Executive & Personal Assistant
Summary
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- Reports To: An independent executive in his mid-50s
- Direct Reports: TBD
- Work Schedule: Full-time, 10 am - 6 pm or 11 am to 7 pm, Monday - Friday
- Location: Central Lisbon, Portugal with some remote work possible.
- Start Date: February 1, 2024
- Compensation: €1,500-2,000 per month, plus agreed-upon bonuses
***About the Role***
I am seeking an exceptional Executive & Personal Assistant - This role will act as an integral part of my business and personal life, supporting me by managing daily tasks and longer-term projects, creating systems, and taking various tasks and projects off my plate. As a trusted confidante, you will play a pivotal role in optimizing my work and life, enabling me to focus on my priorities and strengths.
Your north stars in this role will be reducing the number of decisions I have to make, reducing the number of things I must own or be a part of making happen, and helping me stay accountable to my goals. Ideally, this is a long-term working relationship, where you also benefit by expanding your skill set and experience as my business grows.
***About Me***
I’m an American startup founder and investor that relocated to Lisbon approximately 18 months ago both for the lifestyle and to grow my US company’s business. I primarily serve as an advisor and business coach to founders, fund managers & corporate executives but have other business interests. While I lived in California for most of my life, I also lived a year each in Adelaide, Amsterdam, London and Paris…which got me hooked on living outside the US. I love cooking, travel and learning just about anything new. I alternate between being very social and being a home body…particularly adopting my sweet, energetic Portuguese Podengo, Bailey.
***Responsibilities***
Project Management and Organization:
- Proactively anticipate needs and identify areas for improvement.
- Develop and implement efficient systems and processes to streamline my daily life across business and personal realms.
- Create and maintain comprehensive documentation for all processes and procedures.
Business & Financial Administration
- Manage my calendar/scheduling and travel planning.
- Organize and systemize all my digital filed including research and client files.
- Categorize my expenses and ensure the integrity of finances by managing bills, invoices, and investment reports in Quickbooks Online and related tools.
Research & Content Development
- Assist in the development and evaluation of business strategies and models and participate in brainstorming sessions for content ideas and marketing initiatives.
- Conduct market research via online searches, newsletters, and webinars to identify trends, opportunities, and insights that support our initiatives.
- Prepare reports and presentations summarizing research findings that communicate our findings in a clear and understandable.
- Create engaging content for various platforms including websites, blogs, and social media.
Marketing/Sales/Client Engagement
- Assist in the development and execution of strategies to promote our services via social media management, email marketing campaigns, speaker placement and managing our contact/CRM database.
- Support sales efforts by managing leads, ensuring timely follow-up, preparing meetings and materials, and coordinating with prospects and clients.
- Create and manage products within Stripe or other sales channels.
- Serve as a point of contact for clients to address inquiries and provide product and service information, ensuring a high level of customer satisfaction.
- Assist in tracking sales performance and identifying opportunities for growth.
Lifestyle Management and Errands:
- Handle personal errands, including grocery shopping and dry cleaning.
- Research the most cost-effective ways to purchase goods and services.
- Coordinate contractors for home maintenance and other services (e.g. phone, internet, vet, doctor, dentist, insurance, banking, etc).
- Assist in organizing and managing social and professional events hosted by the business client in his home and other venues.
- Assist in care for my dog, including taking him for walks and arranging pickup/drop off for vet appointments, day care or boarding when I travel.
- Assist with planning and organizing social and professional events, including dinners, concerts, and soirées.
- Water my plants when I’m out of town.
- Assist me in learning Portuguese.
***Qualifications***
Experience:
- 3+ years of experience as a Personal Assistant, Executive Assistant, or similar role for a business owner or investor.
- Proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines.
- Experience creating and maintaining comprehensive filing systems and process documentation.
- Experienced working across multiple time zones, juggling several calendars, as well as planning and booking international travel.
Skills:
- Exceptional organizational and time management skills.
- Proactive and resourceful approach to problem-solving.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Fluency in Portuguese and English.
- Expert user of modern collaboration tools (e.g. Notion, Google Workspace, Microsoft Office, Calendly, Docsend)
- Recruiting and managing a team (e.g. on Upwork, or elsewhere) to fill gaps in the organization (examples would be: design, digital marketing, website development, technical writing, etc)
- Ideally (or desire to learn) contact/lead management (e.g. Hubspot, Apollo, etc), Social media management and content creation (e.g. Linkedin, Instagram, Medium, Canva, ChatGPT, Convertkit, etc)
Personal Qualities:
- Passion for providing exceptional service and exceeding expectations.
- A meticulous eye for detail and a commitment to quality.
- Strong work ethic and a willingness to go the extra mile.
- Enthusiasm for learning and adapting to new challenges.
- You’re not afraid to be ‘pushy’ when suggesting improvements in our processes and getting me to address things that are blocking you.
- You are Portuguese and have been living in or around Lisbon recently.
- You are well-connected in Lisbon and personally know and have worked in the past with carpenters, plumbers, chefs, cleaners, restaurant hosts, etc.
- You love to research. You are delighted at knowing where the best restaurants, hotels, etc. just for its own sake even if you won’t be taking advantage of it.
- You are proactive and can anticipate the needs of your clients without prompting.
- You grasp concepts quickly, anticipate needs, and report back on deliverables.
- You like dogs.
- Ideally, you have a car.
Benefits
- Base Fee (Contract): €1,500-2,000 per month based on your experience with creating process docs, and experience as an executive assistant.
- Bonus: Quarterly based on completing given milestones. Target bonus compensation of 10-20% of the annual salary.
- Paid Time Off: 4 weeks or 20 business days/year
- Exposure to a diverse range of projects and experiences.
Additional Opportunities
While not required as part of the initial responsibilities, there are opportunities for further growth and development within this role. These include:
- Travel: Accompany the client on selected work trips, with all expenses, lodging and food covered. Note that travel is not a mandatory component of this role.
- Professional Development: I will encourage you to spend some of your working hours improving your skills, and I will pay for classes we agree are likely to accelerate your learning and enhance your performance.
- Career Advancement: After 18-36 months of successful performance in this role, there may be an opportunity to transition into a different position within my businesses, such as events, operations, or HR.
Work Schedule and Time Off
I prioritize rest and well-being and encourage a balanced work-life approach for folks that work with me.
- Core Working Hours: 10/11 am to 6/7 pm, Monday to Friday.
- Occasional Evening Work: Occasional support may be required for events that extend beyond regular working hours. These instances will be discussed in advance and require mutual agreement.
- Dog Care: If I travel without my dog and do not board him, you may be required to stop by the apartment to exercise and feed him. This will be arranged in advance with mutual consent.
- Flexible Workload: Work hours may vary from week to week to accommodate fluctuating workloads, but your typical weekly commitment will be around 40 hours.
- Paid Time Off: Four weeks or 20 business days of paid time off are provided annually. At least two weeks of this time must coincide with the clients' vacation periods. The client typically take at least one week off around the December holidays.
***How To Apply***
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Please complete the job application here: https://bit.ly/LisboaExecAssist124.
I’m excited to hear from you!