Junior Executive Assistant
Job description, salary, sourcing, interview questions and a 30/60/90 plan to hire a Junior Executive Assistant in a German SMB.
Compiled by the Join team from public data and our hiring experience.
Updated
At a glance
- Median salary€40,000€35,000 – €46,000
- Time to fill30–50 days
- Experience0–2 years
How to hire an Executive Assistant for your SMB
Before you write the job posting, settle three framing questions. They determine which profile you really need and help you avoid the most common scope mistakes at German SMBs and scale-ups.
Question 1: Executive assistance, office management or board secretariat? The three roles overlap in small structures but are not equivalent. The Office Manager steers the entire office for 20-100 employees: suppliers, premises, travel costs, internal events. The Executive Assistant mainly supports one or two C-level executives with calendar, travel, confidential matters, supervisory-board preparation and strategic correspondence. The board secretariat is a function in its own right in larger structures, focused on supervisory-board support, compliance and legal documentation. Blending the three in one ad attracts poorly matched applications. Specify the function already in the title: Executive Assistant (m/w/d), not generic assistance or a versatile office-and-administration profile, which says nothing.
Question 2: How many C-level are supported, and in what setup? An executive assistance who supports a sole CEO of a stable Mittelstand company works differently from someone who coordinates two C-level (CEO and COO, or CEO and CFO) in an international scale-up with a supervisory board and investors. The second configuration requires at least 5 years of experience in a comparable setup and a mature protective posture toward management. List explicitly: the number of people supported, the presence of a supervisory board, the international dimension, M&A or fundraising activity, confidential special matters.
Question 3: What writing requirements? The role writes constantly: briefing memos to the supervisory board, draft replies to external law firms, sensitive emails on management’s behalf, minutes. If these writing requirements are central, you have to include the strategic written task in the selection process and calibrate the salary at the top end of the range. If the role is more logistically driven (travel, calendar, expenses, less correspondence), the profile sits closer to the median.
If the three answers converge on a full-time Executive Assistant for an SMB or scale-up with an active management agenda (and not an Office Manager or a pure board secretary), continue to the ad template below.
JD template
Executive Assistant (m/w/d) at a German SMB or scale-up
[Company name], an SMB in [industry] based in [city], [X] employees, [X] M€ revenue, is hiring an Executive Assistant to directly support [the CEO / the CEO and COO / the CEO and CFO] and to coordinate management’s confidential topics.
Your mission
As Executive Assistant you support [one or two] members of management in daily steering: calendar, travel, confidential correspondence, supervisory-board preparation, strategic documents. You are management’s protective instance against the flood of operational requests and the central contact for the supervisory board, [investors where applicable] and external law firms. You report directly to [management].
Key responsibilities
- Anticipated steering of the calendar [of one or more managing directors]: prioritization by value contribution, bundling internal meetings, protecting buffer zones before and after travel, anticipated preparation slots for the supervisory board and investors.
- Organizing business travel (national and international): booking, logistics, travel documents, expense reporting via [Egencia / TravelPerk / Concur] and [Circula / Pleo], crisis management on short-notice changes.
- Preparing supervisory-board meetings: topic mapping, collecting and proofreading the board documents, checking the consistency of the figures, sending via a secure data room [Diligent Boards / BoardEffect], a short briefing of management the day before, a draft minute within 48 hours.
- Writing strategic documents in management’s name or on management’s behalf: briefing memos, draft replies to external law firms, sensitive emails to the supervisory board, investors and business partners.
- Confidential filing and access management of the sensitive documents: board contracts, supervisory-board minutes, equity and M&A files, personal matters of management.
- [If applicable] coordinating specific special matters: fundraising rounds, M&A processes, international expansion, crisis communication.
- Observing the day’s agenda with an anticipation reflex: spotting inconsistencies, risks or protection needs early and escalating respectfully to management with two or three structured options.
Profile
- Essential: 3-8 years of experience in an executive assistance or a comparable role, preferably at an SMB or scale-up; impeccable writing quality in German (briefing memos, supervisory-board packs, formal correspondence); pronounced discretion with a clear line between confidential and shareable information; an anticipation reflex and the ability to disagree with management one-on-one or propose an alternative.
