Executive Assistant Job Description Template (2026): Duties, Skills and a Copy-Paste JD
An executive assistant job description should name the outcome you want in 90 days, then list duties in five groups: inbox and calendar, communication and follow-ups, travel and logistics, projects and operations, and AI and automation upkeep. Add requirements (C1 English, judgment, tools), your hours and time-zone overlap, a pay range, and ask applicants for a short work sample, not a cover letter.
Executive assistant job description at a glance
| Section of the JD | What to write | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| About us | Two lines: what you do, who for, how big | Good candidates pick you too |
| Role summary | Who they support and the 90-day outcome | Sets the bar before the first interview |
| Responsibilities | Five groups, outcomes not tasks | Attracts owners, not task-takers |
| Requirements | English level, judgment, tools, AI use | Filters before you read a single CV |
| Schedule and overlap | Your time zone and the hours you need them live | The most common remote mismatch |
| Compensation | A real range | Saves both sides a wasted call |
| How to apply | A short work sample, not a cover letter | The first test of whether they finish |
I'm Ivan, co-founder of Pareto Talent. I started as an executive assistant myself, and since 2024 we've screened 36,186 people who applied to work with US founders. The job posts that attract the best of them read very differently from the templates on job boards. Below are two copy-paste job descriptions, one full and one remote, plus what to put in them and how to screen the people who reply.
01 · The Template
What should an executive assistant job description include?
A good executive assistant job description includes seven parts: about the company, a role summary with a 90-day outcome, responsibilities grouped by area, requirements, nice-to-haves, schedule and time-zone overlap, compensation, and how to apply. Write responsibilities as outcomes ("you own my calendar"), not chores ("schedule meetings"). Ask for a short work sample in the application.
Copy the template below, replace everything in [brackets], and delete any duty you won't actually hand over. A JD that lists 40 tasks and means 10 attracts people who are good at reading lists.
Executive Assistant to the [Founder / CEO] [Full-time] · Remote · [Your time zone] hours ABOUT US [Company] helps [who you serve] to [what you do for them]. We're a team of [number] and we're growing. [One line on why the work matters.] THE ROLE You'll be the right hand of [Founder name], our [title]. Your job is to give [him/her/them] back time and attention: you own the inbox, the calendar and the follow-ups, and you build the systems that keep them running. In 90 days, success looks like this: [Founder] spends less than [30] minutes a day in email, never misses a follow-up, and has [two] protected focus blocks every day. WHAT YOU'LL OWN Inbox and calendar - Triage [Founder]'s inbox daily: reply, delegate, schedule or archive. - Draft replies in [Founder]'s voice for approval, then send on your own once trusted. - Own the calendar: book, move and protect time using agreed rules. - Prepare a short brief before every external meeting. Communication and follow-ups - Keep a single list of open loops and close them. - Send meeting recaps and next steps within [24] hours. - Be the first point of contact for clients, partners and the team when [Founder] is busy. Travel and logistics - Book flights, hotels and ground transport within budget and preferences. - Build itineraries, handle changes and keep receipts and expenses in order. - Manage personal logistics when asked: renewals, appointments, gifts. Projects and operations - Run small projects end to end: research, vendor quotes, event planning, hiring coordination. - Maintain our documents, standard operating procedures and shared drives. - Prepare simple reports and dashboards from our tools. AI and automation upkeep - Use AI tools daily to draft, summarize and research, and check every output. - Build and maintain simple automations (forms, follow-up emails, CRM updates). - Keep a written log of what each automation does and fix it when it breaks. WHAT YOU BRING - Advanced English, written and spoken (C1 or above). - Proven ownership: something you ran from start to finish, with a result. - Sound judgment about what's urgent, what's private and what needs [Founder]. - Fluency with [Google Workspace / Microsoft 365], [Slack], and a CRM. - Hands-on use of an AI assistant such as ChatGPT or Claude. - The habit of checking your own work before anyone else sees it. NICE TO HAVE - Experience with an automation tool such as Zapier, Make or n8n. - A background in freelancing, marketing or running your own projects. - Experience in [your industry]. SCHEDULE AND TIME-ZONE OVERLAP [Full-time], [40] hours a week. You'll be online [9:00 to 17:00 your time zone], with at least [6] hours of overlap with [Founder]. A 10-minute daily check-in on video. COMPENSATION [Monthly or annual range, currency], paid [monthly, as a contractor / employee]. [Paid time off and holidays.] HOW TO APPLY Send three things to [email or form link]: 1. Your CV in English. 2. A link to one thing you built, organized or ran that we can open. 3. A short work sample: in under 200 words, tell us how you'd handle this inbox. [Paste three short sample emails.] Shortlisted candidates will do a paid test task of about [3 to 5] hours.
