Executive Assistant jobs in South Africa

Heidrick & Struggles is a premier provider of global leadership advisory and on‑demand talent solutions, serving the senior‑level talent and consulting needs of the world's top organizations. In our role as trusted leadership advisors, we partner with our clients to develop future‑ready leaders and organizations, bringing together our services and offerings in executive search, diversity and inclusion, leadership assessment and development, organization and team acceleration, culture shaping and on‑demand, independent talent solutions.

Heidrick & Struggles (H&S) pioneered the profession of executive search more than 70 years ago. Today, the firm provides integrated talent and human capital solutions to help our clients change the world, one leadership team at a time.®

Additional information on the firm can be found at www.heidrick.com.

Heidrick Consulting (HC) serves as the firm’s leadership advisory arm. We are a team passionate about enabling a world better led. The Executive Assistant (EA) role is a critical business support position, providing proactive, high‑quality executive support to Partners and Principals. As an EA, you will enable leaders to operate at their best by managing complex diaries and inboxes, coordinating meetings and logistics, preparing materials, and ensuring priorities are effectively balanced across client delivery, business development, and firm initiatives. The role works within a standardized operating model while applying judgement, discretion, and flexibility to meet individual leadership needs. It is ideally suited to someone who thrives in a fast‑paced, professional services environment, demonstrates exceptional organisational and stakeholder‑management skills, and takes pride in delivering accurate, timely, and high‑quality output while contributing to a collaborative, high‑performing EA team.

• Provide full executive support to Partners/Principals, anticipating needs and managing competing priorities.
• Deliver comprehensive diary and inbox management, ensuring effective use of time and prompt responses.
• Prepare leaders for meetings with relevant materials, briefings, and follow‑up actions.
• Coordinate meetings, workshops, offsites, and events, including logistics and materials.
• Arrange travel and accommodation in line with firm policy.
• Produce and edit professional documents, presentations, and reports (PowerPoint, Word, Excel).
• Manage expenses and timesheets accurately and on schedule.
• Collaborate with Business Managers to align scheduling with utilisation and project priorities.
• Provide cover and support to other EAs as part of the wider team.

• Support client relationship management and business development activity through systems such as Latitude.
• Maintain and update client contact databases and pipelines, ensuring data accuracy.
• Schedule and track client meetings, ensuring engagement and pipeline targets are met.
• Prepare materials and meeting packs to support client interactions.
• Coordinate with Marketing and Communications to align client engagement activities.
• Manage the contract and terms and conditions process, ensuring timely completion and escalation of issues.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with client EAs and key stakeholders.
• Share client insights and industry updates to support proactive engagement.

• Act as a professional and discreet ambassador of Heidrick & Struggles, always representing firm values.
• Handle confidential and sensitive information with discretion and professionalism.
• Collaborate across the global EA community and consulting teams to share best practice and drive consistency.
• Contribute to team culture, connectivity, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Identify and implement process improvements to increase efficiency and service quality.
• Participate in meetings to stay informed of partner pipelines, project opportunities, and firm priorities.

• Effectively use firm systems, including Latitude, PeopleSoft, Box, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Heidrick Gateway.
• Apply appropriate templates, branding, and file management practices.
• Maintain compliance with firm administrative and operational policies.
• Support accurate documentation, reporting, and data integrity across systems.

• Strong judgment, discretion, and professionalism.
• Excellent organisation, time management, and attention to detail.
• Proactive, adaptable, and solutions‑focused under pressure.
• Strong stakeholder and relationship management skills.
• Team‑oriented, collaborative, and committed to continuous improvement.
• High degree of confidentiality and integrity.

• Effective management of Partner/Principal time and priorities.
• High‑quality, timely, and accurate output of deliverables.
• Strong client and stakeholder feedback.
• Consistency with HC EA model standards and processes.
• Active contribution to a cohesive, high‑performing EA team.