Executive Assistant (Bilingual English/Japanese)

Position Overview

The Executive Assistant provides high-level administrative, operational, and cultural support to the Company President. While the President is fully fluent in both English and Japanese, this role requires complete bilingual proficiency to manage relationships, high-level business correspondence, and communications across both U.S. operations and global headquarters in Japan. The ideal candidate will act as a strategic cultural bridge, possessing a deep understanding of Japanese corporate customs and the organizational acumen necessary to navigate a dynamic, cross-cultural business environment. This role requires strong organizational skills, utmost discretion, and a proactive ability to anticipate needs and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Executive Calendar & Coordination: Manage the President's complex calendar, including scheduling high-level meetings, prioritizing competing requests, and coordinating intricate domestic and international travel logistics.
• Cultural Liaison & Business Navigation: Act as a trusted advisor on Japanese corporate etiquette (keigo, omotenashi, and formal business protocols) while helping bridge communication and operational styles between local U.S. staff, leadership, and overseas stakeholders.
• Strategic Relationship Management: Serve as a primary point of contact between the President, internal teams, visiting executives, VIP clients, and external stakeholders. Manage corporate hospitality, dining etiquette, and high-level hosting logistics for stakeholders arriving from Japan.
• Meeting & Project Governance: Prepare, review, and refine high-level agendas, presentations, reports, and briefing materials in both English and Japanese. Support and coordinate meetings, take meticulous minutes, and track key project deadlines and action items on behalf of leadership to ensure efficient execution.
• Bilingual Correspondence & Administration: Author and review executive-level correspondence in both languages. Process expense reports, invoices, corporate credit card reconciliations, and handle other required administrative tasks.
• Japanese Expatriate Support: Coordinate and provide administrative support for Japanese expatriates, including assignment, repatriation, and home leave support, expatriate payroll administration, tax filing support and coordination with service providers, local U.S. operational transitions, and community networking as required.
• Event Planning: Assist with high-profile event and meeting planning, including offsite executive retreats, global leadership meetings, and VIP hospitality.

Qualifications

• Experience: 5+ years of executive administrative support experience, preferably within a cross-cultural corporate environment or Japanese multinational corporation.
• Language Proficiency: Fluency in both spoken and written English and Japanese. Must be highly comfortable utilizing formal Japanese (keigo) in professional correspondence and verbal interactions.
• Cultural Expertise: Deep familiarity with Japanese corporate culture, societal customs, and business etiquette.
• Advanced Organization & Time Management: Effectively prioritizes competing demands and manages complex executive calendars.
• Professional Communication: Delivers clear, concise, and responsive interactions with executives, stakeholders, and external partners across all levels.
• Confidentiality & Discretion: Handles sensitive and highly confidential corporate information with integrity, sound judgment, and professionalism.
• Technical Skills: Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) with the ability to type and format documents using Japanese input methods (IME).
• Attention to Detail: Ensures accuracy in scheduling, documents, reporting, and deliverables.

Education:

• High school diploma required
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience preferred

Core Competencies

• Organizational Excellence: Effectively manages competing priorities, projects, and tight deadlines.
• Bilingual Communication: Clear, professional, and responsive communication across all levels in both English and Japanese.
• Discretion & Integrity: Handles sensitive executive and company information with the highest level of professionalism.
• Proactive Support & Problem-Solving: Anticipates executive needs, resolves issues with minimal direction, and takes proactive initiative.
• Attention to Detail: Ensures absolute accuracy in scheduling, multi-language documentation, and reporting.