02 · The Remote Version
How do you write a remote executive assistant job description?
Write a remote executive assistant job description the same way, then add three things a local post can skip: the exact hours you need them online and in which time zone, how you'll work together (tools, check-ins, response times) and how you'll handle access to your accounts. Ask for a video introduction, so you hear their English before the first call.
This shorter version also works as a virtual assistant job description. Delete the projects section and narrow the inbox duties if the role is task-based rather than owning your day. Not sure which one you need? Read executive assistant vs virtual assistant vs chief of staff.
Remote [Executive / Virtual] Assistant to [Founder name] [Full-time / Part-time, hours per week] · 100% remote · Online [hours] [time zone] [Company] does [one line]. You'll support [Founder name] directly. YOU'LL OWN - The inbox: daily triage and drafts in [Founder]'s voice. - The calendar: scheduling, rescheduling and protected focus time. - Follow-ups: a running list of open loops, closed every week. - Travel and logistics: bookings, itineraries and expenses. - Simple automations and AI workflows that save repeat work. HOW WE WORK - At least [6] hours a day of overlap with [time zone]. - A 10-minute video check-in every day; written updates in [Slack]. - Replies to [Founder] within [1 hour] during working hours. - Access in levels: draft-only email first, more as trust builds. YOU BRING - C1 English or above, written and spoken. - Reliable internet, a quiet workspace and a camera. - Hands-on use of AI tools and [your core tools]. - A track record of finishing what you start. PAY [Range and currency] per [month / hour], paid as [contractor / employee]. TO APPLY Send your CV, a 2-minute video introduction in English, and a link to something you built or organized. Shortlisted candidates do a short paid test task.
03 · Duties
What are the duties of an executive assistant?
An executive assistant's core duties are managing an executive's inbox and calendar, handling communication and follow-ups, organizing travel and logistics, and running projects and operations on their behalf. In 2026 most also build and maintain the AI tools and automations that do the repeat work. How much of each they own depends on their level.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics draws the same line. Its definition for executive assistants (SOC 43-6011) is to "provide high-level administrative support," including research and reports, and notes they may supervise clerical staff. Administrative assistants (SOC 43-6014) "perform routine administrative functions" such as correspondence, scheduling and files (BLS, 2018 SOC).
Executive assistant duties by level
| Junior executive assistant | Mid-level executive assistant | Senior executive assistant | Chief of staff (the boundary) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owns | Tasks you assign | Your inbox, calendar and follow-ups | Your week, and the systems behind it | Company priorities across the team |
| Inbox and calendar | Sorts and schedules by your rules | Triages, drafts and books on their own | Decides what reaches you at all | Rarely touches your inbox |
| Communication | Drafts for approval | Sends routine replies as you | Speaks for you with clients and team | Speaks for you with leadership |
| Projects | Research and bookings | Runs small projects end to end | Runs cross-team projects and hiring | Sets the projects and the plan |
| AI and automation | Uses AI to draft and summarize | Builds simple automations | Owns your automation stack | Decides where AI fits the company |
| Decision authority | None without asking | Inside agreed rules | Inside agreed budgets and goals | Delegated from the CEO |
| How you measure it | Tasks done on time | Hours you get back | Problems that never reach you | Company goals hit |
If your list drifts into the right-hand column, you're describing a chief of staff, a different hire at a different price. The full comparison is in executive assistant vs virtual assistant vs chief of staff.
