Proactive Executive Assistant to a Busy Director

MSA Outsourcing Solutions; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 240,000 - 360,000; Full time

Job summary

MSA Outsourcing Solutions seeks an executive/personal assistant to work with the Director across business, school board, and advisory commitments. The role involves proactive calendar management, progress tracking, reporting, and preparation of briefs to support timely decisions.

The ideal candidate will be discreet, highly organised, and capable of coordinating with senior stakeholders in a fast-moving environment.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in an executive assistant, chief of staff, or senior administrator role supporting founders or senior professionals.
• Proven ability to manage upwards and coordinate with senior stakeholders.
• Strong follow-up, organisation, and reporting discipline.
• Excellent written and verbal English for professional correspondence and meeting materials.
• Ability to manage sensitive information with absolute discretion.

Responsibilities

• Manage Director's calendar, correspondence, and competing priorities across business, school board, and advisory commitments.
• Maintain a live tracker of outstanding tasks, decisions, and deadlines.
• Coordinate reporting from department heads and summarise key points for the Director.
• Prepare agendas, meeting materials, and action plans for decision-making.
• Track decisions and delegated responsibilities to ensure completion.
• Support school board administration, including correspondence and documentation.
• Draft formal business, board, mediation, and advisory correspondence with high accuracy.
• Maintain confidential records across business, legal, and personal matters.
• Coordinate personal appointments, travel, and family logistics as required.
• Support ad hoc projects and cross-departmental initiatives to keep priorities on track.

Skills

Calendar management

Stakeholder coordination

Reporting & briefs

Discretion & confidentiality

English communication

Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Word, Excel, M

Tools

Microsoft 365

Job description

We are seeking a highly organised and proactive Executive / Personal Assistant professional to work closely with the Director, providing high-level administrative, operational, and personal support across his business, school board, and advisory commitments.

The role goes beyond traditional diary management. It requires someone who can proactively follow up with stakeholders, coordinate reporting, prepare decision-ready briefs, track delegated actions, and ensure that priorities are progressed to completion. The ideal candidate is discreet, persistent, confident managing senior stakeholders, and able to bring structure to a fast-moving and varied workload.

Requirements

• Manage the Director's calendar, correspondence, and competing priorities across business, school board, and advisory commitments
• Maintain a live tracker of outstanding tasks, decisions, and follow-ups, ensuring actions are completed within agreed deadlines
• Proactively liaise with staff, clients, board members, attorneys, and external stakeholders to obtain updates and close open items
• Coordinate weekly and monthly reporting from department heads, reviewing submissions and summarising key points requiring the Director's attention
• Prepare agendas, meeting materials, structured briefs, and action plans to support informed and timely decision-making
• Track decisions and delegated responsibilities, ensuring they are communicated and followed through to completion
• Support school board administration, including correspondence, meeting coordination, documentation, and action-item tracking
• Draft, format, and manage formal business, board, mediation, and advisory correspondence with a high level of accuracy and discretion
• Maintain confidential, well-organised records and track deadlines across business, legal, and personal matters
• Coordinate personal appointments, travel, family logistics, and other administrative tasks as required
• Support ad hoc projects and cross-departmental initiatives, ensuring priorities remain organised and on track
  
  

Requirements

• 5+ years' experience in an executive assistant, chief of staff, senior administrator, or similar role supporting a founder, executive, or senior professional
• Proven ability to manage upward and coordinate confidently with senior stakeholders
• Strong follow-up and organisational skills, with experience managing trackers, deadlines, action items, and reporting schedules
• Excellent written and verbal English, with the ability to draft professional correspondence, formal letters, and meeting documentation
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to turn complex information into clear summaries and actionable plans
• High proficiency in Microsoft 365, particularly Outlook, Word, Excel, and Teams
• Ability to manage confidential business, legal, personal, and family matters with absolute discretion
• Excellent attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Fully office-based availability in Houghton, Johannesburg
• Flexibility to accommodate key deadlines, meetings, and events when required