Executive & Commercial Assistant to the CEO

About UpSkill Universe

UpSkill Universe is a multi-award-winning AI upskilling and training organisation, founded in 2015. We design and deliver practical learning programmes for large enterprises, governments and community partners, and we have now trained close to 800,000 people across 43 countries, working with organisations including Google, Sky, UBS, HSBC, Visa, Lloyds Bank and Santander. Our work spans the UK, Sub-Saharan Africa and international markets, across AI, data, digital skills, leadership and inclusion.

About the role

We are looking for an Executive & Commercial Assistant to work alongside our CEO and sit at the centre of how UpSkill Universe wins new business. Around 70% of the role is running the CEO's working week well: the diary, the inbox, travel, board and client preparation, and the follow-through that keeps commitments moving. The remaining 30% is commercial enablement: researching accounts and contacts, following up on the CEO's relationships and conversations, preparing outreach, and keeping HubSpot an accurate picture of where every opportunity stands, working closely with our Head of Growth and sales team. As with any EA role, the balance will flex with what the business needs at the time.

You will use AI tools confidently every day and build simple, repeatable systems such as templates, workflows, automations and dashboards, so that the CEO's time goes where it creates the most value. This role suits someone who is highly organised, commercially curious and ambitious, and there is a clear route into business development for the right person.

This is a permanent, full-time hybrid role, reporting to the CEO and based at our London office for part of the week, with occasional UK and international travel.

Your responsibilities will centre on:

- Owning the CEO's diary, inbox and meeting preparation so that time is protected for selling and key relationships.
- Researching accounts and contacts and preparing outreach and follow-up on the CEO's relationships.
- Making sure every conversation, event contact and introduction is followed up and handed to the right person in Sales.
- Keeping HubSpot accurate, current and useful for the whole Commercial team.
- Using AI and automation to make the CEO's office and our sales process faster and more consistent.
- Coordinating board, leadership and client preparation so that nothing is missed.

What you will do

Executive partnership and CEO operations (around 70% of the role)

- Diary and Inbox Management: Own the CEO's calendar and inbox triage, protecting time for selling, client relationships and board work, and making sure nothing important waits more than a working day for a response.
- Meeting Preparation: Brief the CEO ahead of client, partner and board meetings with a short summary of the organisation, attendees, HubSpot history and the objective for the conversation, then capture actions afterwards and chase them through to completion.
- Board and Leadership Rhythm: Prepare papers, packs and follow-ups for board and leadership meetings, keeping a clear log of decisions, owners and deadlines.
- Travel and Events: Organise UK and international travel along with the CEO's speaking, conference and panel commitments, and turn each event into a plan of who to meet and how to follow up.
- Recruitment and Admin Coordination: Schedule interviews, manage candidate communication, and handle invoices, supplier and office logistics, awards and event submissions.
- Stakeholder Coordination: Act as a warm, professional first point of contact for clients, partners, funders and government stakeholders.

Commercial enablement (around 30% of the role)

- Account Research: Research target organisations and contacts against our ideal customer profile, including HR, L&D, Talent and Digital leaders in large enterprises and CSR, Foundation and Social Impact leads for societal programmes, using LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Apollo and HubSpot.
- Outreach and Follow-up: Prepare and send personalised outreach and follow-up on the CEO's relationships, event contacts and introductions, booking meetings for the CEO and passing qualified interest to Sales.
- Network Re-engagement: Work through the CEO's network, past clients, lapsed accounts and event attendees to reopen conversations, which is often where our quickest wins sit.
- CRM Management: Keep HubSpot accurate and up to date for contacts, companies, activities, meeting outcomes, next steps and deal stages.
- Proposal Coordination: Pull together proposal packs, credentials, case studies and tender documents with the Commercial team.
- Reporting: Share a short weekly update on CEO follow-ups and commercial enablement activity, and contribute to monthly pipeline reviews.

AI and systems (running through the whole role)

- AI-first Working: Use AI tools such as Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini or Copilot for research, drafting, meeting notes, summaries and personalised outreach at scale, with sound judgement on accuracy, tone and data protection.
- Building Systems: Design and maintain simple workflows, templates, sequences and automations (for example HubSpot workflows, Zapier or Make) that save time for the CEO and the sales team, and document them so that others can use them.

What success looks like

- By the end of month three: the CEO's diary, inbox and meeting preparation routine is running smoothly, HubSpot records for CEO-owned accounts are complete and current, and outreach sequences are live.
- By the end of month six: at least eight hours a week of CEO time released from administration and redirected to new business and key accounts.
- Inbox responses within one working day on items the CEO needs to act on, and no missed follow-ups on CEO-owned opportunities.

Progression

After 12 to 18 months, and against clear performance measures, there is a route into a Business Development Manager role within the Commercial team, or into a broader Chief of Staff remit working across the business.

About you

- Two to five years in an executive assistant, business support, sales development, business development or account management role, ideally in a growing business, consultancy or learning organisation.
- A track record of managing a busy senior diary, and ideally of arranging meetings with senior stakeholders.
- Confident and articulate on the phone, in writing and on LinkedIn, and comfortable approaching senior people.
- Uses AI tools every day and can show examples of work built or sped up with them.
- Hands-on CRM experience (HubSpot preferred; Salesforce or Dynamics also considered).
- Highly organised and discreet, with strong attention to detail and the ability to juggle competing priorities.
- Enjoys finding and building a better way of doing things.

It would be great if you also bring experience in EdTech, L&D, training or consultancy, knowledge of LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Apollo, HubSpot workflows, Zapier or Make, an interest in AI, future skills or social impact programmes, or experience coordinating bids and tenders.

Working at UpSkill

At UpSkill you will join a team that cares about the work and about each other, with the freedom and the tools to bring your best self to work and see the difference you make. Our benefits include:

- Access to annual learning grants so you can take control of your learning and development journey.
- Early Friday finishes.
- Unlimited paid holiday.
- Flexible, hybrid working.
- Referral, commission and bonus schemes.
- Well-being initiatives and a busy social calendar.
- A strong tech set-up, whether you are working from home or in our London office.

This position offers a salary of £35,000 to £45,000 , depending on experience.

How we hire

We would love to get a feel for your approach and personality, so if you think you would be a great fit, please submit your application. We believe in being open about our process:

- The first stage is a 15-minute informal chat so we can get to know you and understand your motivations for joining us.
- You will then be invited to a second stage interview with your potential manager, so you have the chance to ask questions and learn more about the team you would be joining.

UpSkill Universe is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and all relevant and qualified applicants will be considered regardless of religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, ethnicity or background.