Not sure what to hand over in the first place? Don't guess. Run a free time audit on your last two weeks, then read what to delegate to an executive assistant. The duties in your JD should come from that list, not from a template, including this one.
04 · Skills
What skills does an executive assistant need?
An executive assistant needs four skills that actually predict performance: finishing real work and checking it, advanced English (C1), judgment about priorities, and hands-on use of AI and automation tools. Years of experience, the line most job posts lead with, predicts very little. Here's what our data and the research say.
1. Finishing a real task beats years on a résumé
The largest recent review of hiring research found that years of job experience barely predict performance (0.07 on a scale where 0 is none and 1 is perfect). Structured interviews (0.42) and work sample tests (0.33) predict far better (Sackett et al., 2022).
What predicts job performance, and what doesn't
Correlation between each hiring method and later job performance (0 = none, 1 = perfect).
- Structured interview0.42
- Work sample test0.33
- Unstructured interview0.19
- Years of experience0.07
Source: Sackett, Zhang, Berry & Lievens (2022), Journal of Applied Psychology 107(11), operational validity estimates.
Our own numbers say the same thing in a blunter way. Of everyone who signed up for our training, only 16% completed the full application. In our latest three cohorts, 36% of the people who joined training submitted a final project, and 38% of those projects passed. Finishing is the skill. So put "proven ownership" in your requirements, and make the application itself a small task.
2. Advanced English, up to a point
Ask for C1 English. In our bootcamps, the share who passed the scored final project rises from 6% at B1 to 11% at B2 and 16% at C1, then barely moves at C2 (17%). 72% of the people who pass test at C1 or above. Above C1, stop sorting on English and start sorting on the work.
3. A builder's background
Careers leave a trace. Former freelancers (28%) and marketers (27%) passed our final project at almost three times the rate of former call-center agents (10%). People who've shipped their own work recognize the job. That's why the template lists "a background in freelancing, marketing or running your own projects" as a nice-to-have.
4. Hands-on AI, not AI enthusiasm on paper
In Bootcamp 7, people who already used Claude Code passed at 15%, against 6.9% for those who didn't. People who described themselves as AI enthusiasts passed at 14%; the cautious, at 5%. AI mentions in applications rose from 7% in late 2024 to 18% in 2026, so the word alone no longer tells you much. Ask what they built with it.
People who build with AI pass more often
Bootcamp 7 participants who passed the scored final project, by how they use AI.
- Use Claude Code15%
- AI enthusiasts14%
- Don't use Claude Code6.9%
- Cautious about AI5%
Source: Pareto Talent applicant data, Bootcamp 7 (2026). See method.
These are pass rates on our scored final project, not hiring rates. They're associations, not causes: AI users may also be the people who finish things. Either way, they're the people you want reading your JD.
Skip the job post: get three hand-picked profiles in 24 hours
Every Right Hand we match has passed our application, 10 days of live training and a scored five-day build. Tell us what you need and see three executive assistants who fit it, within 24 hours.
05 · Attracting Builders
How do you write a job description that attracts top executive assistants?
Write the job description for the person who builds systems, not the person who follows them. Lead with the outcome, give them ownership in the verbs ("you own", "you decide"), name the AI and automation work out loud, publish a pay range, and make the application a small piece of real work. Strong candidates read that as respect. Weak ones drop out on their own.
Five lines that change who applies:
- "In 90 days, success looks like…" Builders want to know what winning means. Task-takers skip it.
- "You'll build and maintain simple automations." It invites the 15% group and gently warns off the people who'd rather not.
- "Send a link to one thing you built, organized or ran." Anyone can claim ownership. A link proves it.
