Executive Assistant to Founder/CEO

CAIS is the pioneer in democratizing access to and education about alternative investments for independent financial advisors, empowering them to engage and transact with leading asset managers at scale through a wide variety of alternative investment products and technology solutions. CAIS provides access to strategies including hedge funds, private equity, private credit, real estate, digital assets, and structured notes. CAIS serves over 2,500 wealth management firms that support more than 65,000 financial advisors who oversee approximately $8.5 trillion in end-client assets.

We are seeking a highly experienced, versatile team member to join the Founder/CEO’s team to plan and execute his full calendar of events and to support Executive Assistant and Personal Assistant work across his office. The CEO serves as both CEO of CAIS and Chairman of an external organization (Museum/Nonprofit), with associated board responsibilities. Reporting to the Chief of Staff, this individual will work as a cross-trained partner with the existing Executive Assistant, fully versed in both executive and personal assistance, so that either can seamlessly cover the other. This is a mission-critical, highly visible role requiring exceptional judgment, discretion, and operational excellence.

The ideal candidate thrives in a fast-paced, high-expectation environment, brings elite attention to detail, and operates as a true extension of the executive. Events are the priority focus of this role, with executive and personal assistant responsibilities shared with the Executive Assistant. The role partners closely with the Marketing team, which leads CEO participation in company and industry events and related communications, to ensure the CEO’s calendar, travel, and commitments are seamlessly coordinated. This position demands a high degree of ownership, adaptability, trust, and responsiveness aligned with the CEO’s schedule, including evenings and weekends, and is best suited for someone energized by an always-on executive environment.

Responsibilities: 

Event Planning (Priority Focus)

• Build and maintain an annual calendar of CEO-hosted and CEO-attended events, in partnership with the CEO and Chief of Staff
• Plan events end to end, from intimate gatherings to large-scale experiences and multi-day domestic and international trips
• Design detailed itineraries covering activities, dining, transportation, and guest experience
• Source, negotiate with, and manage venues, restaurants, travel partners, and on-the-ground coordinators
• Manage guest lists, invitations, RSVPs, preferences, and follow-up
• Own event budgets and contracts, execute on-site, and run post-event debriefs to build a repeatable playbook
• Partner with Marketing on CEO involvement in company and industry events while Marketing leads event content, programming, and communications

Executive & Personal Support (Partnering with the EA)

• Complex calendar management, expenses, and approvals, and provide coverage during absences or peak periods
• Operate as a cross-trained team with the EA, so that either can cover the other’s executive and personal assistance responsibilities
• Partner closely with senior leadership to ensure seamless execution of the CEO’s agenda, priorities, and external obligations
• Personal and family logistics, including his personal calendar, reservations, and coordinating with family members on appointments and scheduling
• Business and personal travel logistics, including flights, accommodations, ground transportation, itineraries, and real-time adjustments
• Handle personal expenses, vendors, and administrative tasks with precision and discretion
• Anticipate needs and resolve issues before they reach the CEO

Administrative & Operational Excellence

• Handle expenses, approvals, and administrative workflows with precision, urgency, and sound judgement
• Take detailed, accurate meeting notes and track follow-ups to completion
• Manage highly sensitive and confidential information with the utmost discretion and integrity
• Serve as a trusted gatekeeper and point of contact, representing the CEO with professionalism, confidence, and gravitas

Network Management (with the Chief of Staff and EA)

• Maintain and curate executive relationship and event attendee data, history, preferences, and meeting intelligence within Salesforce, ensuring the CEO is consistently prepared for high-impact interactions
• Recommend who to invite, host, or reconnect with, and use events to strengthen key relationships

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree required
• Demonstrated experience supporting Founder-level or C-Suite executives in a fast-paced, high-performance environment; financial services, fintech, or adjacent industries preferred
• 5+ years of experience combining event planning with executive and personal assistant support to a Founder, C-Suite, or HNW principal
• Proven record of planning complex, multi-vendor, multi-day events, including destination or international
• Refined taste and strong vendor relationships (or the ability to build them quickly), with budgeting and vendor negotiation skills
• Expert-level calendar, travel, logistics and time management skills; thrives in complexity and constant change
• Strong judgment, discretion, and emotional intelligence; trusted with highly sensitive information
• Ability to operate independently, anticipate needs, and execute with minimal direction; brings an inherent desire to learn
• Exceptional organizational, prioritization, and execution skills
• High emotional intelligence, sound judgment, and excellent interpersonal skills
• Clear, concise written and verbal communication skills
• Structured, strategic thinker with the ability to break complex situations into actionable steps
• Advanced working knowledge of Microsoft Office (including Excel and PowerPoint), and experience maintaining CRM’s (Salesforce preferred)
• Availability to work from CAIS’ NYC office ~4 days per week, with flexibility to support the CEO outside standard business hours as required
• Foundational knowledge of the finance industry and basic financial terminology strongly preferred
• Applied AI Execution: Demonstrated experience integrating generative AI tools (such as ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot) into daily workflows.

CAIS is consistently recognized as a Best Place to Work, and our culture is at the heart of our success. We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where employees can be their most authentic selves and feel inspired and supported to bring their voice forward to drive community, growth, and innovation. We are an equal opportunity employer, and do not discriminate on the basis of any protected attribute, including race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital or veteran status, pregnancy or disability, or any other basis protected under applicable law.  Learn more about our culture, benefits, and people at https://www.caisgroup.com/our-company/careers. 

CAIS’ compensation package includes a market competitive salary, a performance bonus, and exceptional benefits. If you are located in New York, New York, the base salary range for this role is $90,000 - $115,000. Actual compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, and specific office location. 

CAIS offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes generously subsidized healthcare with 100% employer paid dental and vision insurance, an employer matched retirement plan, wellness programs, and generous PTO and parental leave. Additionally, CAIS offers a flexible, hybrid in-office model; for most roles, we do require a minimum of 3 days in office per week.  For more information on our benefits and career opportunities, please visit our website: https://www.caisgroup.com/our-company/careers.