Executive Assistant

Department:

Customer Experience & Innovation

Our Company Promise

We are committed to provide our Employees a stable work environment with equal opportunity for learning and personal growth. Creativity and innovation are encouraged for improving the effectiveness of Southwest Airlines. Above all, Employees will be provided the same concern, respect, and caring attitude within the organization that they are expected to share externally with every Southwest Customer.

Job Description:

As an Executive Assistant supporting Customer Experience & Innovation, you’ll play a central role in helping Southwest design and deliver a joyful day of travel for our Customers. This Team shapes everything from airport and cabin environments to WiFi, communications, and the interactions Customers have with our People—while keeping a constant pulse on satisfaction, sentiment, and future‑forward innovations. In this role, you’ll provide foundational support to Senior Leaders by managing complex calendars, coordinating travel (including up to 2–3 days of monthly support travel), preparing materials, and ensuring seamless day‑to‑day operations across a highly visible organization. You’ll handle communications on behalf of the Executive, support departmental budgets and processes, manage key deadlines, and help foster a Culture of teamwork, inclusion, and excellence. By anticipating needs, solving problems, and maintaining strong organization, you’ll enable Leadership to stay focused on advancing the experiences that keep Southwest competitive and Customers delighted.

Additional details

• The culture of Southwest Airlines means we value the camaraderie, collaboration, and innovation that occurs when we come together and interact face-to-face at our vibrant Corporate Campus. Due to the nature of this role, you would be required to work from our Dallas, TX Headquarters facility during business hours. 

• U.S. citizenship or current authorization to work in the U.S. required and no current or future work authorization sponsorship available.

We’re committed to fair hiring practices and to making employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, military or veteran status, disability, genetic information, or other legally protected characteristics. 

Responsibilities

• Develop a foundational understanding of Executive’s business priorities, department strategy and organizational structure to provide seamless support
• Identify and escalate problems, evaluate solutions and determine when Executive action is required
• Coordinate daily administrative operations including calendar, travel, meeting, and department logistics, etc.
• Manage Executive’s inbox including read, sort, route, prioritize and distribute incoming mail or other materials
• Provide Executive with pertinent materials and preparation for meetings
• Distribute communications on behalf of the Executive, ranging from Employee communications, messages, reports and presentations, and external business, as required, ensuring consistency of the Executive’s voice across memos, presentations, social media, and department content; proof read and edit content
• Support departmental operations including finances, budget preparation, expense reports, policy and procedures, and personnel issues
• Assist with project management, manage deadlines for Executive and Team, may create or edit simple presentations
• Manage and maintain Executive’s records and filing systems, comply with record retention policies and legal holds as needed
• Provides guidance and mentorship to members of the administrative community
• May perform other job duties as directed by Employee’s Leaders

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of administrative and business operations, including office systems, record keeping, and general business management principles
• Knowledge of principles and processes for providing Customer and personal services, including Customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of Customer Satisfaction
• Skilled in project management, managing one's own time and the time of others, and the ability to multi-task and pivot tasks unexpectedly
• Skilled in making complex travel arrangements, advising on routes and options
• Skilled in communicating effectively as appropriate for the needs of the audience both in verbally and in writing
• Skilled in using Microsoft Office Suite, including Teams and technology platforms and ability to do troubleshooting for Executive
• Ability to prioritize, manage and balance multiple priorities and competing request