Personal Assistant

J. Awan & Partners; Dubai; On-site; AED 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

j. awan & partners is seeking a Personal Assistant to the CEO & Founder to provide comprehensive, proactive support across personal and family life.

The role requires exceptional judgement, discretion, and organisational capability, acting as a seamless extension of the CEO and their family. The PA will manage personal affairs, family travel and UAE visa matters, household coordination, schooling liaison, and personal finance administration, working closely with the Executive Assistant to align

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Personal Assistant to a CEO and their family.
• Able to handle high-sensitivity information with discretion.
• Strong calendar management and proactive scheduling abilities.
• Comfortable coordinating travel, visas, housing, and schooling logistics.

Responsibilities

• Own and maintain the CEO's personal calendar with privacy and accuracy.
• Coordinate family travel, visas, health docs, and accommodation needs.
• Manage UAE visa, residency, Emirates ID, and government documentation.
• Liaise with household staff, vendors, schools, and medical providers.
• Provide discreet, proactive administrative support across personal and family matters.

Skills

Discretion & judgement

Proactive planning

Organisational excellence

Communication (English)

Interpersonal warmth

Education

Bachelor's degree preferred

Tools

Microsoft 365

Job description

About this Role

This is not a standard administrative role The Personal Assistant to the CEO amp Founder of j awan amp partners provides comprehensive and proactive support across the personal and family life of the CEO The role demands exceptional judgement discretion and organisational capability combined with the warmth cultural intelligence and personal commitment to serve as a seamless extension of the CEO and their family The PA manages the CEO s personal world in its entirety family travel UAE visa and residency matters household coordination school and medical liaison personal purchases and personal financial administration The role-holder must be equally comfortable planning a multi-destination family holiday renewing an Emirates ID and coordinating household contractors anticipating what the CEO and their family need before they need to ask The CEO s professional matters are managed by a dedicated Executive Assistant with whom the PA works closely The ideal candidate brings prior experience supporting a CEO and their family combines a proactive mindset with meticulous attention to detail

Mission Purpose of the Role

The role-holder is the trusted confidant of the CEO and their family on personal matters responsible for ensuring that personal commitments are honoured family requirements are met and private information is protected at all times The PA operates across three dimensions simultaneously family logistics travel school medical and leisure personal administration government documentation finances purchases and records and household coordination staff contractors and service providers The PA handles all three with equal professionalism confidentiality and care and works hand in hand with the CEO s Executive Assistant so that personal and professional commitments fit together into one coherent schedule

12 18 Month Mission Outcomes What Success Looks Like

These are the specific measurable outcomes the Personal Assistant will be evaluated against during the first 12 18 months

Success Metrics

1. All family and personal travel is organised flawlessly with the CEO and their family experiencing seamless stress-free journeys Zero travel disruptions attributable to poor planning or booking errors All visa health and documentation requirements met in advance Contingency plans in place for all significant trips Family travel preferences consistently applied without the need to be reminded
2. All UAE government visa residency and documentation requirements for the CEO and family are managed proactively and compliantly Zero lapses in visa residency or document validity All renewals initiated and completed well in advance of expiry Medical insurance and health requirements current at all times Government obligations met without exception
3. The CEO s personal and family administrative requirements are handled with the highest level of discretion care and reliability Personal and family matters handled seamlessly with zero lapses or breaches of confidentiality The CEO expresses confidence in the PA s handling of personal matters Family travel school medical and household coordination managed proactively and without prompting
4. The CEO s personal and professional commitments are coordinated seamlessly with the Executive Assistant Zero clashes between personal or family commitments and business commitments Shared calendar and handover protocols agreed with the EA and operating consistently

Key Accountabilities

Personal Diary amp Scheduling

Own and manage the CEO s personal calendar including family events medical appointments school commitments and personal engagements Share personal commitments with the Executive Assistant so that the CEO s schedule forms a single conflict-free view while keeping personal details private Maintain a forward-looking view of upcoming personal and family commitments bringing relevant matters to the CEO s attention before they become time-consuming problems No clashes with business commitments CEO able to fully delegate personal scheduling without concern

Family amp Personal Travel

Research book and coordinate family holidays school-related travel and personal trips including flights hotels ground transport airport transfers and activities consistently applying the family s preferences Manage all visa travel documentation and health requirement processes for every family destination ensuring requirements are met well in advance Prepare detailed accurate family itineraries that include all relevant confirmations contact numbers addresses and contingency arrangements Anticipate and mitigate travel disruption risks with contingency plans in place for all significant trips Coordinate with the Executive Assistant where personal travel combines with business trips Track personal travel costs accurately and separately from business expenses Zero travel disruptions due to planning or booking errors All documentation and health requirements met in advance Family travel preferences applied consistently without prompting Personal travel costs accurately recorded

