Executive Assistant to the COO – ACTIVE

Job Application Code:  003781PS (add this to the application form)

Shift: Monday to Friday, 9:00am – 6:00pm AEST (Melbourne)

Role Overview:

We are hiring a Virtual Assistant to support the COO, a fast growing wholesale bathroom tapware business, to oversee the day to day executive support function.

The CEO operates at very high speed, and has unrealistic standards. He needs someone who can match his pace, think ahead of him, and protect his time, commitments, and ensure he follows through on commitments. This is an active accountability partnership.

What You Will Deliver

A clean, actionable inbox

Every email is triaged, categorised, and either handled, delegated, or flagged before the CEO sees it. Follow ups are tracked. Nothing falls through the cracks. The CEO only gets informed of an email was he should, and never has to chase or remind.

A calendar that drives the week, not reacts to it

The CEO’s calendar reflects his strategic priorities, energy rhythms, and personal commitments. Deep work blocks are protected. Rick is prepared for every meeting. Buffers are built in and conflicts are resolved before they become problems. The calendar is the single source of truth for his day, including tasks, reminders, and deadlines. The CEO should never have to do any admin work where the VA could have.

Accountability that sticks

The CEO’s notes, voice memos, rapid fire instructions, and WhatsApp messages are captured, organised, and converted into actions and communication in any open loops are regular. If meeting attendees are not prepared, the meeting doesn’t happen. Outstanding actions are followed up and nothing gets lost between an idea and the execution.

Operational momentum across two businesses

Priorities are tracked and ranked. Project tracking in Trello is maintained, filtered, and aligned with business objectives and Information is centralised and easy to navigate.

Systems that improve, not just function

You do not just run existing processes, you identify bottlenecks, propose improvements, and implement them. You build automations using Claude AI tools and platforms like n8n to eliminate repetitive work. You leave every process better than you found it and produce tangible improvements that are measurable.

Working With Our CEO

This section exists so you can decide whether this role is right for you. We would rather be honest now than waste your time or ours.

The CEO is a founder who built this business from the ground up and remains deeply involved in the detail. He has ADHD, which means his brain moves fast, he generates ideas constantly, and he can send a dozen WhatsApp messages in five minutes with instructions, questions, and course corrections. He is a perfectionist who notices when something is 95% right and will push for 100%.

He uses his calendar as a command centre. Every task, every reminder, every commitment lives there. If it is not on the calendar, it does not exist. He expects his VA to understand this and operate accordingly.

He describes the ideal VA relationship as an accountability partnership. In his words: he wants someone who holds him to the calendar the way a sibling would, not someone who just books meetings and waits for instructions.

He is technically engaged. He writes Python scripts, builds automations, uses APIs, and works with AI tools daily. He does not need you to be a developer, but he needs you to keep up with the pace of change and be fluent in AI assisted workflows.

He communicates heavily via WhatsApp, often outside standard hours. He does not expect you to be available around the clock, but he does expect that when you start your day, you can pick up every thread and act on it without needing to ask what he meant.

He runs the business on EOS, which means L10 meetings, quarterly Rocks, Scorecards, and a structured rhythm across the business. You must be able to understand this framework and support its governance.

He is demanding, direct, and particular but very kind and never nasty. He is also loyal, transparent, and deeply invested in the people who prove they can operate at his level.

Who We Are Looking For

Required experience:

• Five or more years supporting a founder CEO or equivalent high demand executive in a hands on, fast paced environment.
• Direct experience with a founder led business that has scaled between $10M and $50M in annual turnover. You understand the chaos, the ambiguity, and the speed that comes with this stage of growth.
• Proven ability to manage complex calendars and inboxes without supervision, using structured frameworks you have developed or refined yourself.
• Active, daily use of AI tools such as Claude, automation platforms like n8n or Make, and integration tools. We are not looking for someone who has heard of AI. We need someone who already uses it to work faster and smarter. You should not need training on this.
• Fluency in WhatsApp based communication with a high volume, rapid fire executive. You can parse a stream of messages and turn them into structured actions without asking for clarification on every point.
• Familiarity with EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) or a similar structured operating rhythm. L10 meetings, Rocks, Scorecards, and accountability tracking should not be new concepts to you.

Desired traits

• You are proactive, not reactive. You anticipate what the CEO needs before he asks for it.
• You learn from your mistakes. Show that you can own them, fix them, and prevent them from reoccurring.
• You are a systems thinker. You see a broken process and you fix it. You do not wait for permission.
• You are resilient under pressure. Rapid changes, competing priorities, and high expectations do not rattle you.
• You have emotional intelligence. You read the room, understand dynamics, and navigate complex interpersonal situations with discretion.
• You are meticulous. You read entire email threads before responding. You do not make assumptions and you don’t let something obvious slip through that Rick spots that you should have.
• You are resourceful. You exhaust research and tools before asking for help, but you also don’t waste time learning everything for the first time.

You Will Thrive in This Role If…

• You have worked for a demanding founder before and you actually enjoyed it because it pushed you to be your best.
• You find satisfaction in turning chaos into order and keeping a high performer on track.
• You are energised by fast communication, not overwhelmed by it. A string of WhatsApp messages at 7am is Tuesday, not a crisis.
• You already use AI tools in your daily workflow and get frustrated when others do not.
• You have opinions about how things should be done and are willing to push back respectfully when you see a better way.
• You understand that accountability is not micromanagement. It is partnership.
• You have supported a business through a growth phase and know what it takes to keep the wheels on.

This Role Is Not For You If…

• You wait for instructions rather than anticipate what is needed.
• You find rapid fire messaging stressful or disorganised rather than energising.
• You have not actively used AI tools in a professional context and would need training to get started.
• You are uncomfortable with direct, blunt feedback and high expectations.
• You see the EA role as calendar management rather than an operational partnership.
• You prefer large, established companies with clearly defined processes over fast moving founder led businesses.
• You need detailed instructions for every task rather than using context and judgement to act independently.

Tools and Setup

You will work primarily with the following:

• Gmail and Google Calendar (the CEO’s operational command centre)
• Trello (project and task tracking)
• WhatsApp (primary communication channel with the CEO)
• Claude AI and Claude Cowork (AI assistant for drafting, analysis, and automation)
• n8n or similar automation platforms
• Acumatica / MYOB (ERP, for context rather than daily use)
• Shopify (ecommerce, for context)

Hardware: A dual screen setup is strongly recommended. An iPhone 15 or newer is required for seamless integration with WhatsApp and the CEO’s communication workflow.