- Desirable: experience with supervisory-board preparation and secure data rooms (Diligent Boards, BoardEffect); negotiation-level English; familiarity with travel and expense tools (Egencia, TravelPerk, Concur, Circula, Pleo) and with a structured filing system (Notion, Confluence, SharePoint); experience in an international scale-up or a setup with active M&A or fundraising activity.
- Disqualifying: poor writing quality (typos, unstructured sentences, an inappropriate genre); breaches of discretion in the interview (naming names, figures or matters from previous mandates); a pure execution posture with no ability to disagree with management; instability (several 12-month stints in a row in an assistance role).
What we offer
- Gross annual compensation: fixed [42-68] k€ depending on experience, complexity of the setup and writing requirements. No structural variable component; [possibly a 13th month’s salary, a profit share, employee shares per company practice].
- Model: [full-time, on-site based in city, present on management’s days].
- Benefits: [company pension, a job ticket or bike leasing, meal allowance, vacation days, home-office policy for administrative days, training budget, language courses where applicable].
- Stack: [calendar and mail management, a travel and expense tool, a secure data room, document management].
Salary band
Base salary, gross annual
- 25th percentile
- €35,000
- Median
- €40,000
- 75th percentile
- €46,000
Gross fixed salary per year for a Junior Executive Assistant (0-2 years of experience, often a recent graduate or a Kauffrau/-mann für Büromanagement apprenticeship leaver moving into their first assistance role) at a German SMB. Berlin, Munich and Hamburg pull the range upward; regional and rural locations trend downward. A profile with prior office-admin or reception experience, strong written German and at least conversational English sits at the top of the band; someone with no prior office exposure sits at the bottom. The role carries no variable-compensation component at this level.
Sources: StepStone Gehaltsdaten Assistenz der Geschäftsführung (entry-level breakdown); StepStone Gehaltsdaten Executive Assistant (entry-level breakdown); Destatis Verdiensterhebung (April 2025)
Where to source this role
LinkedIn
€200-400 / month (Job Slots) plus Recruiter LiteThe strongest channel for Executive Assistants at scale-ups and in the urban Mittelstand (Berlin, Munich, Hamburg). Active sourcing via InMails delivers a markedly better signal than job posts alone, because strong profiles rarely search actively but respond to direct outreach from a managing director or an internal recruiter. Expect 50-70 % of qualified applications via LinkedIn when sourcing is run actively.
XING
ProJobs from €195 / monthStill relevant for Executive Assistants in the classic Mittelstand (mechanical engineering, industry, law firms, family offices) and for profiles with more than 8 years of experience. Especially in NRW, Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. Job posts on XING often produce a better-fitting set of applications for an executive assistance role in the traditional Mittelstand than LinkedIn.
Page Personnel Office Team
Success fee 20-25 % of the annual fixed salaryA specialized recruitment agency with its own Office Team division (executive assistance, office management, commercial administration). Higher fee costs than a classic job post (typically 20-25 % of the annual fixed salary), but a very strong signal for demanding profiles: a pre-qualified shortlist within 2-3 weeks. Worth it when the role directly supports a confidential C-level or internal HR has no time for active sourcing. Robert Half Office Team covers a comparable space.
Referrals (internal and management network)
Internal referral program, bonus €1,000-2,000 on hireFor Executive Assistants, the personal network of the hiring managing director or other C-level executives is the underrated top channel. A direct referral pre-filters confidentiality, presence and culture fit and shortens the process by 2-4 weeks. Activate the network explicitly: a personal call from management to 10-15 comparable managing directors usually delivers 2-3 qualified profiles within two weeks.
Evaluation playbook
The executive assistance role validates itself across four stages. The central stage is the combined case study (stage 3): a complex multi-day agenda and a strategic written task, which together test what stays invisible in a classic conversation: the structuring reflex, anticipation and writing quality.
Stage 1: CV and cover-letter review
Watch for stability (at least 24 months per role in the last two positions; an executive assistance with frequent changes often signals a mismatch with the personality or the standards of the previous management). Check the configuration of the previous support: a single CEO, several C-level in parallel, a family office, supervisory-board preparation. Weight the cover letter: writing quality is not incidental in this role, it is a core competency. An Executive Assistant who sends a generic or error-laden cover letter will not produce clean board minutes day to day either.
