Executive Assistant to the CEO

Executive Assistant to the CEO

Codup Full-Time - (US timezone coverage preferred)

About Codup

Codup is a B2B eCommerce services company that helps mid-market manufacturers distributors and wholesalers modernize how they sell. We do digital transformation strategy eCommerce development on platforms like Shopify and BigCommerce CRM/ERP integrations and custom softwareeverything from tactical projects to comprehensive annual transformation programs.

Were a global team with operations in Pakistan serving clients across the US Canada UK and Australia. Our clients include major players in lighting industrial distribution and manufacturing.

This is a founder-led company at a pivotal moment. Weve grown significantly over the past several years and are building toward ambitious goals. The CEOs direct involvement in strategy and client relationships is essential to our growth which is exactly why this role exists.

The Role

This isnt a traditional Executive Assistant role. Yes youll manage calendars and coordinate logisticsbut thats a fraction of the job. The rest is about creating leverage.

The CEO is deeply involved in strategic initiatives client relationships and company direction. Your job is to protect his ability to do that high-value work while ensuring everything else moves forward.

Youll be trusted to represent the CEOs perspective make decisions on his behalf within defined boundaries and follow through with leadershipall without creating friction. This requires someone with strong judgment genuine humility and the ability to push back when needed without making it personal.

What Youll Do

Operational Leverage

• Own the CEOs calendar schedule and time allocationnot just as a gatekeeper but as a strategic partner who understands what deserves his attention and what doesnt
• Ensure he walks into every meeting prepared: context pulled materials ready relevant history surfaced
• Track commitmentsboth his and to himand make sure they actually get executed
• Manage information flow: what reaches him in what form when
• Coordinate across the leadership team clients and partners to keep things moving without constant CEO involvement

Accountability Partnership

• Help the CEO maintain focus on stated priorities when competing demands arise
• Track personal and strategic commitments to ensure continuity during high-intensity periods
• Provide honest direct feedback on where attention may be drifting from stated goals
• Run his personal scorecard and help maintain the operating rhythm

Strategic Representation

• Represent the CEO in situations that need his voice but not his presence
• Make decisions on his behalf within clearly defined boundaries
• Follow up with leadership on his commitments to themclosing the loop without him having to track it
• Serve as a strategic filter protecting the CEOs time by declining or redirecting requests that dont align with current priorities

Who You Are

Non-Negotiables

• High emotional intelligence. Youll navigate between the CEO and his leadership team daily. You need to exercise authority without creating resentmentconfident but not ego-driven.
• Exceptional judgment about escalation. You know instinctively what the CEO must see what you can handle and what should go to someone else entirely.
• Comfort with ambiguity. This is a founder-led company with a fluid brainstorming-heavy culture. If you need rigid structure and defined processes to function this isnt the role.
• Proactive not reactive. You see around corners and surface issues before they become fires. You dont wait to be told what to do.
• Strong backbone light ego. Youre confident enough to push back on the CEO humble enough to not make it about yourself.
• Strong written communication. If youre representing the CEO your communication needs to sound like himclear thoughtful and humannot like corporate boilerplate.
• Technology proficiency. Youre comfortable navigating multiple platforms and tools simultaneously. We operate across HubSpot Google Workspace Slack Asana and various other systemsand we expect you to move fluidly between them without hand-holding. Bonus if youre already exploring how AI tools can make you more effective.

Strong Preferences

• Business acumen. You dont need to be technical but you should be able to follow conversations about eCommerce platforms CRM systems project delivery and client relationships without getting lost.
• Experience with founder-led or growth-stage companies. The dynamics are different from corporate EA roles. You understand that the founder is both the bottleneck and the engine.
• Several years supporting senior executives. Youve done this before and have the pattern recognition to prove it.

What Success Looks Like

In the first 90 days:

• Youve built enough trust that the CEO can hand off commitments knowing theyll get done
• You can prepare him for any meeting with minimal direction
• The leadership team sees you as helpful not as a barrier or a political threat
• Youve identified things that were falling through the cracks and fixed them

In the first year:

• The CEO is spending measurably more time on high-value strategic work
• Youre making routine decisions on his behalf without needing to check in
• Youve become the connective tissue that keeps the leadership team aligned
• Youve pushed back on the CEO at least a few timesand hes thanked you for it

What This Isnt

This isnt a role where you execute tasks and wait for the next one. And this definitely isnt a role for someone who loves exercising authority more than they respect the responsibility that comes with it.

If youre looking for rigid processes clearly defined lanes or a predictable day-to-day this will be frustrating. If ownership of outcomes doesnt energize you this isnt the right fit.