Government Visa amp Residency Administration

Manage all UAE visa residency and government-related processes for the CEO and their family including residence permits Emirates ID and health cards Track expiry dates for all relevant documentation across the CEO and family members including passports initiating renewals proactively and well before deadlines Liaise with GDRFA immigration DIFC Authority the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation and other relevant UAE government bodies on behalf of the CEO and family as required obtaining any business documents needed from the Executive Assistant and CPAO Manage medical insurance enrolment and renewals for the CEO and eligible family members coordinating with the CPAO and HR team Maintain comprehensive and up-to-date records of all government documentation and visa status for the CEO and their family Zero lapses in visa residency or government document validity All renewals initiated and completed before deadlines Government documentation records complete and current Medical insurance current for CEO and family at all times

Core Competencies

• Judgement & Discretion The single most important quality in this role. The PA to the CEO handles information of the highest sensitivity personal, financial, medical, and family and must exercise impeccable judgement at all times about what to act on, what to upgrade, and what to hold in confidence. Trust, once extended in this role, must never need to be questioned
• Proactive Anticipation Does not wait to be asked. Tracks renewals, family commitments, and upcoming needs, and acts in advance. Books the appointment before it is requested, resolves the household issue before it becomes a problem, and thinks three steps ahead as a matter of habit. The CEO should never have to chase this person for anything
• Organisational Excellence Manages many simultaneous personal and family workstreams travel, renewals, household, school, and medical with calm, structured precision. Nothing falls through the cracks. Every deadline is met. Every commitment is honoured
• Communication Clear, courteous written and spoken English. Communicates with confidence and warmth with family members, household staff, schools, government offices, and service providers, adapting tone to each
• Interpersonal Warmth & Cultural Intelligence Builds genuinely warm and trusted relationships with the CEO s family, household staff, and external providers across multiple cultures and backgrounds. Represents the CEO with the same blend of professionalism, warmth, and cultural sensitivity that characterises the firm s own values
• Resilience & Calm Under Pressure Personal and family plans change at short notice. The ideal candidate remains composed, solutions-focused, and reliable regardless of the circumstances. Does not visibly struggle; delivers quietly and consistently
• Integrity & Accountability Takes full ownership of every commitment. Never deflects or makes excuses. If something goes wrong, acknowledges it, fixes it, and ensures it does not happen again. Aligns with j. awan & partners core values of Excellence, Integrity, and Innovation

Role-Specific Competencies

• Proven experience as a Personal Assistant to a senior principal and their family, with a track record that references can verify
• Deep familiarity with UAE government procedures and the end-to-end visa, residency, Emirates ID, and health card processes applicable to senior executives and their families in Dubai
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex family travel, including multi-destination itineraries, VIP logistics, and contingency management
• Experience handling personal and family administrative matters on behalf of a senior executive, with an understanding of the unique discretion and care this requires
• Experience coordinating household staff, contractors, and service providers
• Competence in personal financial administration, including expense tracking, invoices, and bill payments
• Good proficiency in Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Word, Excel) and the ability to learn new platforms quickly

Skills and Knowledge

• UAE Government & Visa Procedures Strong practical knowledge of UAE visa and residency processes, GDRFA procedures, Emirates ID, health card administration, and the documentation requirements applicable to senior executives and their families living in Dubai
• Family & Personal Travel Coordination Expert-level travel logistics skills. Comfortable booking complex, multi-destination itineraries for families across multiple platforms. Aware of entry requirements, health documentation, and travel protocols in key destinations, including requirements for travelling children
• Personal Administration Experience managing personal household, family, medical, educational, and lifestyle matters on behalf of a senior principal, with the sensitivity and professionalism to handle personal information with complete discretion
• Research & Sourcing Able to find and compare service providers, schools, clinics, venues, and gifts quickly, and present clear recommendations. Knows how to distinguish what the CEO needs to decide from what the PA can handle independently
• Microsoft 365 & Digital Proficiency Good Outlook, Word, and Excel skills. Comfortable with online government portals and booking platforms. Willing and able to learn new tools as required
• Discretion & Information Security Full understanding of the sensitivity of information handled in this role and the absolute requirement to maintain confidentiality. Applies appropriate information security practices as a matter of course, not as a reminder-prompted exercise

Education & Experience

Education

A bachelor s degree is preferred but not essential. Relevant PA, hospitality, or family office qualifications are an advantage

Experience

Minimum 3 5 years of proven experience as a Personal Assistant to a senior principal and their family. Experience supporting an executive in a professional services, financial services, or high-growth business environment is an advantage. Prior experience working in the UAE and familiarity with the UAE government and visa procedures is essential

Personal Attributes

Exceptional character references from previous principals. A verifiable track record of discretion, reliability, and trustworthiness with personal and family matters

Languages

Fluent written and spoken English is mandatory. Arabic is a strong advantage. Any additional language is a plus