Executive Assistant Team Lead

We are seeking an experienced Executive Assistant Team Lead to lead an Executive Assistant function within a leading professional services organization.

This is a senior people-management and operational leadership role responsible for ensuring the delivery of consistently high-quality executive support to senior leaders. The role combines team leadership, capacity and workforce planning, stakeholder management, service excellence, process improvement, and technology adoption.

The successful candidate will directly manage a team of Executive Assistants while partnering closely with senior leadership to continuously strengthen the executive support model and broader operational effectiveness of the office.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic & Operational Leadership

• Define and drive the strategic roadmap for the Executive Assistant function, ensuring team capacity, structure, and capabilities are aligned with evolving business needs.
• Oversee the executive support model and ensure senior stakeholders receive seamless, well-coordinated, and consistently high-quality support.
• Partner with regional and shared-services teams to align service standards, capacity planning, workload distribution, and support coverage.
• Monitor team capacity and anticipate changing business requirements, identifying appropriate solutions to maintain service quality.
• Identify and lead process improvement and technology initiatives, including the adoption of AI, automation, and digital productivity tools.
• Develop and standardize best practices, operating procedures, playbooks, and service standards across the Executive Assistant function.
• Drive continuous improvement in the quality, consistency, and efficiency of executive support.
• Serve as an escalation point and trusted advisor to senior stakeholders on complex or sensitive executive-support matters, exercising sound judgment and discretion.

People Management

• Provide direct people leadership to the Executive Assistant team, including regular 1:1s, goal setting, coaching, and ongoing feedback.
• Lead the team's performance management cycle, including objective setting, mid-year discussions, and annual performance evaluations.
• Support professional development by identifying training opportunities, stretch assignments, and potential career pathways.
• Coach and develop high-performing team members for broader responsibilities and future leadership opportunities.
• Manage workload and priorities across the team, balancing business requirements with sustainable individual capacity.
• Partner with the executives supported by the team to address workload, performance, and service requirements.
• Manage relevant people-administration matters, including time-off approvals and other team-related processes.
• Serve as the first point of contact for performance, conduct, or interpersonal matters within the team, partnering with HR where appropriate.
• Lead the onboarding and integration of new Executive Assistants, ensuring they understand relevant systems, tools, processes, and service expectations.

Experience & Qualifications

• Approximately 10–15 years of relevant professional experience, including at least 5 years in a people-management or leadership role.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent qualification.
• Demonstrated experience managing teams in a professional services, corporate, or similarly high-performance service environment.
• Experience leading Executive Assistants, administrative professionals, business support teams, or comparable service-oriented functions is highly advantageous.
• Strong people-management capabilities, including coaching, performance management, team development, and handling sensitive employee matters.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the confidence and credibility to engage and present to senior leaders.
• Strong stakeholder-management skills and the ability to navigate competing priorities and expectations.
• Able to balance a collaborative and approachable leadership style with the ability to make firm decisions when required.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to operate effectively in a fast-moving environment with multiple priorities.
• Comfortable using technology to improve productivity and service delivery, including AI tools, workflow and collaboration platforms, and Microsoft Office.
• Strong judgment, discretion, and professionalism when handling confidential or sensitive matters.