Executive Assistant Operations Manager

A Leading Chess Coaching Company

John-Paul Wallace has spent the past 23 years delivering chess activities that enrich the lives of children, from weekly school clubs to engaging holiday camps and weekend Elite Squads. Wallace Chess Ltd uses chess as a way to build confidence, cognitive skills, and good sportsmanship.

Role Description

Operations Manager & Executive Assistant

This is the dream job for you if you have an entrepreneurial mindset, and love the idea of working in a small team where you can really contribute and help grow a company, working closely with the founder. 

You will get the opportunity to wear a lot of different hats and you will never be bored!

This role is not for you if:

• You are looking for a remote or hybrid position. This role is based in our London office five days per week.
• You want a narrow, fixed job description in which you perform broadly the same tasks every week. The role spans operations, growth initiatives, events, client service, administration and special projects, and its scope will evolve as the company grows. You will also act as executive assistant to the Director/founder.

• You prefer to be given a list of tasks rather than identifying problems, spotting opportunities and taking ownership of solutions.

• You consider practical or administrative work beneath you. Although this is a management role, everyone in our core team rolls up their sleeves when necessary—whether that means improving a business process, resolving a problem at a school or packing chess sets for an event.
• You cannot accommodate occasional weekend work.
• You want to work a year or two then move on. We are investing in a long-term appointment with the potential for responsibilities and opportunities to grow substantially over time.

You should be excited to apply if:

• You bring energy, initiative, and business-sense
• You enjoy creating, building and improving things—not merely maintaining what already exists.
• You combine business instinct and creative thinking with excellent organisation, attention to detail and follow-through.
• You enjoy variety and like the idea of moving between operations, events, client and staff relationships and hands-on problem-solving.
• You are excited by the challenge of helping turn new ideas into successful ventures.
• You would enjoy working closely with a small core team, reporting to our Senior Operations Manager and also collaborating directly with the founder.

Wallace Chess has been going strong for many years. We have a small and enthusiastic office team and are looking to hire a new person to help grow the company in some exciting new directions.

Executive support - in addition to the Operations Manager branch the role entails providing practical support to the Co-Director, including coordinating business travel, diary commitments, meetings, documents, expenses and important follow-ups.  

If you have a good business sense this is an ideal opportunity for you to work closely with a senior team. We work very collaboratively and in a small company you have the opportunity to see your ideas implemented and to make a real difference.

It is not essential that you play chess. That said it is certainly a bonus if you have experience in the chess world, in sport or tutoring/education.

It is important that you are well organised - that you are good at following up with clients, keeping your direct reports informed, and keeping accurate notes.

We are looking for someone who “gets things done” and achieves results.