Senior Executive Assistant
Somewhere
🇿🇦 Hirezar Summary for South African Applicants
This fully remote full time position at Somewhere is open to applicants from South Africa. This role is suited for senior-level professionals. As a remote position, you can work from anywhere in South Africa — whether you're based in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, or a smaller town.
Job Description
Executive Assistant to the COO(Operations / Chief of Staff Track)
Employment Type:Full-time, Independent Contractor
Work Model:Fully Remote(Meaningful overlap with US Eastern Standard Time / EST)
Growth Path:Intentionally structured as a launchpad into senior operational leadership (e.g., Operations Manager, Director, Chief of Staff).
Why This Role Is Different
This isnota traditional, reactive administrative support role. We are hiring a senior, business-minded right-hand to our Chief Operating Officer—a sharp, proactive operator who can take absolute ownership of real business challenges across multiple entities and drive them forward with minimal direction.
The COO operates inside a highly advanced, AI-augmented workflow. Routine inbox sorting, mechanical scheduling, and basic drafting are already handled by internal automations. What we require from a human partner is the layer completely above that:impeccable judgment, ruthless follow-through, sharp commercial instinct, and the high-agency ability to take a loosely defined task, think it through completely, and return with a finalized result—not a list of questions.We are looking for a long-term strategic partner, not an administrative placeholder.
What You’ll Own
* Drive Executive Priorities:Take complete ownership of the COO’s top corporate priorities and quarterly Rocks. Chase down cross-functional information, hold stakeholders to strict timelines, and close operational loops before they have a chance to slip.
Drive Executive Priorities:Take complete ownership of the COO’s top corporate priorities and quarterly Rocks. Chase down cross-functional information, hold stakeholders to strict timelines, and close operational loops before they have a chance to slip.
* Strategic Sounding Board:Prepare the foundation for executive decision-making. Gather business context, analyze trade-offs, summarize choices, surface blind spots or risks, and present a clear, data-backed recommendation.
Strategic Sounding Board:Prepare the foundation for executive decision-making. Gather business context, analyze trade-offs, summarize choices, surface blind spots or risks, and present a clear, data-backed recommendation.
* Cross-Entity Accountability (EOS):Operating within our Accountability Chart, hold internal and external stakeholders to their metrics and deadlines. Systematically delegate and elevate so the executive team never becomes a bottleneck; when deadlines slip, address it directly with clear guidance and instructions to keep work moving across brands.
Cross-Entity Accountability (EOS):Operating within our Accountability Chart, hold internal and external stakeholders to their metrics and deadlines. Systematically delegate and elevate so the executive team never becomes a bottleneck; when deadlines slip, address it directly with clear guidance and instructions to keep work moving across brands.
* Executive Communication:Draft and deploy well-judged communications to internal teams, global vendors, partners, and clients on behalf of the COO—matching brand tone, nuance, and intent flawlessly.
Executive Communication:Draft and deploy well-judged communications to internal teams, global vendors, partners, and clients on behalf of the COO—matching brand tone, nuance, and intent flawlessly.
* Financial Data Support:Comfortably navigate Excel or Google Sheets to verify cross-entity reports, review expenses, and analyze budgets. You will leverage advanced AI tools to handle the heavy lifting of data extraction rather than manually digging through rows, ensuring departments hit cross-entity goals.
Financial Data Support:Comfortably navigate Excel or Google Sheets to verify cross-entity reports, review expenses, and analyze budgets. You will leverage advanced AI tools to handle the heavy lifting of data extraction rather than manually digging through rows, ensuring departments hit cross-entity goals.
* Systematize & Document:Design repeatable workflows and author robust Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) across entities so operations can be seamlessly duplicated company-wide as we scale.
Systematize & Document:Design repeatable workflows and author robust Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) across entities so operations can be seamlessly duplicated company-wide as we scale.
* High-Stakes Logistics:Coordinate complex travel itineraries, high-stakes board meetings, and multi-entity logistics where strict reliability and judgment count.
High-Stakes Logistics:Coordinate complex travel itineraries, high-stakes board meetings, and multi-entity logistics where strict reliability and judgment count.
What This Role Is NOT
* It isnota calendar-and-inbox triage role. Routine scheduling and reminders are automated—we want your brain focused on high-level operational execution.
It isnota calendar-and-inbox triage role. Routine scheduling and reminders are automated—we want your brain focused on high-level operational execution.
* It isnota personal assistant or errand rol
Tips for South African Applicants
Timezone Advantage
South Africa (SAST, UTC+2) overlaps well with European business hours and has a few hours of overlap with US East Coast. Mention your timezone flexibility in your application.
Salary in Context
Even without a listed salary, international remote roles typically pay 2-3x more than equivalent local positions in South Africa due to the exchange rate advantage.
Application Tips
Tailor your CV to international standards — use a clean format, highlight remote work experience, and include your English proficiency. Many SA applicants succeed by emphasising their strong work ethic and cultural adaptability.
Load Shedding Preparedness
If you're applying for a remote role, having a backup power solution (UPS, inverter, or generator) and mobile data as a backup internet connection shows employers you're prepared for South Africa's infrastructure challenges.
About Somewhere
Somewhere is a company in the Recruitment & Staffing industry that hires remote workers from South Africa. They currently have 748 open positions on Hirezar. View all Somewhere jobs →