Executive Assistant/Business Partner

Job Description

Job Description

The Executive Business Partner (EBP) serves as a strategic extension of the executive leadership team, operating at the intersection of operations, project management, and executive support. The EBP functions as both a trusted advisor and an execution owner, ensuring that leadership priorities move from concept to completion with speed and precision. This role requires a high degree of professional judgment, discretion, and the ability to operate effectively across all levels of the organization.

This position is ideally hybrid based out of our Temecula, CA or Chicago, IL office. We are unable to offer work sponsorship for this role.

Who are we?

The Buyer's Edge Platform Fresh Division is an entity comprised of Fresh Concepts, Produce Alliance, Fresh Alliance & Fresh Services with over 35 years of produce management solutions. The Fresh Division provides fresh produce category management services, procurement and contracting, national distribution, freight management, k-12 solutions, technology services, and food safety assurance to food service clients across North America, the Caribbean and beyond. The Fresh Division has a national footprint of over 125+ industry leading distributors in North America, and partnerships with the most premier grower shippers.

Your impact:

Strategic Partnership & Leadership Alignment

• Proxy Representation: Attends select meetings on behalf of the executive; captures key decisions and drives follow-up accountability.
• Decision Support: Serves as a sounding board for business strategy, providing objective analysis and research-backed input to support executive decision-making.
• Meeting Orchestration: Designs and facilitates agendas for executive off-sites, board meetings, and leadership forums, ensuring productive outcomes and clear action items.

Special Projects & Cross-Functional Execution

• Project Management: Leads cross-functional projects without established ownership structures, establishing milestones, accountability frameworks, and scope governance.
• Process & Culture Initiatives: Researches, designs, and implements internal process improvements and culture-building programs to advance company-wide operating efficiency.
• Executive Content Development: Drafts high-stakes internal communications, board presentations, and executive thought-leadership content; maintains consistency with the executive's voice and communication standards.

Advanced Operational Support

• Priority & Schedule Management: Manages the executive's calendar to ensure time allocation aligns with strategic priorities and "Big Rock" objectives. Proactively identifies scheduling opportunities and travel efficiencies, including coordinating stakeholder and client meetings in conjunction with existing travel commitments.
• Operational Connectivity: Acts as the primary information conduit between the executive and department heads, ensuring bidirectional clarity, consistency, and appropriate escalation.
• Confidentiality & Discretion: Handles sensitive financial, legal, and personnel matters with the highest standard of professional discretion.

About you:

• Systems Thinking: Identifies root causes and builds scalable solutions rather than addressing symptoms in isolation.
• High Agency: Operates with self-direction and ownership orientation; identifies gaps and acts without requiring explicit instruction.
• Creative Problem-Solving: Translates ambiguous executive vision into structured, actionable project plans with measurable outcomes.
• Stakeholder Intelligence: Demonstrates the emotional intelligence and diplomatic skill to navigate complex relationships and competing priorities across all organizational levels.
• Minimum five (5) years of experience in executive support, project management, or business operations.
• Prior experience in a fast-paced, high-growth, or PE-backed environment preferred.
• Advanced proficiency in project management platforms, presentation software, and AI-enabled productivity tools.
• Demonstrated ability to rapidly adopt and operationalize new technology.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to adapt communication style to mirror executive voice across internal and external audiences.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Communications, or a related field required.
• MBA or PMP certification is preferred.

What's in this for you?

Amazing coverages to start. Medical, dental, and vision coverages are just the beginning! We also offer ancillary plans, such as flexible spending accounts for both health and dependent care, critical illness, accident, and voluntary life as well as company paid life! On top of this, we also offer a 401(k) plan with company match.

We welcome all.

We are committed to creating a diverse environment and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth and pregnancy-related conditions), gender identity or expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, military service and veteran status, physical or mental disability, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws and ordinances.