Administrative Partner

What if the work you did every day could impact the lives of people you know? Or all of humanity?At Illumina, we are expanding access to genomic technology to realize health equity for billions of people around the world. Our efforts enable life-changing discoveries that are transforming human health through the early detection and diagnosis of diseases and new treatment options for patients.Working at Illumina means being part of something bigger than yourself. Every person, in every role, has the opportunity to make a difference. Surrounded by extraordinary people, inspiring leaders, and world changing projects, you will do more and become more than you ever thought possible.Position SummaryIllumina is seeking an experienced Administrative Partner to provide strategic, high-impact support to the Vice President, Global Head of Advanced Science and a Senior Director. This role is based on-site 5 days per week at Illumina's San Diego headquarters and serves as a trusted partner to executive leadership.The Administrative Partner will own cross-functional coordination, strategic execution, and support in the introduction of AI-driven tools to accelerate research and enhance operational efficiency across a distributed, global organization spanning five sites (San Diego, Cambridge UK, Singapore, Boulder CO, Madison WI). This is a complex, fast-paced environment requiring independent judgment, strategic thinking, and the ability to influence and coordinate across multiple teams and geographies without direct authority. Understanding of scientific and technical context is essential to engage meaningfully with research teams during staff meetings and strategic discussions.Key ResponsibilitiesStrategic Execution & Operating Plans: Translate executive goals and priorities into actionable operating plans, track progress against key milestones, identify and remove blockers, and hold team owners accountable for delivery. Serve as the connective tissue between leadership vision and team execution.Calendar & Time Management: Own and strategically manage complex executive calendars for VP and other executives (up to 2 senior directors), thoughtfully prioritizing critical business activities, governance forums, board activities, cross-functional engagements, and site-specific meetings. Ensure optimal use of leadership time and maintain deep understanding of priorities, preferences, and operating rhythms.Global Coordination: Coordinate logistics and communications for multi-site team engagements across geographies, including travel, meeting preparation, materials coordination, and stakeholder alignment across five global locations. Support leadership presence and effectiveness in managing distributed teams.Cross-Functional Partnership Coordination: Coordinate complex internal and external partnerships, research initiatives, and collaborative projects. Act as the primary liaison between leadership and cross-functional teams, managing communication, alignment, decision gates, and deliverable tracking. Support strategic partnerships with external organizations and maintain stakeholder relationships.AI & ML Tool Integration: Support and participate in the research, evaluation, implementation, and optimization of AI-driven tools that enhance operational effectiveness, accelerate workflows, and improve overall team productivity. Help identify high-impact tools and methodologies, coordinate pilots, support adoption efforts, and track impact. This includes leveraging AI solutions to streamline processes, enable data-driven decision-making, and drive continuous improvement across functions.Meeting & Event Coordination: Plan and execute high-visibility meetings, workshops, off-sites, social events and collaborative working sessions for leadership and broader team engagement. Coordinate both on-site and distributed/virtual meetings ensuring operational excellence, technology support, and effective outcomes.Relationship Building & Team Influence: Develop strong, collaborative working relationships with leaders, direct reports, peer teams, and external partners across sites and functions. Act as an ambassador and advocate for new tools and methodologies. Build trust, foster engagement, and influence adoption through positive relationships and clear communication.Project & Initiative Management: Support high-impact strategic projects and special initiatives based on business priorities. Own project scoping, timeline development, resource coordination, stakeholder communication, and delivery tracking.Administrative Excellence: Manage expense reporting and financial administration with accuracy and timeliness. Handle confidential information and sensitive communications with sound judgment and discretion. Exercise independent judgment on behalf of executives and their teams within established guidelines.Collaboration & Process Improvement: Collaborate with peer administrative partners across Illumina to ensure effective executive coverage and contribute to process standardization and continuous improvement.Business Partnership: Demonstrate strong business acumen and partnership with leaders across departments, functions, sites, and geographies. Serve as an internal ambassador for Illumina, exhibiting professionalism, positivity, and company values.Required Knowledge, Skills & AbilitiesScientific Context & Literacy: Willingness to learn basic understanding of chemistry, physics, or biology fundamentals to be able to follow conversations with staff and demonstrate basic ability to understand research concepts, laboratory workflows, and scientific priorities discussed at staff meetings. This will enable meaningful engagement with R&D teams and contribution to strategic discussions about scientific direction and execution.Strategic Thinking & Execution: Ability to understand business strategy, translate goals into actionable plans, anticipate bottlenecks, and drive proactive solutions. Comfort with ambiguity and ability to w