Executive Assistant to the Director (CEO Track)

Confidential Company; Abu Dhabi, Dubai; On-site; AED 201,000 - 357,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Mentorship from Director

Development plan toward CEO role

Housing allowance

Transport allowance

Visa assistance

Medical insurance

Job summary

Confidential Company seeks an Executive Assistant who works directly with the Director and is groomed to become CEO within ~5 years. The role is a strategic partner across finance, operations, sales, people and investors, not merely diary management.

The ideal candidate has 4–8 years of hands-on business experience, strong financial skills, and clear leadership intent. On-site work at KEZAD, Abu Dhabi, with senior-level exposure from day one.

Qualifications

• Must have strong finance skills, can read P&L, balance sheet and cash flow.
• Proven leadership with strategic thinking and decision influence.
• Excellent written and spoken English; business writing in formal contexts.

Responsibilities

• Director's office and decision support: manage agenda priorities, owners and deadlines.
• Finance and business performance: track MIS, revenue, margins, cash flow and funding.
• Strategy and growth: analyze markets and lead cross‑functional growth initiatives.
• Operations and people: oversee shop floor insights and leadership hiring.

Skills

Finance

Management

Strategy

Leadership

English writing

Stakeholder management

Education

MBA/PGP from an IIM / CA / CFA

Job description

Role at a glance

We are hiring an Executive Assistant who works side by side with the Director today and is deliberately groomed to become CEO of Pipetec within about five years.

Objective of the role

The objective is simple: find a future CEO and let them learn the business by running the Director's office first. This is not a secretarial or diary‑management role. Routine admin may be part of the job but it is not the point of it. This person is a strategic right hand who sees every part of the business through the Director's eyes: finance, operations, sales, people and investors.

Key responsibilities

• Director s office and decision supportRun the Director s agenda priorities and meetings and make sure every decision has an owner and a deadline Prepare briefing notes board papers and investor material before every key meeting Track action items from management reviews and follow up until they close Act as the Director s representative with internal teams customers banks and government bodies when asked
• Finance and business performanceBuild and review the monthly MIS revenue margins cash flow working capital and order book Support budgeting forecasting and capital expenditure decisions including Phase 2 expansion Work with auditors banks and lenders on funding compliance and reporting Model pricing and project profitability for major tenders
• Strategy and growthAnalyse markets competitors and new opportunities across oil and gas water power and petrochemicals Lead special projects end to end new product lines new markets partnerships cost reduction Help build the five-year business plan and track progress against it
• Operations and peopleSpend real time on the shop floor to understand production quality safety and supply chain Review plant KPIs with the operations head and flag issues early Support hiring and performance reviews for senior roles and help build the leadership team

The ideal candidate is a qualified finance or management professional with 4 to 8 years of hands‑on business experience and clear leadership intent.

• Must have (non‑negotiable)One of: two-year MBA/PGP from an IIM, CA (ICAI), or CFA charter holder.
• 4 to 8 years of experience after qualification.
• Strong financial skills: reads a P&L, balance sheet and cash flow comfortably; builds models in Excel.
• Excellent written and spoken English; clear, structured business writing.
• Willing to work on‑site at a plant in KEZAD, Abu Dhabi, and keep founder‑level hours when needed.
• Strong advantageExperience in manufacturing, oil and gas, EPC, steel, or industrial products.
• Prior roles as Chief of Staff, Founder's Office, strategy, management consulting, or corporate finance.
• GCC work experience, or familiarity with UAE business and regulatory practice.
• Hindi and/or Arabic, in addition to English.
• Personal qualitiesIntegrity and absolute discretion with confidential information.Ownership: finishes what they start without being chased.Comfortable on the shop floor as much as in the boardroom.Learns fast, takes feedback well, and stays calm under pressure.Long-term mindset: wants to build one company, not collect job titles.

Selection process and what we offer

The process has five stages and should take no more than four weeks from shortlist to offer.

1. HR screening call (30 min): qualification, experience, motivation, notice period, salary expectations.
2. Case study (take-home, 48 hours): analyse a set of Pipetec-style financials and recommend three actions.
3. Case presentation to the Director and finance head (60 min).
4. Plant visit and leadership interview with the Director (half day), including time on the shop floor.
5. Reference and background checks, then offer.

What we offer

• Direct mentorship from the Director, with exposure to every part of the business from day one.
• A written, reviewed development plan toward the CEO role.
• Competitive UAE salary, housing and transport allowances, visa, and medical insurance.