Stage 2: Structured first interview (60 min)
A classic part with 8-10 questions from the structured question set below, mixing behavioral, situational and values. At least two interviewers, ideally the hiring managing director plus an HR or ops person, separate scoring before the debrief. Watch for precision of language and non-verbal composure: the role requires presence in front of the supervisory board, investors and external lawyers, so the interview itself counts as a sample.
Stage 3: Case study with a multi-day agenda and a strategic written task (90-120 min)
Two combined tasks, sent in advance, 60-90 min of home preparation, 30-45 min of live discussion. Part A: coordinate a realistically dense four-day agenda for the managing director (an investor meeting in Munich, a supervisory-board appointment in Frankfurt, an internal town hall, an international trip with a three-hour gap), including two built-in conflict points. Part B: write a strategic document (example: a two-page briefing memo to the supervisory board to prepare a difficult quarterly discussion, or a draft reply to a sensitive external request). Assess the structuring reflex, clarifying questions before execution, written clarity and discretion in word choice. Anyone who jumps into execution without a query, or writes the memo without a board-appropriate tone, misses the core criterion.
Stage 4: References (structured check)
Call two references: mandatorily a former managing director the person directly supported, and a second reference from the immediate environment (a fellow board assistant, the CFO, a supervisory-board member). Ask both the same five questions: What is she/he strongest at? Where would you hire someone complementary? Would you hire them again tomorrow, why or why not? A concrete example of a confidential or sensitive situation where the person acted with composure? A concrete situation where the person disagreed with you or stopped a mistake? The last two questions deliver the most signal. An executive assistance who never disagreed is not a protective instance in a crisis, but a risk.
Structured interview questions
BehavioralDiscretion and confidentiality Tell me about a moment when you noticed a mistake or a bad decision by a managing director before it became public. How did you proceed?
What a strong answer surfacesA protective reflex and diplomacy: the person describes how they spotted the signal early (an inconsistency in the calendar, a contradictory email, a missing approval) and describes the escalation path (one-on-one before the appointment, a written note with an alternative, escalation to the CFO if management does not react). Bonus: the person mentions formalizing the topic afterwards (an extra check in the run-up, a new procedure). Anyone who describes letting the topic through because I didn't want to disagree is in the wrong role.
BehavioralDiscretion and confidentiality Describe the most difficult confidential information you have had to handle in your career. How did you live with it?
What a strong answer surfacesMaturity in handling confidentiality: the person describes a concrete situation (an upcoming dismissal, M&A preparation, a personal crisis of a managing director) without revealing the confidential details. Bonus: the person explains how they drew the line with colleagues, family and friends. Anyone who names concrete names or figures from previous mandates in the interview has already breached the confidentiality line in the interview itself; that is disqualifying.
BehavioralOrganization and prioritization Tell me about a situation where you had to handle several requests in parallel under heavy time pressure (a travel change the evening before, a supervisory-board pack and a short-notice investor request). How did you prioritize?
What a strong answer surfacesStructured prioritization: explicit criteria (reversibility, impact on external parties, delivery time, management wish), delegation or redistribution where possible, transparent upward communication about what will not deliver in the desired window. Anyone who got all three done at once with no explanation probably describes either a much less demanding environment or a burn-out mode that does not scale.
SituationalAnticipation of needs At 6:30 p.m. the managing director asks you to prepare an investor meeting for the next morning in Munich. You have no pack, no clear briefing, and the flight is at 6:30 a.m. What do you do in the next 90 minutes?
What a strong answer surfacesFraming before execution: 5 minutes of querying management on the objective of the meeting, expected attendees, critical topics; then structured preparation in this order: confirm travel and logistics, assemble a two-page pack from existing material, request three critical data points or templates, hand over by email at midnight with clarity on what is still missing. Anyone who goes straight to the pack without clarifying the investor and the objective risks preparing on the wrong topic.
SituationalDiscretion and confidentiality An external law firm contacts you directly with a question about an ongoing M&A process that is not yet public. The managing director is unreachable at a conference. How do you react?
