Executive Support Coordinator

Smart PA; India; On-site; ZAR 240,000 - 360,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Flexible core hours

Career development opportunities

Employee assistance programme

Positive people-first culture

Job summary

SmartPA is hiring an Executive Support Coordinator in South Africa to support a group of senior leaders across EMEA. You will own calendars, travel, and expenses, ensuring leaders stay focused and productive while representing SmartPA professionally.

Ideal candidates thrive in fast-paced environments, work independently, and stay ahead of scheduling conflicts. This remote role aligns with UK hours and offers ongoing development within our Centre of Excellence.

Qualifications

• 2+ years managing complex calendars, scheduling and travel
• Ability to work independently and find sensible solutions
• Good business awareness with sound judgement
• Experience using calendar and productivity tools across time zones
• Clear, confident communication for diverse audiences
• Proficient use of Google Workspace and online tools
• High attention to detail with discretion handling sensitive info
• Willingness to learn and improve processes
• Familiarity with AI tools for research or admin tasks (desirable)

Responsibilities

• Manage multi-region calendars and resolve clashes independently
• Plan international travel itineraries and process expenses
• Represent SmartPA professionally and build trusted relationships
• Protect leaders' time and enable focus by efficient scheduling
• Adapt tone for different audiences and maintain discretion
• Collaborate with teams to keep operations running smoothly

Skills

Calendar management

Independent thinking

Business awareness

Calendar tools

Communication

Google Workspace

Attention to detail

Discretion

Problem solving

Process improvement

AI tools

Tools

Google Workspace

Job description

The Role

This role sits within our Centre of Excellence - the engine room where SmartPA's strategy comes to life - and is dedicated to one of our key client accounts, a global tech leader.

As an Executive Support Coordinator, you'll be a right hand to a group of senior leaders, starting with an initial group of 6 leaders across EMEA, with room for this to grow. Rather than handling one-off admin requests, you'll get to know how each leader works and take genuine ownership of keeping their day running smoothly - managing calendars, arranging travel and expenses, and protecting the time they need to focus.

You'll be trusted to make sensible decisions on your own, spotting a scheduling conflict before it becomes a problem, or working out the best way to fit everything in, rather than needing to check in on every small thing.

This role suits someone who enjoys staying a step ahead, is comfortable working things out independently, and takes pride in being the person leaders know they can rely on.

Key Responsibilities and Skills

What your day will look like

Calendar Management

• Managing busy, multi-region calendars - spotting and resolving clashes independently, and making sure schedules reflect what actually matters to the business
• Regularly reviewing diaries to spot patterns that aren't working, cut down on unnecessary interruptions, and protect time for focused work

Travel & Expenses

• Planning international travel itineraries from start to finish
• Processing expenses accurately, promptly and in line with company policy

Working With Others

• Representing SmartPA professionally in all your interactions
• Building genuine, trusted relationships with the people you support and the wider teams you work alongside, to keep things running smoothly

Skills

What we're looking for

Someone who thrives in a fast-paced, ever-changing environment and is genuinely good at staying one step ahead. You understand why something is being asked, not just what's being asked, and you spot potential problems before they happen - without needing to be told what to do next.

You’ll thrive in this role if you:

• Enjoy working things out independently and making sound judgment calls
• Stay calm and organised even when priorities shift quickly
• Naturally think ahead and spot problems before they arise
• Communicate clearly and confidently, whatever the audience
• Take pride in getting the details right, every time

Experience

What You Bring

We hire for mindset as much as background - a strong sense of ownership and a willingness to learn go a long way.

Essential

• At least 2 years' experience managing complex calendars, scheduling and travel - whether from a PA/EA background or a similar operational coordination role
• A proven ability to work through tricky situations independently and find sensible solutions with minimal guidance
• Good business awareness, with the confidence to ask the right questions and use good judgement
• Experience using modern calendar and productivity tools, including handling time-zone differences and cutting down on unnecessary meetings
• The ability to naturally adjust your tone - from a quick message to a technical colleague, to a more formal update for senior leaders
• Strong, confident use of Google Workspace (Calendar, Sheets, Docs, Slides, Drive) and other online communication tools
• A high level of attention to detail and complete discretion when handling sensitive information

Desirable

While not essential, the following would be advantageous:

• An interest in improving how things are done - spotting opportunities to simplify processes and reduce manual work
• Hands‑on experience using AI tools (such as Gemini) to speed up research, data handling or day-to-day admin

Work Remotely

Yes

Schedule

• Start date: Immediate / As soon as possible
• Location: South Africa, Remote
• Schedule: Monday to Friday, aligned with UK working hours (09:00–17:30 UK time)
  • South Africa Standard Time (SAST) alignment:
    • 29 March – 25 October (UK BST): 10:00–18:30 SAST
    • 26 October – 28 March (UK GMT): 11:00–19:30 SAST

Job Type

Full-time, permanent (37.5 hours per week)

What's in it for you?

What We Offer

We’re ambitious about where we’re going and we’re looking for people who want to grow with us.

• Competitive salary
• 33 days holiday
• Flexitime (core hours: 10:00–16:30)
• Ongoing development and career opportunities
• Department incentives
• Employee Assistance Programme (including access to counselling services, finance support, legal support, etc.)
• A genuinely positive, people-first culture

About us

SmartPA delivers world-class, human-centred, tech-enabled PA and business support to organisations of all sizes across the globe.

By combining smart systems, streamlined processes and exceptional people, we help our clients accelerate their growth and scaling plans. From ambitious SMBs to global corporations, our client portfolio has included organisations such as Google, Clarion Events, BBC and Krispy Kreme, all of whom rely on us as a trusted extension of their teams.

We pride ourselves on delivering a service that is professional, proactive and dependable - but what truly sets us apart is our people. Our team is ambitious, supportive and passionate about what we do, and many of our colleagues have built long-term careers with us from a wide range of professional backgrounds.

As a female-founded business built on collaboration, trust and shared success, we champion career development, flexible working and meaningful progression. We believe in creating an environment where people feel supported, valued and empowered to grow.