Secretary / Executive Assistant

Role Summary

We are seeking a highly organized, relentless, and fiercely loyal Executive Assistant (EA) to support our Managing Director (MD). In this role, you will act as the direct "voice" of the MD, taking over all day-to-day coordination, follow-ups, and administrative execution so the MD can focus purely on strategic thinking and decision-making. We are looking for someone with exceptional grit and follow-through—think of the dedication and resilience of Andrea Sachs from The Devil Wears Prada.

Key Responsibilities

1. Task Delegation & Rigorous Follow-Up: Act as the MD's representative to assign daily tasks to company staff. Secure commitment times and follow up relentlessly until tasks are completed.
2. Email & Communication Management: Take complete ownership of the MD's primary inbox (Outlook/Gmail). Read, route, and draft responses to incoming correspondence.
3. Gatekeeping: Field forwarded calls and manage the MD's calendar, serving as the primary point of contact for internal staff and external clients.
4. Comprehensive Research: Conduct in-depth Google research on various topics, aggregate data, and provide printed/formatted summaries for the MD's review.
5. Resource Coordination: Direct and manage the daily activities of an assigned office runner/assistant.
6. Personal Assistance: Handle personal tasks and errands for the MD seamlessly, including booking tickets, making reservations, and coordinating personal appointments or household repairs.

Required Qualifications & Experience

1. Experience: 3 to 5 years of steady experience as an Executive Assistant, Secretary to an MD, or in a rigorous administrative/office coordination role.
2. Education: Graduation from a recognized secretarial college or equivalent educational background is highly preferred.
3. Stability: A track record of job stability and reliability; frequent job-hopping is a disqualifier.

Essential Skills

1. Exceptional Follow-Up: This is the most critical requirement. You must possess an airtight system for tracking and rolling over daily tasks without letting anything slip through the cracks.
2. Assertive Communication: The ability to confidently hold senior staff members accountable to deadlines on behalf of the MD, handling pushback with grace and firmness.
3. Technical Proficiency: Advanced working knowledge of MS Office. You must be highly proficient in Excel (including Pivot Tables, VLOOKUP/HLOOKUP) and Word.
4. Language Skills: Excellent written and spoken English.
5. Shorthand: Proficiency in shorthand for rapid dictation and note-taking.
6. High Integrity: Demonstrable honesty and trustworthiness, as verified by rigorous background and reference checks.