Assistant roles for Biotech & Life Sciences
Executive, research-operations, vendor and finance admin for biotech and life sciences companies, outside GxP decisions. Every role is dedicated, on a customized schedule based on your needs and budget.
How dedicated assistants fit biotech & life sciences
Roles on this page:
Early and mid-stage biotech companies run lean. Scientists and executives end up booking CRO calls, chasing vendor quotes, organizing board materials and filing documents into the right folder.
A dedicated remote assistant can take the administrative layer: calendars, vendor and contract admin, document organization and finance support. Quality decisions, regulated records sign-off and anything requiring scientific judgment stay with your team.
Executive assistant to the CEO / CSO
Runs the executive's calendar across time zones, investor and partner meetings, and board logistics.
Related specialization: Executive Assistants
Day-to-day tasks
- Manage calendar, travel and meeting prep across partner time zones
- Prepare board and investor meeting logistics and document packets
- Track action items from leadership meetings
- Coordinate conference attendance and abstracts deadlines
- Manage the executive's inbox to an agreed zero-state
- Keep a confidential contact and relationship log
KPIs to track
- Meetings rescheduled due to conflicts
- Board packets delivered on the agreed timeline
- Action items closed on time
- Executive inbox at zero-state
Targets are set with you on the fit call, based on your own baseline.
Tools they work in
Your accounts, named logins, your access policies.
Sample weekly cadence
| Daily | Inbox and calendar |
|---|---|
| Mon | Week-ahead brief |
| Wed | Action-item tracker |
| Fri | Next-week prep |
Research operations coordinator
Supports lab and program teams with vendor, CRO and sample-shipment logistics and meeting management.
Related specialization: Project Management Coordinators
Day-to-day tasks
- Schedule CRO, CDMO and vendor meetings and take action-item notes
- Track purchase requests, quotes and delivery dates
- Coordinate shipment paperwork prepared by the lab team
- Maintain program timelines and milestone trackers
- Organize study and program documents into the controlled folder structure
- Prepare weekly program status summaries
KPIs to track
- Purchase requests aging past the agreed window
- Milestone tracker currency
- Vendor meeting notes delivered same day
- Status summary on time
Targets are set with you on the fit call, based on your own baseline.
Tools they work in
Your accounts, named logins, your access policies.
Sample weekly cadence
| Mon | Program tracker refresh |
|---|---|
| Tue | Vendor and CRO follow-ups |
| Thu | Purchase-request review |
| Fri | Weekly status summary |
Contracts and vendor administration assistant
Keeps NDAs, MSAs and statements of work moving through review and signature, and maintains the contract register.
Related specialization: Procurement & Purchasing Assistants
Day-to-day tasks
- Log incoming NDAs and agreements and route to counsel
- Track redline versions and signature status
- Maintain the contract register with renewal and expiry dates
- Collect vendor onboarding documents
- Prepare renewal reminders
- File executed agreements
KPIs to track
- Agreements waiting on internal action
- Renewals flagged ahead of the notice date
- Register completeness
- Turnaround from request to routed
Targets are set with you on the fit call, based on your own baseline.
Tools they work in
Your accounts, named logins, your access policies.
Sample weekly cadence
| Daily | Intake and routing |
|---|---|
| Tue | Signature chase |
| Thu | Register update |
| Fri | Renewals report |
Finance and grants assistant
Supports the finance lead with AP, expense reports, grant reporting schedules and audit prep requests.
Related specialization: AP/AR Specialists
Day-to-day tasks
- Process vendor invoices for approval
- Reconcile corporate card transactions and receipts
- Track grant reporting deadlines and gather inputs
- Prepare audit PBC lists for the controller
- Maintain vendor master data with verified changes
- Prepare monthly spend-by-program reports
KPIs to track
- Invoices waiting for coding
- Receipts missing at month-end
- Grant deadlines missed (target: none)
- PBC items delivered on time
Targets are set with you on the fit call, based on your own baseline.
Tools they work in
Your accounts, named logins, your access policies.
Sample weekly cadence
| Daily | AP intake |
|---|---|
| Tue | Card reconciliation |
| Thu | Grant tracker |
| Fri | Spend report |
What these roles do not do
Clear boundaries protect you, your clients and your assistant. They are written into each scope of work.
No GxP quality decisions, batch or data review, or sign-off on regulated records; assistants organize documents and track dates only.
No regulatory submissions authorship or scientific judgment.
Clinical-trial data with personal information is out of scope unless your agreements and data protection officer approve it in writing.
Export-controlled technical data is out of scope for offshore or nearshore assistants.
General information only, not legal, tax or compliance advice. Your compliance owner decides what applies to your business.
From fit call to a working role
1. Fit call
We map your workload against the roles above and recommend where to start.
2. Shortlist
You interview pre-vetted candidates screened for this industry's tools and workflows.
3. Onboarding
Least-privilege access, your SOPs and a written 30-day plan with the KPIs above.
4. Managed quality
Weekly scorecards and coaching from your ExecWing account lead.
Biotech & Life Sciences roles: common questions
Can an assistant work in our validated systems?
Only as your quality team allows. Many companies keep assistants in non-validated tools (calendar, procurement, shared drives) and give view-only access elsewhere.
Can they help with board meetings?
Yes: scheduling, packet assembly from final documents, logistics and minutes support for your corporate secretary.
What about confidentiality?
Assistants sign confidentiality agreements, work in your accounts with least-privilege access, and keep nothing on local devices.
Which biotech & life sciences role should you start with?
Book a 20-minute fit call. We'll map your workload to these roles and tell you honestly where a dedicated assistant helps most.