Executive Assistant

Job description

Swans builds technology, automation and operational systems for large US personal-injury law firms. We are looking for an **Executive Assistant** to help us build that team and increasingly take ownership of the internal coordination and operational work that supports Swans as we grow. This is a good role for someone who enjoys working across different types of problems, likes taking ownership, and wants to learn how a growing company operates from close range. ## **What you'll actually do** We are looking for an operational partner, a high-ownership "orchestrator" who gets energized by creating order from chaos. Initially, you will master the fundamentals by supporting core administrative functions. As you prove your ability to execute, you will progressively take ownership of more complex, ad-hoc projects across all company functions, from marketing and recruitment to finance and legal, moving them from idea to completion with minimal guidance. You will be the central operator who frees up the founders' time, allowing you to grow into the strategic partner we need as we scale. ## **About Swans** - **Our Company:** We are a fast-moving consulting & implementation agency that improves the way US law firms use technology to deliver better services to their clients. - **Our Team:** We are a team of around a dozen people today, and planning to grow significantly over the next 18 months. - **Our Culture:** We are energetic, no-BS, intense, results-oriented, and driven to change our industry forever. ## **Day in the life** Hands-on operational and administrative work daily. The split will initially be 75% administrative/executive support and 25% strategic project management, with the goal of reversing that split as you master the role and the company grows. Because we are expanding the team, hiring runs through this role. We have already built much of our hiring process, so this is about keeping it moving rather than designing it from scratch, and it will weigh most heavily in your first few months while you learn the company and the team. It is one part of a broader executive support and company coordination role, not a recruiting track. Your core responsibilities will include: - Manage the founders' calendars, inboxes, and travel logistics. - Prepare for and run leadership meetings, tracking all action items to completion. - Source candidates for priority roles and run initial screening conversations. - Coordinate interviews and candidate communication, and keep our ATS and candidate pipelines organized. - Support hiring research and outreach and other People Ops logistics. - Coordinate with the bookkeeper to keep finances up-to-date. - Conduct market research and support marketing initiatives. - Handle a constant stream of ad-hoc projects. As you progress and demonstrate mastery, your responsibilities will expand to include: - Initiate, manage, and complete more complex projects across marketing, recruitment, finance, legal, and other functions. - Work directly with the CEO and CTO to execute strategic initiatives. - Design and implement new processes to "organize chaos". This is a high-autonomy, "on your feet" role. You will be expected to think independently and solve problems proactively. ## **Why this changes everything for you** If you're tired of slow corporate progression, this is where you earn your seat at the table. This is a "Chief of Staff in-training" role. You'll gain unprecedented exposure by mastering the fundamentals directly alongside the CEO and CTO of a fast-growing startup. You will make a meaningful operational impact from month one by handling the critical details that keep the company running, freeing up the founders to focus on growth. In return, you get a direct line to strategic projects and a clear, merit-based path to a senior operational role within 12 to 18 months. ## **What we need** - **Judgment and triage.** You can tell the difference between an idea, a decision, a priority, and something genuinely urgent, and you act accordingly without being told which is which. - **Discretion.** You will sit inside the founders' inboxes, our finances, and our hiring conversations. You treat what you see as confidential by default. - **Ownership and follow-through.** If you take something on, it gets to completion without a reminder. You are measured on outcomes, not effort. - **Executive communication.** You write clearly and concisely for the CEO and CTO, and you are the first impression Swans makes on a candidate or a client on the phone. - **Practical intelligence.** You can work out a sensible way forward in an unfamiliar situation, and come back with a recommendation rather than a question. - **You already use AI to do your own work faster.** We build AI operations for law firms. We expect you to automate your own admin, not just execute it. ## **Ideal background** - 2-5 years of experience in similar roles. - Experience as a Project Manager, Executive Assistant, or a similar operational role in a fast-paced environment. - Experience working in a startup or a similar high-growth, "chaotic" environment. - (Alternatively) Experience in a bigger company if you were responsible for managing projects end-to-end. - Proven track record of managing multiple projects simultaneously across different functions (e.g., marketing, finance, HR). ## **This role will NOT be a fit if** - You are looking for a relaxed 40-hours job environment; this job is INTENSE, chaotic, and fast-paced. - You want to be assessed on your inputs; this role will require you to own your OUTPUTS and project outcomes. - You view administrative work as "beneath you." For the first year, mastering the admin and operational details is the job and the non-negotiable key to your growth in this role. - You need significant guidance or "babysitting"; this role requires high autonomy and proactive initiation. - You prefer a specialized role focused on one function (e.g., only marketing, only finance, or only recruiting); you will be working across all functions. - You get overwhelmed by chaos; your job is to organize the chaos. ## **Location & schedule** This is a fully remote role. Because this position works closely with the founders and coordinates activity across the company throughout the day, **full working-day overlap with European business hours is essential**. **Applicants outside this time zone range won't be considered, given that the role requires real-time overlap with the team.** We are primarily looking for candidates working within the **GMT+1 to GMT+4 time zones**. You should be available Monday to Friday throughout normal European business hours, rather than working primarily asynchronously or on a significantly different schedule. We also hold in-person team meetups several times a year in different locations around the world, chosen by the team. Potential locations for the coming year include the USA, Japan, and Thailand. ## **Compensation** - Competitive salary - Performance-based bonus & promotion path - Flexible benefits - Career-defining growth investment: we spent over $200,000 on team development last year, executive coaching, certifications, and training that accelerates your career beyond any traditional path ## **Swans Core Values** Value alignment is non-negotiable. Because of the close collaboration with the founding team and the direct impact on clients, it's essential that you genuinely connect with and embody our commitment to our core values: - **Relentless Excellence:** "We pursue mastery in every detail, not for perfection's sake, but because success with our clients and mission requires it." - **Radical Integrity:** "We choose transparency, honesty, and accountability, not for virtue's sake, but because trust is the only way our work succeeds." - **Sincere Care:** "We care enough to anticipate needs and act with empathy and intention, because genuine connection drives everything we build." Our standards are high: historically, less than 0.5% of candidates possess the rare combination of aptitude, skills, and cultural alignment we require.