- "Access in levels: draft-only email first." It tells serious candidates you're careful, and that trust grows.
- "Shortlisted candidates do a paid test task." The best people are proud of their work. They'll want to show it.
What to leave out: "fast-paced environment", "wear many hats", "other duties as assigned", and a list of 15 software names. They describe every job and attract nobody in particular.
06 · The Screening Step
What is the best way to screen executive assistant applicants?
Screen with a paid test task that looks like the real job, scored on a rubric you wrote before reading any submission. It's the same idea as our own final project: a five-day build, scored out of 25 points, where one broken link fails it. Your version can be smaller: 3 to 5 hours of work with 48 to 72 hours to deliver.
The shape of a good test task:
- Real work, sanitized. A week of your actual email to triage, a week and a trip to plan, or a simple follow-up automation to build.
- Every deliverable is a link you can open. Before you score anything, open every link. If one doesn't work, the task fails. That gate filters for the habit you can't train: checking your own work.
- Five categories, five points each. Judgment, writing, accuracy, tools and communication. Decide your pass mark before you start.
- Interview about the task, not the résumé. Ask the same questions about what they built, in the same order, for everyone. Structured interviews were the strongest predictor in the 2022 review.
Three copy-ready briefs, the full 25-point rubric for executive assistants and ten interview questions are in our guide on how to vet a remote executive assistant. The rubric follows the same structure as the Pareto AI Operator Scorecard.
Pay for the test task. Pay it at the candidate's expected hourly rate. It's fair, you get their real effort, and it tells strong candidates you take their time seriously. Tell them up front they may use AI tools, as long as they can explain the result.
07 · Pay
What should you put for executive assistant salary in the job description?
Put a real range. In the US, the median pay for executive assistants was $76,590 a year in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For remote and Latin America ranges, pay by experience, city and country, and the full cost beyond salary, see our executive assistant salary guide.
Two practical notes. State the currency and whether it's monthly or annual, because remote candidates read it both ways. And say whether you're hiring a contractor or an employee. The rules for that depend on where the person works, so check with counsel. Our guide to hiring remote talent in Latin America covers the options.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What are the duties of an executive assistant?
What skills does an executive assistant need?
What are the top 3 skills of an executive assistant?
What's the difference between an executive assistant and an administrative assistant?
How do you write a remote executive assistant job description?
What should a virtual assistant job description include?
What does a CEO look for in an executive assistant?
Should an executive assistant job description include salary?
Data Notes
About the data in this guide
Our data covers everyone who applied to Pareto Talent's training program for remote executive assistants and AI operators, Bootcamps 2 to 7 (2024 to 2026): 36,186 people. 5,840 completed the full application, 3,250 joined a live bootcamp and 518 passed the final project, a five-day build scored on a 25-point rubric. Pass rates in this guide mean "passed the scored final project", not "was hired". Submission figures use Bootcamps 5 to 7; AI-use figures use Bootcamp 7 only. Careers and AI attitudes come from applicants' own written answers. Differences are associations, not causes. Full method: Latin America Remote Talent Report.
External data is linked where it's used and listed below. The job description templates, the duties-by-level table and the screening advice are our own recommendations.
Sources
- Pareto Talent, Latin America Remote Talent Report 2026, applicant data 2024 to 2026.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018 Standard Occupational Classification, major group 43-0000, definitions for 43-6011 and 43-6014.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2025: Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants (median $76,590).
- Sackett, Zhang, Berry and Lievens (2022), Revisiting meta-analytic estimates of validity in personnel selection, Journal of Applied Psychology 107(11).
- Pareto Talent, The Pareto AI Operator Scorecard.
Meet three pre-vetted executive assistants in 24 hours
Every Right Hand we match has already passed the application, the English check, 10 days of live training and a scored five-day build. Tell us what you need and we'll show you three hand-picked profiles. If we don't find a match you're truly excited about, you owe nothing.