Executive Assistant Job Description Template (2026)

Full JD (copy-ready)

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# Executive Assistant — Job Description

## Role summary
An Executive Assistant is the force multiplier for a CEO, founder, or C-suite executive: running a high-stakes calendar across time zones; triaging inbox with judgment authority; planning complex multi-leg international travel; preparing one-page briefings for board, investor, and customer meetings; managing expenses through Brex or Ramp; and holding sensitive compensation, cap table, and M&A information with absolute discretion — distinct from a general VA by seniority, judgment, and scope of what the principal trusts them to decide alone.

## Responsibilities
- Own the executive's calendar end-to-end: schedule, reschedule, protect deep-work blocks, resolve conflicts, and proactively decline low-value meetings within pre-agreed authority.
- Triage the executive inbox daily: reply in their voice to routine items, draft sensitive replies for review, flag anything requiring direct attention, keep inbox at or near zero.
- Plan complex international travel: multi-leg flights, visa coordination, hotel loyalty optimization, ground transport, day-by-day itineraries with backups, handle re-booking during disruption.
- Prepare board and investor meetings: assemble pre-reads, build one-page briefings on every external attendee (background, last interaction, current context, asks), coordinate with CFO/General Counsel on materials.
- Manage expense reconciliation through Brex, Ramp, or Expensify: receipt capture, GL coding, policy compliance, monthly close collaboration with finance.
- Run the executive's weekly operating rhythm: 1:1 prep, offsite planning, goal tracking, quarterly business review logistics.
- Gatekeeper for meeting requests: screen inbound from vendors, journalists, recruiters, investors; triage against principal's stated priorities rather than default-yes.
- Handle confidential workflows: compensation letters, term sheets, cap table updates, M&A data room curation, with zero leakage and proper version control.
- Coordinate across the executive's direct reports and EA peer group for scheduling, offsites, and cross-functional initiatives.
- Light project management on behalf of the principal: own follow-ups from their meetings, chase action items across the leadership team until closed.
- Handle personal logistics where scope includes it: household, family calendar, personal travel, gifts, healthcare appointments — with clear boundaries agreed upfront.
- Maintain the "operating playbook" for the principal: decision authorities, contact rolodex, recurring commitments, preferences (food, hotel, seat, daily routine) — so a backup EA can step in within 24 hours.

## Must-have skills
- 5+ years supporting a CEO, founder, managing partner, or C-suite executive directly — not a team or multi-manager role.
- Executive-level written English: can draft a board update, investor email, or customer apology in the principal's voice without rework.
- Spoken English suitable for direct conversation with board members, investors, and external executives.
- Demonstrated discretion — can name (without details) a category of sensitive work handled (comp, term sheets, litigation, HR) and how it was protected.
- Complex travel planning experience: international, multi-leg, with loyalty programs and disruption management.
- Judgment: distinguishes urgent vs important vs noise without constant check-in; knows what to decide and what to escalate.
- Fluency with Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 at power-user level — calendar permissions, shared drives, advanced email rules.
- Calendar discipline: has managed a calendar across 3+ time zones without creating conflicts.

## Nice-to-have skills
- Chief of Staff-adjacent experience: has sat in leadership meetings, owned OKR tracking, or run offsites.
- Board meeting preparation and minute-taking experience.
- Experience with expense platforms (Brex, Ramp, Expensify) and light accounting collaboration.
- Travel at the corporate travel agent level: Navan, Concur, or TripActions power user.
- Event and offsite planning — vendor negotiation, budgeting, logistics.
- Legal document familiarity (NDAs, term sheets, vendor contracts) at a coordinator level, not drafting.

## Tools and technology
- Google Workspace / Microsoft 365
- Superhuman / Missive
- Calendly / Reclaim.ai / Motion
- Navan / Concur / TripActions
- Brex / Ramp / Expensify
- Notion / Confluence
- Slack
- Zoom
- 1Password / LastPass
- DocuSign

## Reporting structure
Reports directly to the principal (CEO, founder, or C-suite executive). Collaborates daily with the leadership team, board and investor contacts, the principal's direct reports, external counsel, finance, and vendors. In larger orgs, coordinates with Chief of Staff, Head of People, and peer EAs.

## Success metrics (KPIs)
- Zero missed meetings, double-bookings, or calendar errors per quarter.
- Inbox at <20 messages by end of day; zero items aged over 48 hours.
- Travel booked within budget and preferences with zero disruption-caused missed meetings.
- Board and investor meeting prep delivered 24+ hours in advance with one-pagers for each attendee.
- Expense reports closed monthly within policy, zero overdue submissions.
- Principal's quarterly rating on "what got taken off my plate" trending up.