Executive Assistant to the CEO

VirtuHire; South Africa; Remote; ZAR 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

VirtuHire is seeking a highly organized Executive Assistant to provide direct support to the Founder & CEO of a US-based technology business. This remote role in South Africa requires handling admin, financial operations and client coordination, with Pacific Time hours.

The successful candidate will become the CEO's right hand, manage calendars, emails, travel, invoicing and onboarding, and have a clear path into Account Management as the business scales.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5–10 years of experience in executive assistance or similar roles.
• Experience supporting a US-based startup CEO remotely is essential.
• Excellent written and verbal English communication skills.
• Proven ability to draft professional client-facing emails.
• Hands-on experience with invoicing, vendor payments, bill payments and payroll administration.
• Strong proficiency in Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, especially Excel, calendars and document management.
• Excellent organizational, multitasking and time-management skills.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Experience handling confidential business and financial information.
• Comfortable working US Pacific Time hours on a permanent basis.
• Available for full-time exclusive employment.

Responsibilities

• Manage the CEO's inbox, calendar and daily scheduling.
• Draft professional client communications and emails.
• Coordinate meetings with clients, prospects and stakeholders.
• Arrange travel, accommodation and business appointments.
• Handle personal administration, expenses and ad hoc requests.
• Prepare reports, presentations and meeting summaries.
• Anticipate CEO needs and prioritize tasks.
• Manage bill and vendor payments and invoicing.
• Assist payroll administration and payment processing.
• Track expenses and financial records.
• Coordinate internal administrative processes and workflows.
• Ensure timely payments and accurate financial information.
• Identify efficiency improvements.
• Prepare follow-up emails based on notes, coordinate client meetings and ongoing communication.
• Respond to client requests and ensure timely follow-ups.
• Assist with onboarding and implementation processes.
• Track deliverables and action items.
• Support account management as knowledge grows.
• Maintain high communication standards with senior stakeholders and enterprise clients.
• Coordinate projects, deadlines and internal activities.
• Monitor outstanding tasks and ensure delivery.
• Maintain organized workflows and documentation.
• Support QA reviews of software, data and processes.
• Identify operational challenges and propose solutions.

Skills

Executive support

US startup experience

English proficiency

Professional email drafting

Calendar & scheduling

Invoicing & payroll

Google Workspace

Excel

Document management

Independent work

Education

5–10 years of relevant experience in EA/ops

Tools

HubSpot CRM

Google Workspace

Microsoft 365

Excel

Job description

Position: Executive Assistant to the CEO – Executive Operations & Account Management

Location: Remote – South Africa

Employment Type: Permanent, Full-Time

Working Hours: Monday to Friday, 08:00–16:00 Pacific Time (USA)

South African Working Hours:

• 17:00–01:00 SAST during US daylight saving time.
• 18:00–02:00 SAST during US standard time (from 1 November 2026).

Start Date: As soon as possible

About the Opportunity

We are seeking a highly organised, proactive and experienced Executive Assistant to provide direct support to the Founder & CEO of a fast-growing, US-based technology business.

This is an exciting opportunity for a high-performing professional who thrives in a fast-paced startup environment and enjoys taking ownership of executive administration, financial operations, client communications and business coordination.

The successful candidate will act as the CEO's right hand, ensuring daily operations run smoothly while supporting strategic business activities.

This position offers a clear career progression opportunity into Account Management, with increasing responsibility for client relationships, customer onboarding and project coordination

Key Responsibilities

1. Executive & Personal Assistance

• Manage the CEO's inbox, calendar, appointments and daily scheduling.
• Draft professional, accurate and well-structured emails and client communications.
• Coordinate meetings with clients, prospects, partners and internal stakeholders.
• Arrange travel, accommodation and business appointments.
• Handle personal administration, expense tracking and ad hoc requests.
• Conduct research and prepare reports, presentations and meeting summaries.
• Anticipate the CEO's needs and proactively manage priorities.

