Executive Assistant Office Manager

Executive Assistant & Office Manager Central London | Up to £75,000, depending on experience Predominantly office-based, with the possibility of working from home one day per week Are you an exceptional Executive Assistant or Office Manager who thrives in the pace and ambiguity of a high-growth technology start-up? Perhaps you are already working within AI, deep tech or another founder-led technology business and are looking for an opportunity where you can have genuine influence and ownership. We are recruiting an Executive Assistant & Office Manager to join an ambitious organisation conducting advanced scientific research into artificial intelligence. Its multidisciplinary team brings together expertise across computer science, machine learning, psychology, neuroscience and physics, united by a mission to deepen our understanding of intelligence and ensure that the world benefits from AI. This is a rare opportunity to join a small, exceptionally bright and highly collaborative team at an exciting stage of its growth. Working directly with two founders, you will become a trusted right hand while also taking ownership of the office and the operational infrastructure that allows the wider team to perform at its best. This is not a traditional EA role. It would suit someone who enjoys the variety and autonomy of start-up life: switching seamlessly between founder support, office operations, events, people administration and solving whatever needs solving that day. You will have the freedom to improve processes, introduce better systems and genuinely shape how the organisation operates as it scales. The Role Working closely with both founders, you will:

• Manage busy and evolving diaries, intelligently prioritising meetings and protecting valuable focus time
• Act as a trusted gatekeeper, managing incoming requests and ensuring the founders' time is used effectively
• Take ownership of day-to-day office management
• Manage emails, draft responses and support general correspondence
• Arrange complex international travel, including flights, accommodation, itineraries and ground transportation
• Process invoices, expenses and payments accurately
• Coordinate research gatherings, community events and in-person and online conferences
• Take ownership of the Central London office, ensuring it remains organised, welcoming and fully operational
• Coordinate office suppliers, food orders, utilities, internet services and other workplace requirements
• Liaise with building management, external providers and sublease tenants
• Manage the process of subleasing office space to other businesses
• Maintain employee records and contracts and provide straightforward HR administration
• Coordinate visa sponsorship administration and payments for international researchers, working with specialist advisers where required
• Create clear, repeatable processes and identify opportunities to improve existing ways of working
• Embrace AI and technology, using tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, Google Workspace and Notion to automate routine tasks and build smarter, more efficient systems About You Ideally, you will already have experience working within a technology start-up or scale-up environment, with particular interest in candidates coming from AI, deep tech, research-led technology or similarly innovative businesses. You may currently be an Executive Assistant, Personal Assistant, Office Manager, Operations Assistant or Team Assistant. What matters most is that you understand the pace and mentality of an entrepreneurial environment and are comfortable operating with autonomy, ambiguity and changing priorities. You will ideally be degree educated in a relevant discipline such as technology, life sciences, biotech, chemistry, physics, mathematics or computer science, and will have a genuine interest in technology and AI. We are looking for someone who is:
• Highly organised, accurate and exceptionally dependable
• Proactive and naturally inclined to anticipate what needs to happen next
• Comfortable working in a fast-moving start-up environment where priorities can change quickly
• Confident managing competing demands and making sensible decisions without needing constant direction
• Warm, polished and professional, with the confidence to work closely with founders and senior stakeholders
• Happy moving between high-level executive support and hands-on office requirements
• Resourceful and willing to find solutions rather than waiting for instructions
• Discreet when handling confidential personal, employee and business information
• Genuinely interested in AI and technology, rather than simply comfortable using it
• Confident adopting new technology and ideally already using AI tools to work more effectively
• Motivated by creating processes, improving systems and finding smarter ways of working
• Collaborative, adaptable and low-ego Previous experience within a technology start-up or scale-up is highly desirable, and candidates coming from an AI-focused organisation would be particularly relevant. Experience of working closely with founders within a small, rapidly evolving business would also be highly advantageous. Exposure to office management, HR administration, visa coordination, events or supplier management would be beneficial, but we are equally interested in intelligent, resourceful people who can quickly learn areas they have not encountered before. Why Join? This is an opportunity to work at the heart of a pioneering UK AI research organisation, directly alongside its founders and an exceptional group of researchers and technologists. You will gain exposure to cutting-edge work in artificial intelligence while occupying a role that has genuine visibility and influence across the organisation. Rather than simply supporting an established structure, you will have the opportunity to help build the structure around a growing business. The position offers genuine breadth across executive support, events, workplace operations and People administration. As the organisation grows, there will be scope for the role to develop into a Senior EA, Operations Lead or People Operations position, depending on your strengths and interests. The organisation offers a high-trust, collaborative and low-ego culture where people are given autonomy, encouraged to think independently and expected to take ownership. Lunch is provided in the office each day.