Executive Assistant / Business Support Contractor (NZ Consultancy)

Equinox Automation is a specialist engineering consultancy based in New Zealand. We support industrial and energy clients with safety-critical engineering, including fire and gas mapping, functional safety, instrumentation, control systems, and high-hazard facility work.

This is a serious professional services business. We are looking for a strong Executive Assistant / Business Support Contractor who wants ownership, responsibility, and long-term growth.

This is not a basic task-taker role.

We are looking for someone who can help the Managing Director stay organised, follow through on important actions, support business development activity, and reduce day-to-day admin pressure.

The right person will create structure, improve processes, and make the founder's life easier.

The Core Role

The initial focus will be:
• Email and inbox management
• Calendar management, scheduling, reminders, and follow-ups
• Accounts payable admin, including supplier invoices, approvals, payment preparation, and expense records
• Invoicing admin, including preparing draft invoice information, tracking invoice status, and following up required internal actions
• HubSpot CRM updates, contact management, lead tracking, and follow-up support
• LinkedIn client research, prospect list building, and support for LinkedIn marketing strategy execution
• Business development admin, including tracking outreach, client follow-ups, and proposal actions
• Personal admin support for the Managing Director, including appointments, travel, client gifts, reminders, and general organisation
• Project admin tasks
• Process, workflow and SOP creation
• Critical to support the Managing Director in staying organised, focused, and accountable
• More tasks added as role and hours grows.

Who This Role Suits
This role suits someone who:
• Takes initiative and solves problems before being asked
• Creates structure where things are messy or unclear
• Can turn messy ideas into clear actions
• Follows through and does not disappear when things get difficult
• Communicates clearly in written and spoken English
• Is highly organised, reliable, discreet, and detail-focused
• Is comfortable working with a busy founder who moves quickly
• Can work independently without needing constant supervision
• Looks for ways to save time, improve systems, and reduce mental load for the managing director

The right person will think:
"What can I do to make the founder's life and business easier?"

Not:
"What task am I waiting for next?"

Requirements
• Minimum 3-5 years' experience as an Executive Assistant, Senior Executive Assistant, or senior founder support professional
• Strong written and spoken English
• Confident with Microsoft 365, Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams, SharePoint, HubSpot, LinkedIn, and online tools
• Experience with inbox management, CRM updates, LinkedIn research, invoicing admin, accounts payable admin, and founder support is preferred
• Canva skills would be an advantage for simple business graphics, document formatting, LinkedIn content support, and basic marketing collateral
• Comfortable operating as an independent contractor
• Must be available to work during 1:00pm to 5:00pm New Zealand time

Engagement Details
• Remote contractor role
• 20 hours per week initially
• Core working window: 1:00pm to 5:00pm New Zealand time, Monday to Friday
• Opportunity to grow into full-time for a high-quality candidate
• Long-term role based on performance, trust, and business growth
• Contractor rate is negotiable based on skill, experience, and capability
• Contractor is responsible for their own taxes, equipment, internet, statutory obligations, and work setup

How to Apply
To be considered, please send:
1. Your CV
2. A short cover letter explaining your relevant experience
3. A custom 60-second video explaining why we should hire you for this specific role
4. Answers to the screening questions below

Generic or reused videos will not be accepted. The video must be specific to this role and show that you understand the type of support required.

Applications that do not include both the custom video and answers to the screening questions will not be reviewed.

To show that you read this full advert, include the phrase "organized operator" at the beginning of your application.

Applications close Monday 15 June at 12:00pm NZST.

Screening Questions
Please answer the following:
1. Tell me briefly about yourself and your current work situation.
2. Tell me about your experience as an Executive Assistant or Senior Executive Assistant.
3. Have you directly supported a founder, CEO, Managing Director, or business owner before? If yes, what did you help them with?
4. How comfortable are you speaking English on phone calls with vendors, suppliers, clients, or service providers?
5. What tools have you used? Please include Microsoft 365, Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams, SharePoint, HubSpot, LinkedIn, Canva, task management tools, or similar systems.
6. Tell me about your experience managing inboxes, calendars, reminders, and follow-ups.
7. Tell me about your experience with accounts payable, invoicing admin, expenses, or basic finance admin.
8. Have you supported LinkedIn research, CRM updates, lead tracking, or marketing/admin activity before? If yes, explain what you did.
9. Tell me about a time you created structure, improved a process, or made things easier for a founder or manager.
10. Tell me about a time you solved a problem before your boss or client noticed it.
11. How would you help keep a busy founder organised, focused, and accountable?
12. This role requires initiative, follow-through, and ownership. Give an example of when you took ownership without being asked.
13. What is your expected contractor hourly rate in PHP? Please provide your all-in hourly rate.
14. Are you looking for a long-term role that can grow from 20 hours per week into full-time if the fit and performance are strong?