Executive assistant & office manager

What does an executive assistant & office manager do?

An executive assistant supports one or more senior leaders, such as a CEO, a managing director or a department head.

An office manager keeps the workplace running. In smaller Singapore firms, one person often does both jobs.

The role sits close to the top of the organisation. You usually report to the leader you support, or to the head of operations or HR. You handle diaries, travel, documents, meetings and day-to-day office needs.

You work with senior leaders, finance, HR, facilities, vendors, clients and visitors. Much of the job is judgement. You decide what needs the leader's time and what you can settle yourself.

What the work involves

• Manage an executive's calendar, accept or decline meeting requests, and resolve clashes.
• Book flights, hotels and transport, and prepare itineraries for business trips.
• Draft emails, letters, reports and slide decks, and proofread documents before they go out.
• Organise meetings, board sessions and staff events, from venue and catering to minutes and follow-ups.
• Order supplies, deal with landlords and building management, and keep vendors to their contracts.
• Track office budgets and expenses, process claims and prepare simple spending reports.

Pay in Singapore

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Skills an executive assistant & office manager needs

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Executive assistant & office manager job description

A Singapore organisation is hiring an executive assistant and office manager to support its senior leadership and run the office.

You will manage diaries and travel, prepare documents, organise meetings and events, and look after vendors and office operations. You will handle confidential matters with care and work with teams across the business.

Responsibilities

• Manage the calendar, inbox and priorities of one or more senior executives.
• Arrange local and regional travel, including flights, accommodation, itineraries and expense claims.
• Prepare correspondence, reports, presentations and meeting papers, and check them for accuracy.
• Organise internal meetings, client visits, town halls and company events.
• Take minutes, record action items and follow up with owners.
• Research topics and compile briefings for the executive.
• Manage vendors for items such as cleaning, catering, stationery, IT support and printing, and review their invoices.
• Track office budgets and spending, and help prepare cost summaries.
• Maintain office records, filing systems and shared knowledge pages for staff.
• Handle personal and company data according to company policy and the law, and supervise junior admin staff where needed.

Requirements

• A diploma or degree is common. Some employers accept experience instead.
• Typically 2 to 5 years of experience in administration or secretarial support, more for senior executives.
• Strong written and spoken English, with clear and polite business writing.
• Working skill in Microsoft 365, especially Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Teams.
• Ability to keep confidential information private and to stay calm when priorities change.
• Familiarity with tools such as Notion or Confluence, and with AI writing assistants, is an advantage.

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Executive assistant & office manager career path

Most people start in general administration and move up as the executives they support become more senior.

From there you can go deeper into executive support or widen into office and operations management.

1. Administrative assistant

   Entry

   You handle filing, scheduling, data entry, supplies and front-desk tasks under supervision, and learn how the office runs.

2. Executive assistant

   Mid

   You support a director or senior manager with diaries, travel, documents and meetings, and work with little supervision.

3. Senior executive assistant or office manager

   Senior

   You support C-suite leaders or run the whole office, manage vendors and budgets, and guide junior staff.

4. Executive business partner or head of office administration

   Lead

   You act as a trusted adviser to the leadership team and lead a team of assistants or administrators.

5. Head of administration or workplace services

   Head

   You set standards for office operations, own budgets and vendor contracts, and lead administration across sites.

The titles are ones commonly used in Singapore; employers may name the levels differently.

Related jobs and their pay

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Executive assistant & office manager interview questions

We wrote these questions from the skills this job needs. They are not an official question bank.

1. How would you set up an executive's calendar so that focus time and key meetings are protected?

   What a good answer covers

   • Block recurring focus time and travel buffers
   • Agree rules on which meetings get priority and which can move
   • Use delegate access, colour codes or categories to see the week at a glance
   • Check the week ahead with the executive on a fixed day
   • Keep time zones and public holidays in view for regional meetings

2. You must plan a five-day regional trip for a director with three stops and tight meetings. How do you go about it?

   What a good answer covers

   • Confirm the meeting times and priorities before booking
   • Check entry requirements and passport validity early
   • Allow realistic transfer and rest time between stops
   • Prepare a single itinerary with contacts, addresses and backup options
   • Keep a record of costs for claims and share changes quickly

