OPT Executive Assistant Jobs
Executive Assistant jobs on OPT are available across corporate, nonprofit, and startup environments, where F-1 students with strong organizational and communication skills are in demand. Most roles qualify as professional positions supporting OPT authorization, and STEM OPT extensions may apply for EAs working in technology or research-driven organizations.
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The Office of the Executive Vice President (EVP) supports university-wide strategy, leadership, and operations, partnering with senior leaders to advance Tufts University's mission and strategic priorities. The office is seeking an exceptional Senior Executive Assistant to serve as a trusted partner to the Executive Vice President, providing high-level executive, administrative, operational, and project support in a fast-paced and highly collaborative environment.
Success in this role of Senior Executive Assistant to the Executive Vice President requires exceptional judgment, initiative, discretion, and the ability to anticipate needs before they arise.
The Senior Executive Assistant serves as the primary gatekeeper for the Executive Vice President's time, enabling the EVP to focus on the university's highest priorities by proactively managing schedules, communications, executive operations, and institutional relationships.
The successful candidate will operate with minimal supervision, exercise independent judgment, manage multiple competing priorities, and build trusted relationships across the university. This individual will play a critical role in supporting executive decision-making, facilitating effective communication among senior leaders, and ensuring the efficient operation of the Office of the Executive Vice President. This is an evolving role with the potential for growth based on the individual's strengths and emerging needs of the EVP Office.
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR MANAGEMENT
- Manage the Executive Vice President's complex calendar, balancing competing institutional priorities while ensuring the effective use of the EVP's time
- Independently prioritize meeting requests, resolve scheduling conflicts, verify attendance, and coordinate schedules across the university and beyond
- Proactively secure briefing materials to ensure the EVP is prepared for meetings, presentations, travel, and university events
- Coordinate with university leadership on the EVP's annual planning cycle, aligning schedules for governance activities, Board meetings, strategic initiatives, university events, and leadership priorities
EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS AND DOCUMENT PREPARATION
- Draft, edit, review, and coordinate high-profile communications on behalf of the EVP, including executive correspondence, university-wide messages, presentations, speeches, briefing materials, reports, and other written communications
- Ensure all communications reflect a high standard of professionalism, accuracy, consistency, and executive presence
- Update and maintain executive templates, reference materials, presentations, and other office resources
- Manage the EVP website through content updates, link validation, and ensuring accessibility of key resources/information
MEETING AND GOVERNANCE SUPPORT
- Coordinate executive-level meetings, trustee committees, leadership councils, advisory groups, and other governance activities
- Prepare and distribute agendas, briefing books, presentations, meeting materials, and follow-up communications
- Liaise with internal departments to coordinate meeting logistics including room setup, catering, and audio-visual support
STAKEHOLDER RELATIONS
- Serve as the primary liaison between the Executive Vice President and the President's Office, Provost's Office, Board of Trustees Office, senior administrative leaders, academic leadership, and external partners
- Facilitate effective communication, scheduling, approvals, and information flow across the university
- Build and maintain highly effective working relationships with senior leaders while exercising professionalism, diplomacy, and sound judgment
ADMINISTRATIVE OPERATIONS
- Manage travel arrangements, expense reports, invoices, departmental administrative budgets, purchasing requests, and other operational activities supporting the Office of the Executive Vice President
- Coordinate hiring, onboarding, and administrative processes for the EVP's organization as needed
- Maintain organizational charts, governance documentation, committee records, and executive office resources
- Manage daily operations by maintaining supplies and liaising with building management to address maintenance concerns
- Proactively identify opportunities to streamline administrative operations in the EVP Office to maximize efficiency
PROJECT MANAGEMENT SUPPORT
- Provide operational coordination for multiple strategic university initiatives and other projects throughout the year
- Utilize task management systems to assist with tracking deliverables, coordinating cross-functional activities, monitoring deadlines, and ensuring timely follow-through on executive commitments
- Coordinate annual performance planning and review processes for the EVP's direct reports
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
BASIC REQUIREMENTS
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience
- Minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience supporting senior executives in a complex organization
- Demonstrated success supporting C-suite executives, presidents, provosts, vice presidents, or other senior leaders
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to draft polished executive correspondence, presentations, reports, and briefing materials. Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to interact professionally with trustees, senior university leaders, faculty, staff, external partners, and other stakeholders
- Outstanding judgment, discretion, diplomacy, and executive presence. Demonstrated ability to manage highly confidential financial, legal, personnel, and strategic information with absolute integrity and discretion. Ability to represent the Office of the Executive Vice President with professionalism and sound judgment
- Exceptional organizational skills, attention to detail, and follow-through Ability to anticipate needs, independently resolve problems, and effectively manage multiple competing priorities in a fast-paced environment. Proven ability to remain calm, flexible, and highly effective under changing circumstances and tight deadlines
- Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Zoom, project/task management systems such as Trello, and other collaboration technologies. Experience using enterprise systems supporting finance, procurement, travel, hiring, budgeting, and expense management. Strong project management and administrative coordination skills
SALARY RANGE
Minimum $81,200.00, Midpoint $101,600.00, Maximum $120,900.00
Overview
The Office of the Executive Vice President (EVP) supports university-wide strategy, leadership, and operations, partnering with senior leaders to advance Tufts University's mission and strategic priorities. The office is seeking an exceptional Senior Executive Assistant to serve as a trusted partner to the Executive Vice President, providing high-level executive, administrative, operational, and project support in a fast-paced and highly collaborative environment.
Success in this role of Senior Executive Assistant to the Executive Vice President requires exceptional judgment, initiative, discretion, and the ability to anticipate needs before they arise.
The Senior Executive Assistant serves as the primary gatekeeper for the Executive Vice President's time, enabling the EVP to focus on the university's highest priorities by proactively managing schedules, communications, executive operations, and institutional relationships.
The successful candidate will operate with minimal supervision, exercise independent judgment, manage multiple competing priorities, and build trusted relationships across the university. This individual will play a critical role in supporting executive decision-making, facilitating effective communication among senior leaders, and ensuring the efficient operation of the Office of the Executive Vice President. This is an evolving role with the potential for growth based on the individual's strengths and emerging needs of the EVP Office.
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR MANAGEMENT
- Manage the Executive Vice President's complex calendar, balancing competing institutional priorities while ensuring the effective use of the EVP's time
- Independently prioritize meeting requests, resolve scheduling conflicts, verify attendance, and coordinate schedules across the university and beyond
- Proactively secure briefing materials to ensure the EVP is prepared for meetings, presentations, travel, and university events
- Coordinate with university leadership on the EVP's annual planning cycle, aligning schedules for governance activities, Board meetings, strategic initiatives, university events, and leadership priorities
EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS AND DOCUMENT PREPARATION
- Draft, edit, review, and coordinate high-profile communications on behalf of the EVP, including executive correspondence, university-wide messages, presentations, speeches, briefing materials, reports, and other written communications
- Ensure all communications reflect a high standard of professionalism, accuracy, consistency, and executive presence
- Update and maintain executive templates, reference materials, presentations, and other office resources
- Manage the EVP website through content updates, link validation, and ensuring accessibility of key resources/information
MEETING AND GOVERNANCE SUPPORT
- Coordinate executive-level meetings, trustee committees, leadership councils, advisory groups, and other governance activities
- Prepare and distribute agendas, briefing books, presentations, meeting materials, and follow-up communications
- Liaise with internal departments to coordinate meeting logistics including room setup, catering, and audio-visual support
STAKEHOLDER RELATIONS
- Serve as the primary liaison between the Executive Vice President and the President's Office, Provost's Office, Board of Trustees Office, senior administrative leaders, academic leadership, and external partners
- Facilitate effective communication, scheduling, approvals, and information flow across the university
- Build and maintain highly effective working relationships with senior leaders while exercising professionalism, diplomacy, and sound judgment
ADMINISTRATIVE OPERATIONS
- Manage travel arrangements, expense reports, invoices, departmental administrative budgets, purchasing requests, and other operational activities supporting the Office of the Executive Vice President
- Coordinate hiring, onboarding, and administrative processes for the EVP's organization as needed
- Maintain organizational charts, governance documentation, committee records, and executive office resources
- Manage daily operations by maintaining supplies and liaising with building management to address maintenance concerns
- Proactively identify opportunities to streamline administrative operations in the EVP Office to maximize efficiency
PROJECT MANAGEMENT SUPPORT
- Provide operational coordination for multiple strategic university initiatives and other projects throughout the year
- Utilize task management systems to assist with tracking deliverables, coordinating cross-functional activities, monitoring deadlines, and ensuring timely follow-through on executive commitments
- Coordinate annual performance planning and review processes for the EVP's direct reports
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
BASIC REQUIREMENTS
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience
- Minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience supporting senior executives in a complex organization
- Demonstrated success supporting C-suite executives, presidents, provosts, vice presidents, or other senior leaders
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to draft polished executive correspondence, presentations, reports, and briefing materials. Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to interact professionally with trustees, senior university leaders, faculty, staff, external partners, and other stakeholders
- Outstanding judgment, discretion, diplomacy, and executive presence. Demonstrated ability to manage highly confidential financial, legal, personnel, and strategic information with absolute integrity and discretion. Ability to represent the Office of the Executive Vice President with professionalism and sound judgment
- Exceptional organizational skills, attention to detail, and follow-through Ability to anticipate needs, independently resolve problems, and effectively manage multiple competing priorities in a fast-paced environment. Proven ability to remain calm, flexible, and highly effective under changing circumstances and tight deadlines
- Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Zoom, project/task management systems such as Trello, and other collaboration technologies. Experience using enterprise systems supporting finance, procurement, travel, hiring, budgeting, and expense management. Strong project management and administrative coordination skills
SALARY RANGE
Minimum $81,200.00, Midpoint $101,600.00, Maximum $120,900.00
See all 266+ OPT Executive Assistant Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as an Executive Assistant
Lead with your bilingual advantage
If you speak a second language fluently, highlight it prominently. Many executives need EAs who can communicate across global offices, making multilingual candidates significantly more attractive to organizations with international operations or foreign-language clients.
Target companies with existing OPT hire history
Focus your search on mid-size and large employers that have previously hired international staff. Companies with HR departments experienced in OPT authorization are far less likely to reject your application due to work authorization concerns before an interview.
Address OPT status directly in your cover letter
Briefly mention your OPT authorization and exactly how long it is valid. Employers unfamiliar with OPT often assume international students require immediate visa sponsorship, so clarifying upfront that you already have work authorization removes their most common objection.
Showcase hard skills alongside soft ones
Proficiency in calendar tools, project management software, and internal communication platforms matters as much as interpersonal skills. Listing specific tools like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 gives hiring managers concrete evidence of readiness beyond general organizational ability.
Pursue internships or co-ops in administrative roles first
CPT-authorized internships in executive support or operations give you documented U.S. work experience before OPT begins. Employers consistently favor EA candidates who have already worked in a U.S. office environment over candidates with purely academic backgrounds.
Build relationships with recruiters who specialize in administrative hiring
Administrative and executive support recruiters often have direct access to roles that never reach public job boards. Engaging specialized recruiters early increases your exposure to opportunities at companies open to working with OPT candidates.
Executive Assistant OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Do Executive Assistant jobs qualify for F-1 OPT work authorization?
Yes, Executive Assistant roles generally qualify for F-1 OPT as long as the position is directly related to your field of study. Degrees in business administration, communications, international relations, or management typically satisfy this requirement. If your role is within a STEM-designated organization and your degree qualifies, you may also be eligible for a 24-month STEM OPT extension.
How do I find Executive Assistant jobs that are open to OPT students?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for F-1 OPT students and filters opportunities by sponsorship and OPT-friendliness, so you are not wasting time applying to roles where international candidates are screened out automatically. Searching through Migrate Mate helps you identify employers already experienced with OPT work authorization, which significantly improves your chances of getting to the interview stage.
Will employers sponsor an H-1B visa for an Executive Assistant role after OPT ends?
H-1B visa sponsorship for Executive Assistant positions is possible but less common than in technical fields. It typically depends on whether the employer classifies the role as a specialty occupation requiring a specific bachelor's degree. Larger corporations and organizations with dedicated immigration counsel are more likely to sponsor, while small businesses rarely have the resources or experience to navigate the H-1B process.
Can I work as an Executive Assistant remotely on OPT?
Remote work on OPT is permitted, but USCIS requires that your employment remain consistent with your authorized work. You must report your employer and work location to your Designated School Official through your university's OPT reporting system. If you work fully remotely with no fixed office location, list your home address as your work site and keep your DSO informed of any changes to avoid compliance issues.
What should I do if my OPT is running out before I secure an Executive Assistant job?
If your OPT end date is approaching, prioritize applying immediately and be transparent with employers about your timeline. If you hold a STEM-eligible degree and your role qualifies, apply for the STEM OPT extension as early as possible, since you can continue working while the extension is pending. Consulting your DSO early gives you the most options, including understanding whether cap-gap protection or other bridge strategies apply to your situation.