The posting
Position : Senior Executive Assistant Salary : $1,500 - $3,000 Working Hours & Conditions : Full-time, NZ Hours Employment : Independent Contractor
Role Overview
We are seeking an exceptional Executive Assistant who will operate as a true Executive Business Partner to Head of Brand & Customer.
This is not a traditional calendar-and-inbox EA role. The successful candidate will become the executive’s right hand, taking ownership across project coordination, meeting preparation, marketing operations, communications, systems and processes, travel, inbox and calendar management, and personal administration.
The core objective is to increase the executive’s bandwidth by anticipating what needs to happen, solving problems independently, coordinating others, and ensuring important priorities continue moving without requiring constant executive oversight.
The scope is deliberately broad and the ceiling is high. The more context, trust, and capability the successful candidate develops, the more they will own.
Key Responsibilities
Inbox, Calendar & Travel Management
- Maintain a highly organised and tightly triaged executive inbox
- Understand key contacts and how different communications should be prioritised and handled
- Ensure important emails are never missed, incorrectly filed, archived, or filtered
- Prepare draft responses and track messages requiring follow-up
- Plan and protect the executive’s calendar 2–4+ weeks ahead
- Ensure calendar entries contain relevant context, agendas, interview notes, preparation links, and dial-in details
- Identify and resolve scheduling conflicts proactively
- Coordinate domestic and international travel end-to-end
- Research and present suitable travel and accommodation options
- Prepare comprehensive itineraries and supporting information
- Learn executive preferences and incorporate them into future planning
Personal & Executive Administration
- Handle personal administration and logistics where required
- Coordinate bookings, appointments, and arrangements
- Conduct research and information gathering
- Prepare documents, reports, and presentations
- Maintain organised digital files and documentation
- Assist with ad hoc executive and personal requirements
This has to be flawless. Nothing missed, lost, mis-filed, or accidentally archived or sent to spam. Inbox tightly triaged with a clear understanding of who the key contacts are and how each should be handled. Drafts prepared in anticipation of responses. Calendar planned and protected 2-4+ weeks ahead, with detailed context built into every entry (interview notes, meeting agendas, dial-in details, prep links). Trips documented and planned end-to-end, with accommodation options presented and preferences learned and refined over time. Personal administration handled without it ever needing to be asked for.
Project & Team Coordination
- Keep projects, deadlines, deliverables, and follow-ups on track across the team
- Maintain clear visibility over the status, ownership, and next actions for key initiatives
- Proactively follow up internal and external stakeholders
- Identify projects or deliverables that are beginning to stall and intervene early
- Coordinate cross-functional activity and ensure commitments are followed through
- Provide clear progress updates and escalate genuine risks where appropriate
- Take project-management responsibility away from the executive wherever possible
- Ensure the executive does not need to continually chase people for updates or outstanding actions
Meeting Preparation & Executive Readiness
- Coordinate meetings and ensure the executive is fully prepared for important conversations
- Help set agendas based on current priorities and business context
- Prepare briefing notes, summaries, supporting documents, and relevant background information
- Gather information from team members and stakeholders ahead of meetings
- Ensure calendar entries contain relevant agendas, links, notes, and preparation materials
- Capture key actions and ensure post-meeting commitments are followed through
- Anticipate what information the executive will need before being asked
Marketing & Production Operations
- Provide hands-on operational support across brand and marketing activities
- Coordinate marketing productions, campaigns, and related projects
- Source and communicate with suppliers and service providers
- Obtain, compare, and negotiate supplier proposals where required
- Research and vet talent, creators, partners, and external resources
- Conduct outreach and coordinate responses
- Maintain timelines, deliverables, documentation, and follow-ups
- Help solve practical problems that arise during marketing execution
This role requires someone willing to engage with the work itself rather than simply administer it.
Systems, Processes & AI Workflows
- Identify recurring activities that can be turned into documented, repeatable processes
- Build and improve workflows for projects, reporting, inbox management, travel, and other recurring responsibilities
- Create templates, checklists, trackers, and operating systems
- Improve how information is captured, organised, and communicated
- Identify repetitive work that can be streamlined or automated
- Use AI tools to improve productivity, research, communication, and workflows
- Build practical AI-enabled processes where appropriate
- Use Notion or similar structured workflow tools to create visibility and accountability
- Continuously improve systems so recurring problems are solved rather than repeatedly managed
Communications & Follow-Up
- Draft clear and professional communications on behalf of the executive
- Learn the executive’s communication style and progressively prepare responses in her voice
- Proactively contact internal and external stakeholders to progress outstanding actions
- Follow up commitments, requests, and deadlines
- Prepare draft responses before they are requested
- Send routine communications on the executive’s behalf where authorised
- Maintain a high standard of written communication across all interactions
Overall you should anticipate routine administrative needs rather than waiting for them to be assigned
Tools & Systems
- AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, or similar – strong capability required
- Notion (essential) or similar structured workflow/project management platforms
- Microsoft 365 / Google Workspace
- Email and calendar management platforms
- Project and task management tools
- Microsoft Excel / Google Sheets
- Communication and collaboration platforms
- Cloud-based document management systems
Requirements
- 8+ years years of experience in a role providing broad, end-to-end exposure to how a business operates
- Demonstrated experience owning business outcomes rather than simply completing assigned tasks
- Experience making independent decisions and being trusted with meaningful responsibilities
- Experience coordinating people, projects, priorities, and deadlines
- Proven experience building or improving a process, system, or workflow
- Exceptional written English and professional communication skills
- Excellent organisational skills and very high attention to detail
- Strong commercial judgement and business understanding
- Strong research and problem-solving capability
- Ability to work effectively with ambiguity and limited instruction
- Ability to anticipate needs and identify risks before they become urgent
- Strong practical experience using AI tools
- Experience with Notion or similar workflow platforms
- High level of discretion and ability to handle confidential information
- Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent professional track record
- Ability to work full-time with strong daily overlap to New Zealand business hours
Highly Desirable
- Experience within a fast-paced, high-growth business
- Previous experience in operations, finance, banking, engineering, partnerships, account management, or project management
- Founder’s Office, Chief of Staff-style, or startup generalist experience
- Senior-level Executive Assistant or Executive Business Partner experience
- Experience supporting senior executives with significant business responsibilities
- Experience coordinating marketing or production activities
- Experience building AI-enabled workflows or automations
- Previous experience supporting a New Zealand, Australian, US, or international business