3. You have four weeks to organise a year-end dinner for 80 staff. Walk through your plan.

   What a good answer covers

   • Set the budget, date and headcount with the sponsor first
   • Shortlist venues and compare quotes on the same terms
   • Cover dietary needs, accessibility and the programme
   • Build a timeline with owners and a run-sheet for the day
   • Review costs and feedback afterwards

4. Draft the opening of an email, sent for your CEO, that politely declines a meeting with an important client.

   What a good answer covers

   • Short and clear, with the decision stated early
   • Respectful tone suited to the relationship
   • Offers an alternative, such as a later date or a colleague
   • Checks names, titles and dates
   • Gets the executive's approval where needed

5. How do you compare three quotes from catering or cleaning vendors and hold the chosen vendor to account?

   What a good answer covers

   • Compare like for like on scope, price, terms and service levels
   • Check references and past performance
   • Put expectations and review dates in writing
   • Check invoices against the agreed scope
   • Escalate and document problems early

6. Which Microsoft 365 features do you use to manage an executive's inbox and documents?

   What a good answer covers

   • Outlook rules, categories and delegate access
   • Shared folders and version history in OneDrive or SharePoint
   • Teams for scheduling and meeting notes
   • Excel for budgets and trackers
   • Copilot to summarise threads or meetings, with the output checked

7. How would you build an office handbook and onboarding page for new staff in Notion or Confluence?

   What a good answer covers

   • List what new joiners ask most, such as access, supplies and contacts
   • Group content with a clear page structure
   • Add checklists, owners and review dates
   • Link to forms and policies instead of copying them
   • Ask new staff for feedback and update the page

8. How do you use an AI chat tool in your work, and what would you never put into it?

   What a good answer covers

   • Use it for first drafts, rewrites, summaries and checklists
   • Review every output for errors, tone and made-up facts
   • Paste confidential, personal or client data only if company policy allows
   • Follow the organisation's approved tools and rules
   • Keep your own judgement on the final document

1. Two directors both want the CEO's only free slot tomorrow. What do you do?

   What a good answer covers

   • Ask each what the meeting is for and how urgent it is
   • Check whether either can be shortened, moved or handled by someone else
   • Check the CEO's priorities or ask for a decision
   • Offer the other director a clear alternative
   • Tell both people promptly and politely

2. The venue for a 60-person client event cancels two days before. What are your first steps?

   What a good answer covers

   • Tell the event owner at once, with a plan as well as the problem
   • Contact backup venues and check capacity, layout and availability
   • Review the cancellation terms and any refund
   • Update guests, speakers and other vendors
   • Note lessons for the next event

3. One hour before a board paper goes out, you spot a wrong figure. What do you do?

   What a good answer covers

   • Tell the author straight away and show the issue
   • Leave the figures for the author to change
   • Offer to hold the send and check the source
   • Update the file and confirm the version control
   • Suggest a final check step for next time

1. Describe a time you said no, or pushed back, to a senior person.

   What a good answer covers

   • Gives a real situation and what was at stake
   • Explains the reason calmly and with facts
   • Offers an alternative
   • Shows the outcome and the working relationship afterwards

2. Tell us about a week when many urgent tasks arrived at once. How did you decide the order?

   What a good answer covers

   • Sorts by deadline, impact and who is waiting
   • Checks priorities with the executive when unclear
   • Delegates or defers where possible
   • Keeps people updated
   • Reflects on what would help next time

1. How would you handle staff and visitor personal data in the office under the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA)?

   What a good answer covers

   • Collect only the data needed and say why
   • Keep lists, visitor logs and forms secure, in locked storage or access-controlled folders
   • Share data only with people who need it
   • Delete or dispose of data when no longer needed
   • Refer questions or incidents to the company's data protection officer

2. A new hire from overseas starts in six weeks. How would you help with the work pass process and first-day set-up?

   What a good answer covers

   • Check with HR who owns the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) application
   • Collect documents early and track the timeline
   • Leave legal advice to the experts and point to MOM's official guidance
   • Prepare the desk, access, equipment and orientation schedule
   • Keep a record of pass expiry dates for renewals

Common questions about an executive assistant & office manager job

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