What a strong answer surfacesA discretion reflex and clear escalation paths: the person confirms receipt without commenting on the matter, checks the identity and authority of the requesting party, seeks an indirect way to reach management (the CFO, a co-managing director, a defined deputy), offers a call back within 60 minutes. A person who answers directly because I know the matter has not internalized the confidentiality rule. A person who refuses without offering an alternative damages the external relationship.
SituationalAnticipation of needs On Friday afternoon the managing director decides verbally to communicate a difficult personnel decision (parting with a department head) on Monday morning. You see in the calendar that the affected person is having dinner with management on Sunday evening. What do you do?
What a strong answer surfacesAnticipation and respectful escalation: the person speaks to management one-on-one before the weekend begins, points out the inconsistency and proposes moving the dinner or bringing the communication forward. Bonus: the person documents the recommendation briefly and respectfully in writing, so that management's decision remains heard. Anyone who stays silent because that's not my business does not protect management from an avoidable presence risk.
CaseOrganization and prioritization You receive your managing director's calendar for the coming week: 7 internal meetings per day in 30-minute blocks, three of them with commute between two offices, no lunch, an investor call at 7 p.m., a trip to London on Thursday returning Friday morning. How do you restructure the week without cancelling important topics?
What a strong answer surfacesA systemic method: (1) categorize the meetings by reversibility (internally movable vs. externally binding) and value contribution (strategic vs. operationally delegable), (2) identify the three most critical slots (investors, supervisory board, external contracts), (3) bundle internal meetings onto two days, (4) protect buffer zones before and after travel, (5) query management with two options rather than a single rigid recommendation. Anyone who adjusts the week linearly with no method shows a lack of structuring ability; anyone who cancels all meetings shows a lack of diplomacy with the attendees.
CaseAnticipation of needs You take over the position. The previous Executive Assistant left abruptly and the handover was minimal. How do you structure the first 30 days without burdening management in this phase?
What a strong answer surfacesA discreet takeover: (1) systematic reading of the last three months of calendar and email traffic to identify recurring appointments and key people, (2) an audit of the ongoing files via the outgoing emails and the filing, (3) structured 30-minute conversations with the five most important internal contacts (the CFO, board members, the supervisory-board secretariat, the main law firm, the personal assistant) to get to know them and map the weak points, (4) a weekly 15-minute briefing of management with three points: what is running, what I observe, what I propose. Anyone who answers I ask management has misunderstood the principle of the role: the managing director should be asked less, not more.
CaseWritten communication The managing director asks you to write a two-page briefing note for a difficult supervisory-board discussion on Q3 losses. You have the raw data from the CFO and 90 minutes. How do you structure the document?
What a strong answer surfacesA writing reflex and strategic structuring: (1) a clear opening message in three lines (diagnosis, lever, expected trajectory), (2) a factual situation description in three points with no whitewashing and no dramatization, (3) two to three options for action with trade-offs, (4) one clearly recommended option with reasoning, (5) a list of foreseeable critical questions with anticipated answers. Assess the quality of the sentences: sober, precise, without marketing vocabulary and without defensive hedging. Anyone who writes the note in PowerPoint bullet points misses the genre of the supervisory-board minute.
TechnicalOrganization and prioritization Which tools do you use daily to support a managing director (calendar, mail management, travel and expense reporting, document filing, supervisory-board preparation)? Which have you introduced or switched?
What a strong answer surfacesConcrete familiarity with a modern stack: calendar and mail management (Outlook, Gmail, Superhuman), travel and expenses (Egencia, TravelPerk, Concur, Circula, Pleo), document filing (Notion, Confluence, structured SharePoint or Drive), secure data rooms for the supervisory board (Diligent Boards, BoardEffect, Datasite). Bonus: the person has run a migration or formalized a filing structure that is auditable for external parties. Anyone who names only Outlook and Word has worked in a classic, lightly digitized environment and needs a ramp-up phase; that is not a showstopper, but should be a conscious choice.
TechnicalWritten communication How do you structure the preparation of a supervisory-board meeting? Which milestones do you set between fixing the date and the meeting day itself?
