Senior Executive Assistant

We are seeking an extraordinarily forward-thinking, motivated, and proactive Senior Executive Assistant to support the Chief Design Officer (CDO) and the Design organization. This role is critical to driving operational excellence, communication clarity, and organizational rhythm within a fast-paced, highly collaborative design environment. Beyond traditional executive support, this position incorporates elements of chief of staff responsibilities as well as mentorship and leadership of the Design Assistant team.

About the role

This role requires exceptional judgment, integrity, and professionalism, with the ability to anticipate needs, manage complex priorities, and act as a trusted partner to senior leadership. You will help operationalize the CDO’s vision, streamline processes, orchestrate key initiatives, and strengthen communication across the organization. A successful candidate thrives in ambiguity, solves problems before they become problems, and acts as a steady, confident partner to executives and team members alike.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide high-level executive support with exceptional discretion, professionalism, and judgment while representing the CDO and Zillow Design both internally and externally.
• Manage complex and dynamic calendars, prioritizing time effectively in alignment with strategic priorities.
• Coordinate sophisticated travel logistics, event planning, and operational workflows for executive meetings, all-hands, reviews, and off-sites.
• Support the CDO and the broader organization by tracking key deliverables, following up on priorities, identifying bottlenecks, and facilitating informed decision-making to ensure smooth business rhythms.
• Act as a liaison across Design leadership and cross-functional partners for responsibilities such as event planning and organization-wide meetings, ensuring clear communication and timely information flow.
• Assist in operationalizing organization-wide goals and initiatives by developing and refining processes that enhance communication, efficiency, and execution within the Design organization.
• Prepare, edit, and organize executive communications, presentations, reports, and meeting materials with a high level of polish and accuracy.
• Lead, mentor, and guide other Administrative/Executive Assistants within the Design organization, fostering cohesion, consistency, and shared best practices.
• Support special projects and strategic initiatives from concept through completion, often requiring cross-functional coordination and problem-solving.
• Manage administrative operations including expense reporting, procurement, documentation, resource tracking, and departmental logistics.
• Maintain a proactive, anticipatory approach to upcoming needs, risks, or opportunities for improvement.
• Travel up to 25% annually.

This role has been categorized as a Remote position. “Remote” employees do not have a permanent corporate office workplace and, instead, work from a physical location of their choice, which must be identified to the Company. U.S. employees may live in any of the 50 United States, with limited exceptions.

In California, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Washington state, and Washington DC the standard base pay range for this role is $109,000.00 - $174,000.00 annually. This base pay range is specific to these locations and may not be applicable to other locations.

In Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Minnesota, Nevada, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Vermont the standard base pay range for this role is $103,500.00 - $165,300.00 annually. The base pay range is specific to these locations and may not be applicable to other locations.

In addition to a competitive base salary this position is also eligible for equity awards based on factors such as experience, performance and location. Actual amounts will vary depending on experience, performance and location. Employees in this role will not be paid below the salary threshold for exempt employees in the state where they reside.

Who you are

A seasoned, strategic Executive Assistant with at least 10 years of experience supporting C-level executives. You bring proactive thinking, strong business acumen, exceptional communication, and a desire to elevate the operational effectiveness of the organization you support. You thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment and bring maturity, efficiency, and calm to complex situations.

• Minimum of 10 years of experience supporting C-level executives; experience with Design/Product leaders is a plus.
• Strong professionalism, diplomacy, and judgment with the ability to handle confidential information with integrity.
• Excellent communication, relationship-building, and influencing skills across functions and levels.
• Demonstrated ability to anticipate needs, think strategically, manage shifting priorities, and operate independently.
• Proven success improving workflows, designing processes, and solving operational challenges.
• High level of organization, thoroughness, and ability to manage multiple competing priorities.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, Zoom, Slack, Mac OS, and modern collaboration tools.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred.