Senior Executive Assistant
At Walt Disney Animation Studios, great stories begin with great collaboration. The Senior Executive Assistant is a trusted partner to the Chief Creative Officer (CCO), helping navigate the intersection of creative vision, filmmaking, business strategy, and studio operations. Reporting directly to the CCO, this individual serves as a key connection across creative leadership, production, studio executives, filmmakers, and external partners. In close partnership with the Office of the President, this role requires exceptional judgment, discretion, and the ability to bring structure and clarity to a dynamic, fast-paced creative environment. The ideal candidate is equal parts producer, problem-solver, diplomat, and strategic partner, knowing when to bring structure, when to create space, and when to make the right thing happen quietly behind the scenes. With strong instincts, emotional intelligence, and resilience, they navigate shifting priorities and strong creative voices with flexibility, confidence, and discretion. A genuine understanding of film production is highly valued, including how timing, relationships, creative development, and production milestones all work together to keep the larger picture moving forward. This is an opportunity to work alongside a visionary creative leader and contribute to a studio where ideas become stories, stories become films, and films connect with audiences around the world.
Responsibilities:
- Serve as a trusted partner and strategic extension of the CCO, anticipating needs, connecting dots, and translating creative priorities into thoughtful action.
- Bring structure and clarity to a constantly evolving environment, helping the CCO stay focused on the moments and decisions that matter most.
- Partner closely with the Office of the President as an integral member of a unified executive support team. Build a strong, collaborative working relationship to ensure alignment across priorities, calendars, communications, meetings, and organizational needs. The two offices operate as a highly coordinated team, sharing information, anticipating one another's needs, and creating a seamless leadership operation across the studio.
- Manage a highly dynamic and complex executive calendar, anticipating conflicts, dependencies, and opportunities across both Executive Offices while balancing long-term priorities with the realities of an active film studio and the broader leadership calendar.
- Understand the rhythm of filmmaking and anticipate how creative development, production schedules, creative reviews, screenings, notes, premieres, festivals, and other milestones may impact executive priorities.
- Facilitate communication and information flow across creative leadership, production teams, studio executives, the Office of the President, filmmakers, and internal and external stakeholders.
- Coordinate meetings, screenings, video conferences, and events across multiple time zones and organizational groups, ensuring the right people are connected and prepared. Manage logistics for executive meetings, creative gatherings, studio events, and large-scale internal and external events.
- Manage complex, multi-city domestic and international travel, including itineraries, transportation, accommodations, meeting schedules, and last-minute changes.
- Maintain systems to track projects, action items, deadlines, and Executive Office priorities so important commitments never get lost; manage and process expense reports in accordance with company policies using SAP and Concur.
- Handle highly confidential, sensitive, and sometimes high-stakes information with exceptional discretion and judgment.
- Serve as a thoughtful gatekeeper while maintaining a welcoming, collaborative, and solutions-oriented presence.
- Build strong working relationships across the studio and serve as a trusted resource to filmmakers, executives, assistants, and administrative partners; mentor and support other administrative professionals, and represent Walt Disney Animation Studios and the Executive Office with warmth, sophistication, diplomacy, and professionalism.
Basic Qualifications
- 3+ years of production or executive-level administrative support experience supporting a senior executive, Executive Office, or centralized leadership team within a C-level, entertainment, media, or similarly complex environment.
- Exceptional organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, personalities, and deadlines simultaneously.
- Ability to anticipate needs and proactively solve problems before they become problems.
- Demonstrated ability to remain composed, resourceful, and solutions-oriented in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, interpersonal skills, and emotional intelligence, with the ability to adapt style and work effectively with creative talent, filmmakers, senior executives, and external partners.
- Proven ability to handle confidential and sensitive information with discretion, maturity, and sound judgment; professional, positive, and highly collaborative demeanor.
- Advanced proficiency with Google Workspace, SAP, and Concur; bachelor's degree preferred.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience within The Walt Disney Company or another large, complex entertainment, media, or public organization.
- Experience supporting a Chief Creative Officer, Head of Studio, President, Producer, Director, or other senior creative leader whose schedule and priorities shift rapidly.
- Direct experience in a film or animation studio, production company, or entertainment organization, with familiarity with development and production workflows, screenings, premieres, festivals, and/or awards-season activities.
- Genuine appreciation for storytelling, animation, filmmaking, and the creative process.