What a strong answer surfacesA clear process: (1) eight weeks ahead: confirm the date, send the save-the-date, map the topics with management and the CFO, (2) four weeks ahead: send the draft agenda to the supervisory-board chair for alignment, (3) two weeks ahead: collect and proofread the board documents, check the consistency of the figures, (4) one week ahead: send the complete pack to the supervisory board via the data room, (5) the day before: a short briefing of management with anchor points, anticipated questions and a list of sensitive topics, (6) meeting day: logistics, note-taking, a draft minute within 48 hours. Anyone who prepares the meeting in the final days shows either a limited experience horizon or a poorly run secretariat.
TechnicalDiscretion and confidentiality You take over the position and find that the filing of confidential documents (board contracts, supervisory-board minutes, equity and M&A files) is chaotic: mixed versions, filing on personal drives, missing access restrictions. How do you clean this up within 60 days without interrupting the ongoing matters?
What a strong answer surfacesA structured method: (1) an audit of the existing filing with classification by sensitivity (public, internal, confidential, strictly confidential), (2) defining a new folder structure with dedicated access rights per sensitivity level, (3) migration in waves, starting with the most sensitive documents (M&A, board contracts), (4) versioning and retention rules documented, (5) a handover protocol with the CFO and internal IT. Bonus: the person mentions GDPR compliance (Art. 32 on data security) and the retention obligations for commercially relevant documents. Anyone who offloads the topic onto IT without owning the content side misses the role.
ValuesPresence with management How do you take critical feedback from a managing director who is not satisfied with a preparation or communication you led?
What a strong answer surfacesA learning posture: the person describes integrating the feedback (not just hearing it) and changing the practice. Bonus: the person shared what they learned with a colleague or documented a new process. Anyone who describes justifying their own logic instead of accepting the remark shows a coachability weakness that causes problems in such an exposed role.
ValuesPresence with management Describe your relationship with the managers you have served. How do you find the balance between availability and the ability to set your own boundaries?
What a strong answer surfacesA partnership posture: preparing topics in advance, anticipating needs, visible responsiveness in crises, but also clear recovery phases and protection of one's own time so that availability stays sustainable. Anyone who describes a pure availability posture (I'm reachable 24/7) is heading for burn-out, which does not strengthen the system. Anyone who defines their own availability too narrowly (office hours only) does not fit a role that structurally has irregular peaks. Bonus: the person names a concrete situation where they negotiated a protective framework with management.
ValuesDiscretion and confidentiality A managing director asks you for an approach (e.g. declaring a private expense as a business expense, or sugar-coating a supervisory-board pack) that seems borderline to you. How do you react?
What a strong answer surfacesThe ability to say no and escalate to the CFO, the compliance officer or the auditor without accusing. Bonus: the person proposes a legal alternative that addresses the actual need. Anyone who answers I execute without questioning does not protect the company in an operational or supervisory audit. Anyone who refuses curtly without offering an alternative destroys the trust relationship the role needs.
How to recognize a great hire
| Trait | Below bar | On bar | Above bar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Organization and prioritization | Reacts to requests with no system: no recognizable method for bundling, no shared calendar of recurring duties, frequent last-minute preparations. Lets themselves be driven by the agenda instead of structuring it. | A structured system: categorizing requests by reversibility and value contribution, bundling recurring topics, anticipated preparation of important appointments. Can run two management calendars or a complex setup with no visible friction. | The method reference in the company: documented processes for calendar management, travel preparation, supervisory-board preparation, expense reporting. Management can work for several weeks without micromanagement and nothing slips through. Other assistants in the house orient themselves to the introduced standards. |
| Discretion and confidentiality | Speaks too openly about ongoing matters, even in the interview; names names or figures from previous mandates without caution. Shows no awareness of the line between available and confidential information. | A clear line between confidential and shareable information; identifies sensitive topics early and handles them discreetly. Can find the right tone with colleagues, family and external parties without lapsing into secrecy. | A structured confidentiality reflex: filing-related (access rights, retention, versioning), communicative (what goes in which email to whom) and situational (which information stays in the front office, which escalates to the CFO or compliance officer). Perceived by the supervisory board and external lawyers as a protective instance. |
