Overview
The Executive Assistant (VA) provides high-level administrative, organisational, HR and strategic support to the Managing Director of a specialist training company focused on occupational violence, de-escalation, and workplace safety. This role requires strong lateral thinking, excellent judgement, and the ability to anticipate needs, streamline workflows, and help delegate effectively across a small, busy team.

Work schedule
Full time, 38 hours a week, AEST

Key responsibilities
Executive support and coordination

• Manage the Managing Director’s calendar, appointments, and deadlines, ensuring priorities are clear and time is used effectively.
• Screen, prioritise, and respond to emails and enquiries on behalf of the Managing Director where appropriate.
• Prepare meeting agendas, take minutes, and follow up on action items to ensure outcomes are implemented.
• Maintain organised digital filing and documentation (e.g., OneDrive/SharePoint, CRM, project folders).

Travel and logistics management

• Research, plan, and book complex domestic and international travel for the Managing Director and trainers, including flights, accommodation, ground transport, and itineraries.
• Optimise travel for best overall value: balancing cost, time, safety, convenience, and loyalty programs.
• Anticipate risks and issues (tight connections, time zone changes, weather, industrial action) and plan contingencies.
• Maintain an up-to-date travel calendar and briefing packs for each trip.

Delegation and workflow across the team

• Help the Managing Director delegate tasks and authority to the internal team in a structured, traceable way.
• Convert strategic priorities and ideas into clear tasks, owners, and timelines using project/ task management tools.
• Monitor progress on delegated tasks and projects, prompting follow-up and flagging issues early.
• Support internal communication by drafting internal updates, simple project briefs, and follow-up messages.

Policies, processes, and documentation

• Assist with reviewing, updating, and formatting company policies, procedures, and training-related documentation.
• Coordinate version control and ensure updated policies and processes are correctly filed and communicated to the team.
• Support the Managing Director with preparing documentation for tenders, compliance audits, and client onboarding where needed.
• Help identify gaps or inconsistencies in processes and suggest practical improvements.

Lateral thinking and problem-solving

• Apply strong lateral thinking to solve operational problems, streamline workflows, and anticipate potential issues before they arise.
• Research options, suppliers, and tools (e.g., for travel, software, or services), present clear comparisons, and make recommendations.
• Act as a sounding board for the Managing Director on operational decisions, offering structured, solutions-focused input.

Confidentiality and professionalism

• Handle sensitive information with absolute discretion and maintain high standards of confidentiality, particularly regarding HR, client, and incident-related matters.
• Represent the Managing Director and the company professionally in all written and verbal communications.

Skills and experience
Required:

• Proven experience as an Executive Assistant, Personal Assistant, or high-level Virtual Assistant supporting a senior leader.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex calendars, priorities, and competing deadlines.
• Strong track record of booking and optimising business travel (domestic and international) for best value and efficiency.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with strong attention to detail and formatting.
• High level of competency with Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Teams, OneDrive/SharePoint, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to create structure, systems, and documentation.
• Demonstrated lateral thinking and problem-solving skills, with examples of improving processes or resolving complex issues.

Desirable:

• Experience in training, education, or professional services environments.
• Familiarity with workplace safety, HR, or compliance contexts (e.g., understanding of confidentiality, incident reporting, risk, or policies).
• Experience using project management or task management tools (e.g., Asana, Trello, ClickUp, or similar).
• Experience working with distributed or remote teams.

Attributes and behaviours

• Proactive and anticipatory; thinks two steps ahead and doesn’t wait to be told.
• Comfortable asking clarifying questions and pushing for priorities when needed.
• Calm under pressure, with the ability to juggle multiple moving parts and tight timelines.
• Solutions-focused, pragmatic, and commercially aware when making recommendations (balancing quality, cost, and time).
• High degree of integrity, discretion, and reliability.
• Comfortable working independently in a remote environment, with strong self-management and accountability