Executive Assistant (freelance, to a founder)

How you'll work

Things move fast around the founder, and a lot pulls at their attention at once. Your job is to bring some calm into that. Not by taking over, but by learning how they actually work and building around it.

They trust their diary. If you put it in there, they'll do it, and that's what makes them feel on top of things rather than carrying it all in their head. Their inbox will always pull at their focus; that's not going to change, but you can be the reason it doesn't have to.

This isn't about bringing in a system that's worked for you before. It's about noticing what actually works for this founder, and suggesting from there.

I'll help you design the early ways of working and get them properly embedded. After that, you'll be working directly with the founder day-to-day. I'm on hand to refine things, clarify, or step in if they're not around, but the relationship that matters here is between the two of you.

Who I'm looking for

Someone proactive and good with detail, quick to respond and comfortable with regular admin, who understands what a founder needs to really feel capacity, and is confident enough to protect their time, even from them, while wanting to build the way of working together.

Practicalities

Freelance, around half a day (3.5 hrs) a week to start. Mostly remote, ideally based in Sussex for potential in-person meetings. £25-40/hr, depending on experience.

Starting mid-October on a two-month trial, so we can both see how it's working before the festive break.

I'm recruiting on behalf of a founder I work with. It's a small, purpose-led business that's growing steadily, and the founder needs time and attention protected so more of it goes to clients and the work itself. That's what this role should make possible.

The role in a line: Managing a founder's inbox and diary, so their time and attention go where they matter most.

Where it starts

  • The inbox, day-to-day. Sending holding emails, following up, making sure the people already working with the business are answered first.

  • The diary too, not just managing it, but deciding what goes into it. Scheduling meetings, protecting time for the work that matters, so the founder feels capacity, not just a full calendar.

  • And some light admin alongside that. Organising catering for a workshop, booking travel, making a reservation, that sort of thing.

Where it could grow

Once you're settled, and if it feels right for both sides, there's room to take on more.

  • Managing a task list

  • Bookkeeping

  • Turning meeting notes into clear next steps

  • Keeping the CRM up to date and building contact lists

It grows with the relationship, and with what you'd enjoy taking on.

Throw your hat in the ring

How to apply

  1. Complete the short application form below: No cover letter, no long form. Just four questions.

  2. We book a 30 minute call to meet and talk more about the role, and I'll share who the client is ahead of that.

  3. If it feels like a fit, I send a short exercise tied to the role itself. This should give you a good sense of what the role would be like as well. You send it back within a few days.

  4. Shortlisted people meet the founder to get to know each other, either online or in person in Sussex.

  5. Role confirmed

Apply below. We're looking for someone to start in mid-October. I'm reviewing applications as they come in, and may close early if I find a strong shortlist.