Executive Assistant

Overview

Executive Assistant Jobs in Bakirkoy, Istanbul, Türkiye at Xeron

Title: Executive Assistant

Company: Xeron

Location: Bakirkoy, Istanbul, Türkiye

About Xeron

Xeron Technology is a newly established LED display solutions company in Istanbul, positioned as the exclusive turnkey partner for a leading global LED manufacturer. We deliver large-scale indoor and outdoor LED installations — from site survey to after-sales service. We're a founding-stage company building a team of 10-12 people. The Sales Manager is out hunting deals. The Technical Manager is on-site commissioning displays. The CEO is setting strategy and closing partnerships. Someone needs to hold everything else together. That someone is you.

Why This Role Exists

In a startup, the CEO can't afford a separate executive assistant, HR manager, and finance coordinator — but they desperately need all three. We've intentionally designed this as a triple-function role because at our stage, these areas overlap constantly: onboarding a new hire involves payroll setup (finance), contract preparation (HR), and equipment ordering (operations). One person handling all three is faster, smarter, and creates zero handoff friction. This is not an administrative afterthought. You'll be the 2nd or 3rd hire, sitting next to the CEO daily, with visibility into every aspect of the business — sales pipeline, project financials, hiring decisions, partner negotiations, and strategic planning. People in this role at fast-growing companies often become the COO or Head of Operations within 2-3 years.

Executive Assistant — CEO Support

• Calendar & schedule management: Coordinate the CEO's daily agenda — client meetings, partner calls (including time zone management for our overseas partner), internal reviews, and industry events
• Travel coordination: Book flights, hotels, and logistics for domestic site visits and international trips (factory visits, trade shows like ISE Barcelona, partner summits). Handle visa applications when needed
• Meeting preparation: Prepare briefing docs before key meetings — client background, project status summaries, financial snapshots. Take notes during meetings and track action items to completion
• Communication management: Draft and manage correspondence — emails to clients, partners, government entities, and suppliers. Filter incoming requests and flag priorities
• Presentation & document preparation: Create polished slide decks, proposals, and reports for client presentations, partner reviews, and potential investor meetings
• Confidential projects: Handle sensitive information — partnership negotiations, pricing strategies, competitive intelligence, and exit planning research — with absolute discretion

HR & People Operations

• Recruitment: Post job listings, screen CVs, schedule interviews, manage candidate communication, and coordinate the hiring process end-to-end. You'll help build the team from 3-4 people to 12+
• Onboarding: Design and execute the onboarding process for new hires — employment contracts, SGK registration, equipment provisioning, system access setup, and first-week orientation
• Payroll coordination: Work with our external accounting firm to ensure accurate monthly payroll processing, SGK contributions, tax withholdings, and salary transfers
• Employment contracts & compliance: Prepare and maintain employment contracts, NDAs, and non-compete agreements. Ensure compliance with Turkish labor law (İş Kanunu) — leave tracking, overtime records, termination procedures
• Benefits & culture: Research and implement employee benefits (private health insurance, meal cards, transportation allowances). As the team grows, you'll shape the company culture and internal communication
• Performance tracking: Help establish a simple performance review framework — nothing bureaucratic, just quarterly check-ins tied to clear objectives
• International training logistics: Coordinate factory training trips for technical staff — flights, accommodation, per diem, travel insurance, and itinerary management for 2-3 week overseas programs

Finance & Administration

• Invoice management: Issue client invoices (proforma and commercial), track payment milestones (30% advance + 70% pre-shipment is typical), and follow up on collections
• Expense tracking & reporting: Maintain a real-time view of company expenses — categorized by project, department, and cost type. Prepare monthly financial summaries for the CEO
• Cash flow monitoring: Track incoming payments, outgoing supplier payments, payroll obligations, and tax deadlines. Flag cash flow gaps before they become problems
• Tax & accounting coordination: Serve as the primary liaison with our external SMMM (chartered accountant). Ensure timely submission of KDV, muhtasar, and SGK declarations. Coordinate annual balance sheet and tax returns
• Import documentation: Support the Operations Manager with import paperwork — proforma invoices, packing lists, certificates of origin, CE declarations, and customs broker correspondence. Understand KKDF, ÖTV, and KDV implications on imported goods (GTIP 8528.59)
• Supplier payments: Process wire transfers to international suppliers (USD-based), track exchange rate fluctuations, and maintain payment records
• Office administration: Manage office lease, utilities, insurance, subscriptions, and vendor contracts. Keep the physical workspace running smoothly
• Bank relations: Coordinate with banks for corporate account management, letter of credit (LC) processing, and foreign currency transactions

What We're Looking For

• Experience: 3+ years in a role that combined at least two of: executive assistance, HR/people operations, or finance/accounting coordination. Startup or SME experience is strongly preferred — you should be comfortable wearing multiple hats
• Education: Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Economics, Human Resources, or a related field
• Financial literacy: You don't need to be a CPA, but you must be comfortable reading a P&L, tracking cash flow, understanding KDV/ÖTV/KKDF basics, and liaising with an external accountant confidently
• HR fundamentals: Working knowledge of Turkish labor law basics — employment contracts, SGK processes, leave entitlements, and termination procedures. Formal HR certification is a plus but not required
• Software skills: Advanced Excel/Google Sheets (pivot tables, VLOOKUP, financial models). Comfortable with accounting software (Logo, Mikro, Paraşüt, or similar). Experience with HRIS or payroll platforms is a plus
• Communication: Exceptional written and verbal communication in Turkish. Professional English is mandatory — you'll draft emails to our international partner, coordinate overseas travel, and prepare English-language documents
• Discretion: You'll have access to everything — salaries, contracts, partnership terms, strategic plans, financial data. Absolute confidentiality is non-negotiable
• Organizational mastery: You manage multiple workstreams simultaneously without dropping balls. Deadlines are sacred. Details matter. Nothing falls through the cracks
• Proactive mindset: You anticipate needs before they're expressed. The CEO shouldn't have to ask for the briefing doc — it should already be in the folder. The payroll deadline shouldn't be a reminder — it should already be processed

Bonus Points

• Experience at a trading/import company — familiarity with international supplier payments, customs documentation, and foreign currency operations
• Previous role supporting a founder or CEO at an early-stage company
• Knowledge of Turkish public tender processes (EKAP) — preparing bid documentation, compliance packages
• Experience setting up company processes from scratch — didn't inherit a system, built one
• Familiarity with corporate governance basics — board minutes, shareholder agreements, cap table management (relevant for our exit-oriented strategy)
• Second language beyond Turkish and English (Arabic, Chinese, or German is a plus for partner markets)