Executive Assistant - Operations Manager Trainee

We are looking for an experienced Executive Assistant to work closely with the founder of a successful and growing business.

This is not a traditional EA role focused purely on diary management and basic administration. The right person will become closely involved in the day-to-day running of the business, learn how everything works, take ownership of operational responsibilities and, over time, develop into an Operations Manager .

The immediate objective is to take a significant amount of operational work away from the founder so they can spend more time on clients, business development and strategic growth.

Over the first 4–6 months, you will work closely with the founder to understand the business, take over recurring responsibilities, document processes and identify areas where the business can operate more efficiently.

As your knowledge and responsibility increases, the role will develop towards managing processes, people and day-to-day operations.

Due to the working environment of this role, we will only be reviewing applications from British nationals at this stage.

Key Responsibilities

Executive Support

Manage the founder's inbox and day-to-day correspondence

Handle routine client communications and follow-ups

Manage calendars, meetings and appointments

Prepare information and documentation ahead of meetings

Keep track of outstanding actions and make sure nothing falls through the cracks

Follow up with clients, suppliers and team members as required

Take ownership of recurring administrative responsibilities

Business Administration

Keep business administration organised and up to date

Monitor outstanding tasks, deadlines and commitments

Ensure documents are prepared, sent and filed correctly

Maintain internal records and systems

Coordinate information between the founder, clients and contractors

Identify administrative bottlenecks and deal with them before they become problems

Establish and maintain simple, effective processes

Operations

As you become familiar with the business, you will gradually take on greater operational responsibility, including:

Documenting existing processes and creating SOPs

Reviewing how work is currently being completed and identifying improvements

Managing recurring operational tasks without founder involvement

Coordinating contractors and team members

Monitoring deadlines and deliverables

Helping manage workloads and priorities

Maintaining accountability across the team

Identifying issues and bringing solutions rather than simply reporting problems

Taking responsibility for keeping the business running smoothly day to day

Progression to Operations Manager

The long-term intention is for this position to develop into an Operations Manager role.

The successful candidate will gradually move from completing tasks personally to managing the systems and people responsible for completing them.

This may include

Managing day-to-day operations

Overseeing contractors and team members

Implementing and improving SOPs

Managing workflows and internal systems

Monitoring performance and deadlines

Supporting recruitment and onboarding

Identifying operational inefficiencies

Taking responsibility for projects from start to finish

Becoming the main operational point of contact for the founder

What We're Looking For

We are looking for an experienced EA or senior administrative professional who wants more responsibility than a traditional assistant position provides.

You should have

Previous experience as an Executive Assistant, Senior Administrator, Operations Assistant or similar

Experience supporting a business owner, executive or senior leader

Excellent written and spoken English

Strong organisational and time-management skills

Excellent attention to detail

Confidence managing multiple priorities

Strong communication skills

Good judgement and discretion

Experience working with a range of online business systems

The ability to learn a business quickly and understand how its different parts fit together

Experience with operations, project management, process improvement or team coordination would be highly desirable.

Personality & Working Style

This role will suit someone who naturally takes ownership.

We are not looking for someone who waits for a list of instructions each morning.

You should be comfortable looking at what needs to be done, prioritising it and getting on with it.

The ideal candidate will

Be proactive rather than reactive

Spot problems before they reach the founder

Follow things through to completion

Be comfortable chasing people when necessary

Take responsibility rather than passing problems upwards

Ask questions when needed, but also be capable of finding answers independently

Be commercially aware and interested in how a business operates

Be comfortable with change and increasing responsibility

Have the confidence to make sensible recommendations

Take pride in keeping things organised and under control

A key test of suitability will be whether you can genuinely take work off the founder's plate , rather than creating another layer of management for them.

The First 4–6 Months

Initially, you will spend significant time working alongside the founder and learning the business.

The expectation is that you will progressively

Learn → Take Ownership → Improve → Manage

You will first understand how the business works, then take over recurring responsibilities, document and improve the processes, and eventually begin managing those processes and the people involved in them.

The aim is for the founder to become increasingly removed from day-to-day administration and operations as your responsibility grows.