Strategic Executive Business Partner
Role Overview
The Strategic Executive Business Partner is a highly trusted, senior-level partner to the CEO and a full member of the Senior Executive Team (SET). This role sits at the intersection of executive operations, strategy execution, and governance, with accountability for driving discipline, clarity, and follow-through across the CEO’s priorities and the SET.
As the business scales and complexity increases, this role ensures the CEO and Senior Executive Team remain aligned, disciplined, and focused on the highest-value work – without surprises, dropped balls, or miscommunication.
In addition, this role is a key partner with the Executive Administrative staff ensuring all elements of logistics for company and executive events, communications, etc. are well-managed in a proactive manner.
Core Responsibilities
CEO Partnership & Daily Operating Rhythm
- Serve as the CEO’s strategic operating partner, providing daily structure, prioritization, and accountability.
- Lead a daily CEO check-in and prioritization.
- Anticipate needs, surface risks early, and ensure nothing falls through the cracks as scope and pace increase.
Senior Executive Team (SET) Leadership
- Act as a full, accountable member of the Senior Executive Team, serving as the connective tissue across functions.
- Own SET meeting cadence, agendas, facilitation, documentation, and follow-up.
- Drive consistency and discipline across SET information management, communication norms, and operating rhythms.
- Serve as the informal “accountability police,” ensuring commitments are tracked, deadlines are met, and decisions are executed.
- Lead offsite planning, including agendas, materials, note-taking, follow-up, and quarterly goal reviews.
- Support talent reviews and functional updates, with topics aligned to quarterly Board priorities.
Board & Governance Ownership
- Own all Board and Committee materials end-to-end in partnership with the CEO and SET
- Coordinate with executives to gather inputs, synthesize content, and ensure high-quality, concise presentations.
- Enforce discipline around timing, ensuring Board materials are prepared, finalized, and distributed.
- Ensure Board discussions, decisions, and expectations are clearly translated into executive-level action.
Communications & Follow-Through
- Own executive-level communications on behalf of the CEO, ensuring clarity, alignment, and professionalism.
- Provide continuous updates, ask thoughtful questions, absorb context quickly, and avoid repeated clarification requests.
- Ensure meeting outcomes are translated into clear actions, owners, and timelines.
Relationship Management & Onboarding
- Build strong, trusted relationships with the CEO and each SET member.
- Partner closely with executives to support alignment, communication, and follow-through.
- Support onboarding and integration of new executives, ensuring clarity around expectations, cadence, and norms.
Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree
- 7+ years of experience in activities such as enterprise-level roles, strategy, finance, human resources, general management, or project/program management
- Proven experience navigating and supporting leadership through executive transitions, sale transactions and/or high-growth periods
- Demonstrated success working closely with senior executives and cross-functional teams
- Experience in a PE-owned portfolio company preferred
- Thrive in ambiguity while bringing structure, calm, and clarity
- Demonstrate sound judgment, discretion, and executive presence
- Be proactive, organized, and relentlessly reliable
- Communicate constantly and clearly without over-asking or over-escalating
Submit Your Resume
ABOUT SKYWATER SEARCH
Start with your Short List
Led by a group of seasoned search industry professionals, SkyWater Search Partners brings new focus to a novel concept, “Short List Search.” Our purpose is to leave a lasting impression on the clients we serve by providing individuals who will make a measurable difference in their business. We strive to consistently deliver great results to our clients in a very timely manner.
Practice Areas
Our practice areas are led by highly experienced executive recruiters who take great care in fully understanding client requirements and candidate qualifications.
• Accounting and Finance
• Information Technology
• Operations
• Engineering
• Sales
• Marketing
• Human Resources
• Legal
• Construction
• Supply Chain
• Consumer Package Goods (CPG)
Founded on long-standing relationships and hundreds of successful placements throughout the Twin Cities business community, SkyWater Search Partners is a proven resource for clients and candidates looking to quickly and confidently explore their “short list” of best choices. Count on us to find the best people – and the best fit.