Executive Secretary

Confidential Global Company; Dubai; On-site; AED 279,000 - 446,000; Full time

Job summary

Confidential Global Company in Dubai seeks a proactive, senior administrative professional to provide confidential executive support and manage all travel arrangements for the Chairman. This role emphasizes efficient communication, calendar control, and cost-effective travel planning in a fast-paced environment.

The position requires 5+ years supporting C-Suite executives, excellent English, and advanced MS Office/Cloud HR skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or related field.
• Minimum 5 years supporting C-suite executives.
• Fluency in English for high-level reporting and correspondence.
• Advanced MS Office and cloud HR software experience.

Responsibilities

• Travel Planning & Coordination: Arrange domestic and international travel, visas, hotels, and transport; prepare detailed itineraries and monitor changes.
• Personal & Household Support: Coordinate personal travel, appointments, and events for the Chairman.
• Expense & Travel Documentation: Track travel expenses, invoices, and bookings; ensure policy compliance.
• Expense Reports: Compile utility invoices and reimburse staff; summarize for accounts.
• Executive Support & Calendar Management: Manage schedules, meetings, and priorities with timely follow-ups.
• HR Support: Submit attendance reports, coordinate leave, draft employment correspondence.
• Administrative & Business Support: Draft correspondence, record minutes, maintain filing systems.
• Communication & Board Coordination: Serve as primary contact between executives, employees, clients, and suppliers.
• Confidential Information Management: Maintain utmost confidentiality of sensitive information.
• Task Coordination: Track deadlines and approvals with relevant departments.
• Process Improvement: Streamline administrative and travel workflows.

Skills

C-Suite support

Executive communication

English fluency

Travel coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration

Office management related field

Tools

MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)

Google Workspace

PDF editors (Foxit, Adobe)

Canva

Cloud-based HR software

Job description

The primary purpose of this position is to provide proactive, high-level, and confidential administrative support that optimizes the daily operations of executive leadership. By streamlining communication and managing critical tasks, this role enables executives to focus on strategic priorities that drive company success. Concurrently, as a Travel Coordinator, the job holder efficiently manages all business travel arrangements including flights, accommodations, transportation, and visas ensuring smooth, safe, and cost-effective travel while minimizing disruptions.

Key Responsibilities

• Travel Planning & Coordination (20%): Arrange domestic and international flights, hotels, airport transfers, visas, and travel insurance. Prepare detailed itineraries, monitor changes, and track passengers before, during, and after transit to ensure smooth arrivals.
• Personal & Household Support (15%): Coordinate personal and family-related travel, appointments, activities, and events as directed by the Chairman. Manage international student visa requirements, tuition payments, overseas property management coordination, legal document processing, and insurance claim submissions.
• Expense & Travel Documentation (15%): Monitor travel-related expenses, invoices, and bookings, ensuring strict compliance with company policies and approved budgets.
• Expense Reports (15%): Track utility expenses (e.g., electricity, telecommunications, tolls, courier fees), prepare summary reports for accounts, and process staff reimbursements.
• Executive Support & Calendar Management (5%): Manage the executive’s schedule, meetings, appointments, and priorities, ensuring timely follow-ups for internal and external commitments.
• HR Support (5%): Submit daily attendance reports, prepare payroll attendance, coordinate staff leave applications, and draft employment correspondence (e.g., job offers, payslips, salary certificates).
• Administrative & Business Support (5%): Draft correspondence, record meeting minutes, process bank documents, and maintain accurate filing systems.
• Communication & Board Coordination (5%): Serve as the primary point of contact between executives, employees, clients, and suppliers, ensuring professional and timely communication.
• Confidential Information Management (5%): Maintain the utmost confidentiality regarding sensitive business, financial, personnel, and executive information.
• Task Coordination (5%): Track deadlines, pending matters, and approvals on behalf of the executive, liaising with relevant departments to ensure timely completion.
• Process Improvement (5%): Identify and implement opportunities to streamline administrative and travel workflows.

Skills and Qualifications

• Education: A Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Office Management, or a closely related field is essential.
• Experience: A minimum of 5 years of experience supporting C‑Suite Executives.
• Languages: Fluency in English (C1/C2 level) is required for high-level reporting and executive correspondence.
• Technical Proficiency: Advanced knowledge of the MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), Google Workspace, PDF editing software (Foxit, Adobe), and Canva. Experience with cloud-based HR software is also essential.
• Desirable Skills: Basic accounting or bookkeeping skills, as well as advanced Excel capabilities (such as lookup formulas and pivot tables), are advantageous.
• Interpersonal Abilities: Requires exceptional written and verbal communication, diplomacy, active listening, cross-cultural competence, and strong negotiation skills for dealing with travel vendors.

Work Environment and Conditions

• Work Setting: Primarily based in a fast-paced corporate executive office suite, with occasional local travel required for events or visiting subsidiaries.
• Schedule: Standard working hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM (45–50 hours per week). However, a high level of flexibility is required for on-call support, extended coverage, weekends, or public holidays, particularly during executive travel, board meetings, or seasonal peak periods.
• Physical Demands: The role is largely desk-based, involving prolonged sitting and screen time, along with occasional light lifting and periodic guest assistance.

Decision-Making & Problem Solving

• Autonomy: The job holder independently manages calendars, screens calls, procures office supplies, and makes travel arrangements based on executive preferences and budgets.
• Challenges: The role involves managing last-minute travel changes, complex multi-destination itineraries across varying time zones, and proactively anticipating the Chairman's needs before they arise. Financial commitments and contractual agreements require escalation and approval from authorized management.