| Written communication | Emails and notes are unstructured, full of filler words, with grammar or typing errors. Supervisory-board packs are assembled in PowerPoint bullet-point mode instead of prose. Does not understand that writing quality co-determines management's external perception. | Clear, precise, error-free sentences; the appropriate genre for each addressee (the email tone to an external lawyer differs from a note to management). Can structure a two-page briefing note by situation, options, recommendation. | The writing reference in the company: writes for management in their voice without it sounding like ghostwriting. Supervisory-board packs and draft external replies go through without correction. Occasionally asked to edit a management email or proofread a press release. |
| Presence with management | A pure execution posture: takes requests without questioning, even when they are inconsistent or off-target. Or the reverse: permanent friction with management, because every request is treated as a debate. Both poles lead to marginalization. | A partnership posture: knows management's expectations, anticipates recurring needs, can disagree one-on-one or propose an alternative without blowing up the appointment. Management actively seeks their assessment. | A protective instance and a trusted sparring partner: management makes difficult decisions only after consultation, because the executive assistance sees consistency and risks better than other parties. Recognized by the supervisory board and external advisors as an extension of management, without demanding this position aggressively. |
| Anticipation of needs | Waits until management asks before working a topic. Does not know the recurring appointments in advance; is surprised by the day's agenda; reacts instead of framing. Management spends time briefing its own assistant. | Anticipates most recurring appointments (quarterly close, supervisory board, investor updates) three to four weeks ahead. Brings management two or three structured options instead of an empty question. Spots simple calendar inconsistencies early. | An anticipation reflex at the system level: spots risks (a double booking, travel incompatibility, the wrong addressee on a sensitive email) before they occur; frames requests so management can decide in a few minutes; builds buffer zones and recovery phases into the calendar without being asked. Management regularly says: I didn't even notice that could become a problem. |
30 / 60 / 90 day success plan
By day 30
- A complete map of the recurring appointments, key people and ongoing files via systematic reading of the last three months of calendar and email traffic
- Structured 30-minute first conversations with the five most important internal contacts (the CFO, board members, the supervisory-board secretariat, the main law firm, the personal assistant)
- First weekly 15-minute briefing of management established with three fixed points: what is running, what I observe, what I propose
- An inventory of the existing filing of confidential documents with first recommendations on classification and access rights
By day 60
- A calendar-management standard established: bundling internal meetings, protected buffer zones before and after travel, anticipated preparation slots for the supervisory board and investors
- First fully independent supervisory-board preparation with topic mapping, sending the pack eight days ahead and a short briefing of management the day before
- Travel and expense process formalized (booking standards, receipt deadlines, monthly settlement) with a handover to the CFO
- Migration of the confidential filing into a structured folder logic with sensitivity levels and documented access rights
By day 90
- A stable operating cadence: no recurring duty slips through, supervisory-board and investor preparations run without active prompting from management
- First independently written strategic documents (a briefing memo to the supervisory board, a draft reply to an external law firm) go through without substantial correction
- A written collection of the standards (calendar, travel, filing, supervisory board) created as a handover document for a future deputy
- Formal review with management: identified development areas for the next 90 days and, where applicable, a proposal for reinforcement (a junior assistant, external travel management)
Common hiring mistakes for this role
Four recurring traps when recruiting an executive assistance at German SMBs and scale-ups. The first three lead to a mis-hire, the fourth to under-hiring.
Confusing executive assistance with office management
The Office Manager steers the entire office for 20-100 employees: suppliers, premises, administration, travel costs, internal events. The Executive Assistant mainly supports one or two C-level executives with calendar, travel, confidential matters, supervisory-board preparation and strategic correspondence. The areas overlap in smaller structures but are not equivalent. A combined ad attracts either an Office Manager who is lost on supervisory-board minutes, or an Executive Assistant who does not want to carry supplier management. Frame the scope explicitly in the ad title and decide which of the two functions leads.
Not testing writing quality
Many recruitments rely on two classic conversations and never actively test writing quality. In practice the executive assistance writes constantly: briefing memos, supervisory-board minutes, draft replies to law firms, sensitive emails on management's behalf. A person who is eloquent in conversation but writes badly will damage management's external image. The strategic written task in stage 3 is the only reliable filter. Skipping it means hiring blind on a central requirement.
