Executive Assistant (Dubai) - Dubai Operations

University of Birmingham Dubai; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Birmingham Dubai is seeking an experienced Executive Assistant to support the Executive and Corporate Office. The role involves high-level administrative and operational support, ensuring exceptional customer service at the front desk and seamless coordination of meetings, travel, and events.

You will work closely with colleagues across the campus and Edgbaston, manage calendars, prepare papers, handle inquiries, and coordinate with external partners to deliver efficient,

Responsibilities

• Front Desk Operations: Handling a busy front desk at the main campus reception to support the smooth running of customer interaction points within the campus supporting Business
• Development and Engagement and the Executive Office: Welcoming esteemed guests and visitors to the Executive Office; Answering and referring technical queries; Act as a first point of contact for correspondence calls; Manage initial requests in-person or over the phone; Supporting interested applicants which may include campus tours; Deliver outstanding customer service and support with bookings for bespoke commercial and corporate events; Collating feedback for continuous improvement
• Campus Operations: Support the delivery and implementation of operational processes and systems; Maintain high profile relationships with stakeholders; Organise events including venue booking, invitations, refreshments, speakers coordination; Collate, analyse and interpret data; Manage smaller projects and desk research
• Monitoring budgets including processing payments and procurement through the University system; Updating and writing contents for department communications; Dealing with health and safety and facilities issues; Ensuring compliance and dissemination of internal procedures
• Event Coordination: Organisation of events including conferences, workshops, senior visits; venue bookings, invitations, refreshments, speaker liaison, bookings, advertising and feedback; Supporting external stakeholders with venue hire and customer service
• Executive Support: Complex diary management and meeting planning 6-12 months ahead; Inbox management; Preparation of papers; Attending meetings and taking minutes; Handling complex enquiries; Coordinating international travel; Data reporting; Managing projects and desk research; Supporting operational processes and systems

Job description

Role Summary

The Executive and Corporate Office represent the Senior leadership of the University of Birmingham Dubai and support the delivery of central corporate services as well as administering an outstanding student-centred customer service.

All members of the office work to execute the mission set out by the University s Executive Board and Council and are required to work closely with colleagues from the Edgbaston campus to ensure that governance, policy and processes are effective and meet the needs of the wider university.

This is a dynamic and demanding role and will involve considerable flexibility and the ability to prioritise and deliver tasks with a high level of accuracy and precision to support Senior Leadership and our wider campus community.

Reporting to the Executive Office Manager, the Executive Assistant will provide tailored administrative and operational support which will include providing an exceptional customer service, front desk operations, event coordination, procuring goods, and providing executive assistance.

The Executive Assistant will also act as the first point of contact for day-to-day queries; liaising with Professional Services and Academic Staff both internally and more widely across the University, as well as external collaborators, students and visitors will be a key aspect of this role.

Main Duties

Front Desk Operations

• Handling a busy front desk at the main campus reception to support the smooth running of customer interaction points within the campus supporting Business

Development and Engagement and the Executive Office.

• Welcoming esteemed guests and visitors to the Executive Office.
• Answering and referring technical queries to the appropriate department when unable to provide guidance based on the information on the official website.
• Act as a first point of contact when dealing with correspondence calls.
• Manage initial requests in-person or over the phone dealing with general queries and delegate more technical queries to the appropriate teams.
• Supporting interested applicants which may include campus tours.
• Deliver outstanding customer service and support with bookings for bespoke commercial and corporate events in accordance with the clients vision, budget, and requirements.
• Collating feedback to ensure a continuous improvement of service and delivery.

Campus Operations

• Support the delivery and implementation of operational processes and systems to support the smooth running of the campus.
• Dealing with a wide range of more complex enquiries and correspondence independently, or exercising judgement to redirect them to senior colleagues or other departments within the campus.
• Maintain high profile working relationships with key stakeholders, fielding enquiries and ensuring that appropriate information is disseminated to stakeholders as appropriate.
• Organisation of events including booking a venue, sending invitations, arranging refreshments, liaising with speakers, manage bookings, co-ordination of colleagues, advertising, collating feedback and reporting back.
• Collate, analyse and interpret data. This may include identifying and resolving issues with the data and building reports.
• Will manage some smaller projects on own initiative but will also carry out desk research and source data from internal and external sources in order to contribute to wider projects.

Will be responsible for one or more of the following:

• Monitoring budgets including processing payments, raising concerns where finances are not in line with the budget.
• Procuring goods and services through the University system.
• Updating and writing contents for the department s communications e.g. internet pages,
• Dealing with health and safety and facilities issues.
• Monitoring internal procedures/compliance and ensuring these are followed and disseminated as appropriate.

Event Coordination

• Organisation of events which may include conferences, workshops and or senior visits including booking a venue, sending invitations, arranging refreshments, liaising with speakers or visitors, manage bookings, co-ordination of colleagues, advertising, collating feedback and reporting back.
• Supporting external stakeholders with venue hire and ensuring a strong customer service throughout.

Executive Support

• Undertake complex diary management and meeting planning, usually 6-12 months ahead, making decisions on the best use of time. This will require you to understand the priorities and deadlines you and your manager(s) are working to and will involve developing relationships across the University and beyond.
• Proactive inbox management, with confidence to make decisions on behalf of others where appropriate.
• Proactive preparation and collation of meeting-related papers, working collaboratively to determine what information might be required in advance of a meeting, articulating clear deadlines for submission and proactively chasing where necessary. This will include attending meetings to provide high-quality committee support, taking minutes and following up as appropriate.
• Dealing with a wide range of more complex enquiries and correspondence independently.
• Arranging complex international travel requirements, including booking cars, flights, hotels, transfers, and organisation and planning of itineraries, ensuring best use of time and taking into account budgetary constraints.
• Collate, analyse and interpret data linked to budgets, events, or people operations. This may include identifying and resolving issues with the data.
• Will manage some smaller projects on own initiative but will also carry out desk research and source data from internal and external sources in order to contribute to wider projects.
• Support the management, development and implementation of operational processes and systems.