Executive Assistant + Paralegal / Contracts Manager (Commercial)
Overview
We're a fast-growing franchising business operating across multiple regions. We need a sharp, highly organised Executive Assistant who can also operate as a paralegal / contracts manager — someone who can manage the Director's day-to-day admin and help keep contracts, disputes, and negotiations moving with precision.
This is not a "basic admin" role. You'll be trusted with sensitive matters, deadlines, and communications that must be accurate and professional.
What you'll be responsible for (core outcomes):
Executive support (Director + Executive):
Calendar management, meeting prep, follow-ups, action lists
Email triage and foldering (inbox rules, tagging, templates, escalation)
Scheduling across time zones, stakeholder coordination
Contracts & legal admin (commercial focus):
Drafting and formatting letters/emails in professional legal tone (from templates + guidance)
Contract lifecycle management: version control, redlines, issue logs, execution packs
Maintaining a disputes register and negotiation tracker (dates, claims, evidence, next steps)
Organising evidence bundles: screenshots, timelines, attachments, file naming, and indexing
Liaising with lawyers: compiling instructions, preparing chronologies, summarising facts and issues
Supporting negotiations: preparing response drafts, offers, and structured talking points (we'll approve final)
Systems & documentation:
Build and maintain clean filing systems in Google Drive
Create SOPs/checklists for repeatable workflows (contracts, disputes, onboarding docs)
Use ChatGPT/AI to speed up drafting, summarising, and restructuring documents (with accuracy checks)
Data & reporting:
Basic spreadsheet tracking (Google Sheets): status dashboards, deadlines, matters list, compliance tasks
What "great" looks like in 30 days
Inbox and calendar are under control: nothing important missed, no double-bookings, clear priorities.
A single source of truth exists for contracts + disputes: clean folders, clear naming, trackers updated daily.
You can take rough voice notes / bullet points and produce professional drafts in a legal/business tone.
Must-have experience
Commercial legal / contracts experience (paralegal, contracts admin/manager, legal assistant, or similar)
Confidence drafting professional correspondence and handling sensitive disputes
Strong organisation, deadline management, and attention to detail
Fluent English (written + verbal) with the ability to communicate in legal terms
Proficiency with Google Workspace (Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Calendar)
High proficiency using ChatGPT/AI tools responsibly (accuracy + confidentiality)
Nice-to-have
Experience with franchising, service contracts, contractor agreements, or business disputes
Experience compiling evidence bundles and timelines
Familiarity with basic redlining/version control discipline
Working style
You can work autonomously, but you're also comfortable asking the right questions fast.
You are calm under pressure, can handle conflict-heavy matters, and you don't get sloppy when it's busy.
Hours / time zone
Flexible, but you must overlap with New Zealand business hours for key comms and meetings.
Ongoing role; start with a trial period.
Confidentiality
You'll be handling commercially sensitive and dispute-related information. NDA required.
To apply
Please include:
A short note on your legal/contracts/disputes experience
Examples of similar work you've done
Your weekly availability + time zone
Contract duration of more than 6 months. with 40 hours per week.
Mandatory skills: Draft Documentation, Administrative Support, Contract Drafting, Legal Writing, Legal Research, Legal Assistance, Process Improvement, Executive Support, Email Management, Business Writing