Not actively testing discretion
Discretion is not measurable on the CV and is often only asked about abstractly in a classic conversation (I can handle confidential matters). That is not enough. The situational question about the external law firm and the behavioral question about confidential information are the two reliable filters. Anyone who names concrete names, figures or matters from previous mandates in the interview has already breached the confidentiality rule; that is disqualifying. Add this test explicitly to the interview guide and communicate it to all interviewers.
Hiring too junior for a complex setup
An executive assistance who supports a sole CEO of a stable Mittelstand company is a different role from someone who coordinates two C-level in an international scale-up with a supervisory board, investors and M&A activity. The second role requires at least 5 years of experience in a comparable configuration and a mature protective posture toward management. A junior hire in this context produces stress on both sides and a move within 12 months. When the setup is complex, pay the upper corridor (60-68 k€) for an experienced profile, instead of 42-48 k€ for a junior profile who cannot hold the position.
Frequently asked questions
What does an Executive Assistant earn in Germany?
The reference range for an Executive Assistant with 3-8 years of experience at a German SMB or scale-up is 42-68 k€ gross annual salary (median around 52 k€). The center of the range is Berlin and Munich; Frankfurt, Hamburg and Düsseldorf sit in the same corridor. Rural regions and the east pull the range down by 8-12 %. Profiles who support several C-level executives in parallel or carry an international setup with supervisory-board preparation sit at the top end of the range. The role has no structural variable component; some scale-ups pay a 13th month's salary, a simple profit share or employee shares.
What is the difference between executive assistance and office management?
The Office Manager steers the entire office for the company (typically 20-100 employees): suppliers, premises, general administration, travel costs, internal events, logistical onboarding. The Executive Assistant mainly supports one or two C-level executives (CEO, COO, CFO) with calendar, travel, confidential matters, supervisory-board preparation and strategic correspondence. The two roles overlap in smaller structures (under 25 employees) but are structurally not equivalent. A combined ad rarely attracts a fitting profile. Clarify before posting which of the two functions leads, and frame the scope explicitly.
How long does it take to hire an Executive Assistant in Germany?
Expect 40-65 days between posting the ad and a signed contract for a mid-level position. The market is active in Berlin, Munich and Hamburg for profiles with 3-5 years of experience; timelines lengthen to 50-70 days for specialized profiles (several C-level in parallel, an international scale-up, supervisory-board preparation). Cutting below 40 days usually comes at the cost of the case-study stage, which markedly lowers hiring quality on a role where writing quality and anticipation are central. A specialized recruitment agency such as Page Personnel Office Team or Robert Half Office Team can shorten the timeline by 1-2 weeks, but costs 20-25 % of the annual fixed salary as a fee.
What legal requirements apply to job postings for an executive assistance in Germany?
Three central requirements: (1) a gender-neutral job title with (m/w/d) or colon spelling (§ 11 AGG), (2) the obligation of pay transparency in the ad or before the first interview (EU Pay Transparency Directive 2023/970, implementation by 7 June 2026), (3) transparency about the use of AI tools for pre-selection and guaranteed human oversight (EU AI Act, from 2 August 2026). Specific to this role is the confidentiality clause in the employment contract and the explicit reference to access to sensitive data (§ 17 UWG, § 203 StGB for certain positions of trust, Art. 32 GDPR on data security).
What education is expected for the role?
There is no legally prescribed education. In practice, experienced Executive Assistants come via three routes: training as a Kauffrau/-mann für Büromanagement (a commercial office-management apprenticeship) with subsequent experience in an executive assistance; a bachelor's in business administration, languages or communication with a lateral entry via a junior assistance; a lateral entry from senior hospitality or concierge roles with a service reflex and discretion as core competencies. Practical experience in a comparable setup weighs more than the diploma. German and English language skills are practically non-negotiable in the scale-up context; a third language (French, Spanish) is a clear plus in an international setup.
Should the executive assistance work on-site, hybrid or remote?
On-site or hybrid with a clear on-site presence on management's days is the standard at a German SMB and scale-up. The role requires physical availability for confidential handovers, spontaneous briefings and presence with external parties who come into the office (law firms, supervisory-board members, investors). Full remote is possible when management itself works mostly remotely and the assistance's protective function is exercised primarily in writing and via video conference; that is rare in the German Mittelstand and not proven in practice at a classic SMB.