Executive Assistant to the Director

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE DIRECTOR

Smith & Sons Construction Services Ltd

Part time, 25 hours per week (5 hours per day) with scope to grow to full time

Remote (South Africa) | UK hours | Reports directly to Isaac Maynard-Smith, Co-Director

ABOUT SMITH & SONS

Smith & Sons Construction Services Ltd (SSCS) is a family-run, premium residential construction company delivering extensions, refurbishments and whole-house transformations across East London, Havering and Essex, with a particular focus on the Gidea Park conservation area in Romford and an aim to move into Emerson Park, Shenfield and Hutton. We are led by father-and-son co-directors Mike and Isaac Maynard-Smith and supported by a long-standing team of trusted trades.

We are a growing business with ambitions well beyond the next project. SSCS sits within a wider group that includes a property-owning entity and a serviced accommodation business, and we run the company with the systems, standards and technology of a much larger firm. We use AI throughout our operations, and we expect the people we work with to do the same.

This role exists because the Director's time is best spent on clients, sites and growth. We are looking for someone to take ownership of the finance admin and day-to-day administration that keeps the business running behind the scenes.

THE ROLE

You will be the Director's right hand. Working remotely from South Africa on UK hours, you will run the general financial administration of the business, keep the Director's inbox and diary in order, and take on general admin tasks as they are delegated to you.

We already have an external bookkeeping team and accountants who handle the heavy lifting. Your job is to make sure they have everything they need, that nothing slips, and that our books are always tidy between their visits.

We are starting this role at 25 hours per week because that is the workload we can hand over today. As you prove yourself with what you are given, the hours will grow. We fully expect this to become a 40-hour role, and potentially more, as the work is there to support it.

This is not a junior position. We will teach you how we work, but we need someone who already knows their craft, can run their own day, and will come to us with better ways of doing things.

WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING

Financial administration

- Own the accounts@ inbox, making sure every supplier invoice, receipt and statement is actioned promptly.

- File all invoices and receipts into DEXT, our receipting system, accurately and on time.

- Keep Xero tidy day to day: matching transactions, chasing missing receipts, keeping supplier and customer records clean, and flagging anything that looks wrong.

- Act as the main point of contact for our external bookkeepers and accountants, resolving their queries quickly and keeping month-end running smoothly.

- Prepare supplier and subcontractor payment runs through our bulk payment processor for the Director's review and sign-off. You will never have direct access to company bank accounts; every payment is authorised by a Director before it leaves.

- Support with invoicing, statements and simple financial reporting as required.

Inbox, diary and general administration

- Take on general admin as delegated: document preparation using our templates, filing, research, supplier enquiries and ad hoc tasks.

Working with AI

- We consider AI fluency a core skill for this role, not a bonus. You will use Claude daily to draft correspondence, summarise documents, build checklists and generally make yourself faster and more accurate. We want someone who already works this way and will actively look for new ways to apply it across the business.

HOW WE WORK

- You will work 5 hours a day, Monday to Friday, within UK business hours. [Fixed block, e.g. 9am to 2pm UK time / a block of your choosing agreed at the start.] South Africa's time zone alignment with the UK is exactly why we are recruiting there.

- We are flexible. If your tasks for the day are your own and do not depend on anyone else, you are welcome to work them earlier or later. What matters is that the work is done and that you are reachable during your core block.

- We communicate largely over WhatsApp and Google Workspace. You will be expected to keep a light eye on messages outside your hours and respond to anything time-sensitive; we will be reasonable about this and expect the same in return.

- You will report directly to Isaac Maynard-Smith, Co-Director, with a weekly one-to-one and daily contact as needed.

- You will not be client-facing to begin with, but this is likely to expand as you settle in.

WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR

Essential

- Proven experience as an Executive Assistant, Personal Assistant or Finance Administrator supporting a director or business owner.

- Hands-on experience with Xero. Experience with DEXT (or a comparable receipting tool such as Hubdoc or AutoEntry) is strongly preferred.

- Confident working with external accountants or bookkeepers and resolving their queries.

- Exceptional written English and a natural, professional communication style.

- Demonstrable, day-to-day use of AI tools such as Claude or ChatGPT in your work, with clear examples of how they have made you more effective.

- Highly organised, detail-obsessed and comfortable owning a task list without supervision.

- Discretion. You will have visibility of company finances, supplier pricing and client information.

Preferred

- Previous experience working with or for a construction, property or trades business. This is a significant advantage.

- Familiarity with Google Workspace and WhatsApp Business.

- A track record of suggesting and implementing process improvements.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

- Your own reliable laptop and a quiet, professional working environment.

- Fibre internet with a backup connection, and backup power sufficient to work through load shedding without interruption.

- Two professional references from previous employers or clients.

- The right to work as an independent contractor in South Africa.

THE PACKAGE

- Remuneration: [£700 per month for 25 hours per week (approximately R15,000 at current rates)] paid in GBP. Reviewed on successful completion of probation and again as hours increase.

- Engagement: independent contractor, invoicing SSCS monthly in arrears.

- Hours: 25 per week to start, growing to 40 or more as the workload proves out.

- Probation: three months, with a structured onboarding plan and clear objectives from day one.

- Leave: 20 paid days per year (100 hours at 25 hours per week, pro-rated as hours grow). This includes the eight UK bank holidays (New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, early May, spring and summer bank holidays, Christmas Day and Boxing Day), which are off for everyone as the business is closed. The remaining 12 days are yours to use however you like, including South African public holidays. South African public holidays that are not UK bank holidays are working days unless you have booked leave. Leave is taken with reasonable notice and planned around month-end.

- Confidentiality: you will sign a non-disclosure agreement before starting.

- Tools: we provide access to Google Workspace, Xero, DEXT and a Claude subscription.

WHERE THIS ROLE CAN GO

We are hiring for the long term. As you learn how we work and earn our clients' trust, we expect this role to grow into full-time hours, client communications, project coordination and support across the wider group. For the right person, this is a seat at the centre of a growing business with a Director who wants you to bring ideas, challenge the way things are done and build the role around your strengths.

HOW TO APPLY

Please apply through this platform. Alongside your CV, include a short covering note telling us about your experience with Xero, the kind of business you supported most recently, and one specific example of how you have used AI to work faster or better. Applications without this note will not be considered.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a video interview with Isaac. We may also ask you to complete a short paid task before an offer is made.