2. Financial Administration & Operations

• Manage bill payments, vendor payments and invoicing.
• Assist with payroll administration and payment processing.
• Track expenses, invoices and financial records.
• Coordinate internal administrative processes and operational workflows.
• Ensure payments, documentation and financial information are accurate and processed on time.
• Identify opportunities to improve administrative efficiency and implement better systems.

3. Client Communication & Account Support

• Prepare professional client follow‑up emails based on meeting notes and discussions.
• Coordinate client meetings, scheduling and ongoing communication.
• Respond to client requests and ensure timely follow‑ups.
• Assist with customer onboarding and implementation processes.
• Track client deliverables, action items and outstanding tasks.
• Support account management activities as knowledge of the business develops.
• Maintain excellent communication standards when dealing with senior stakeholders and enterprise clients.

4. Project Management & Business Coordination

• Coordinate projects, deadlines and internal team activities.
• Monitor outstanding tasks and ensure deliverables are completed.
• Maintain organised workflows and project documentation.
• Support quality assurance reviews of software, data and internal processes.
• Identify operational challenges and proactively recommend solutions.

5. Systems, Technology & AI Tools

• Use Google Workspace, including Gmail, Google Calendar, Docs and Sheets.
• Work with Microsoft Excel for reporting, tracking and administration.
• Utilise HubSpot CRM for client information, follow‑ups and account coordination.
• Leverage AI tools such as Claude, ChatGPT and automation platforms to improve productivity.
• Use AI‑assisted meeting notes and summaries to prepare accurate, professional client correspondence.
• Identify opportunities to streamline repetitive administrative processes.

Minimum Requirements

• 5–10 years of relevant experience in executive assistance, business administration, operations or similar roles preferred.
• Previous experience supporting a US-based startup CEO or Founder remotely is essential.
• Exceptional written and verbal English communication skills.
• Demonstrated experience drafting professional client‑facing emails and business correspondence.
• Hands‑on experience with invoicing, vendor payments, bill payments and payroll administration.
• Strong proficiency in Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, particularly Excel, calendars and document management.
• Excellent organisational, multitasking and time‑management skills.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.
• Experience managing confidential business and financial information.
• Comfortable working US Pacific Time hours on a permanent basis.
• Must be available for full‑time, exclusive employment, without conflicting employment commitments.

Advantageous Experience

• Experience working within a SaaS, technology or startup environment.
• Customer success, client onboarding or account management experience.
• HubSpot CRM experience.
• Familiarity with AI tools, workflow automation and productivity platforms.
• Experience coordinating projects and customer implementations.
• Exposure to sales support, lead management, prospecting or business development.
• Experience supporting high‑value enterprise clients.

Ideal Candidate Profile

We are looking for someone who is:

• Exceptionally detail-oriented: Produces accurate, polished work with no careless errors.
• An outstanding communicator: Writes clear, concise, professional emails and confidently communicates with senior stakeholders.
• Proactive and independent: Anticipates needs, solves problems and takes initiative without constant direction.
• Highly organised: Effectively manages multiple priorities, deadlines and responsibilities.
• Commercially minded: Understands the importance of client relationships, customer experience and business growth.
• Tech‑savvy: Comfortable learning new systems and using AI tools to improve efficiency.
• Accountable and reliable: Takes ownership of responsibilities and consistently delivers results.
• Ambitious: Interested in long‑term career development and progressing into account management.

Career Growth Opportunity

This position is designed for someone seeking more than a traditional Executive Assistant role.

As the successful candidate becomes familiar with the company's operations, technology and client base, they will have the opportunity to transition into broader Account Management and Customer Success responsibilities, including:

• Managing client relationships and communications.
• Coordinating customer onboarding and implementation projects.
• Overseeing client requests, deliverables and follow‑ups.
• Supporting long‑term customer satisfaction and retention.