Executive Office Manager

SMART Photonics; Eindhoven; On-site; EUR 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

SMART Photonics is a leading European photonics scale-up seeking an Executive Office Manager to partner with the Leadership Team. This hands-on role anchors operations, coordinates calendars, travel and events, and ensures discreet handling of sensitive information.

You will interact with senior leaders and colleagues across the organisation, balancing priorities while maintaining professionalism and an on-site presence (minimum 32 hours/week, preferably 4 days).

Qualifications

• Significant experience in a senior executive support role, supporting CEOs, executive teams or senior leadership.
• Strong understanding of executive dynamics, priorities and decision-making.
• Excellent judgement, discretion and handling of sensitive information.
• Ability to communicate confidently at all levels of the organisation.
• Proactive, hands-on approach to managing calendars, meetings, travel and priorities.
• Ownership mindset with ability to act without constant direction.
• Calm, organized under pressure in a fast-paced scale-up.
• Fluent Dutch and English; comfortable with internationals and stakeholders globally.
• Minimum availability of 32 hours per week onsite four days.

Responsibilities

• Act as the operational anchor for the Executive Team.
• Manage complex executive calendars and competing priorities.
• Coordinate leadership meetings, ensure preparation and follow-up.
• Distribute important information to the right executive on time.
• Organise executive travel, visits and key company events.
• Handle sensitive information with absolute discretion.
• Coordinate matters requiring senior-level judgement.
• Bridge executives with employees, suppliers and external stakeholders.
• Take ownership of special projects and urgent requests.
• Manage and coordinate the Office Management team; 1.2 FTE.

Skills

Senior executive support

Calendar management

Travel coordination

Discretion

Stakeholder communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Dutch & English bilingual

Onsite collaboration

Tools

Calendar software

Travel booking tools

Job description

About SMART Photonics

SMART Photonics is a leading European pure-play foundry for Indium Phosphide photonic integrated circuits and related photonic components.

We are scaling rapidly. Our ambition is to become a globally leading foundry for Photonic Integrated Chips and to strengthen Europe's position in the photonics value chain.

This is an exciting stage in our development. It is also a demanding one. As the organisation grows, our Executive Office needs someone who can bring experience, judgement and structure to a fast-moving leadership environment.

The Position:

As Executive Office Manager, you are the senior operational partner to our Leadership Team.

This role covers the full scope of supporting the broader SMART Photonics’ Leadership Team in the daily activities and planning. Each executive has a different role, personality and way of working. You know how to adapt while maintaining a consistently high level of professionalism and discretion.

This role puts you at the heart of our fast-growing technology company. You work closely with senior leaders, understand their priorities and support the conversations that shape the future of SMART Photonics.

No two days are the same. You will have the trust and autonomy to make things happen, solve problems and keep the Executive Team moving. It is a hands‑on role for someone who enjoys being close to the action and making a real impact.

The daily job:

• Act as the operational anchor for the Executive Team.
• Manage complex executive calendars and competing priorities.
• Coordinate leadership meetings, ensure the right preparation, follow up on decisions, actions and commitments.
• Make sure important information reaches the right executive at the right time.
• Organise executive travel, visits and important company events.
• Manage sensitive information with absolute discretion.
• Coordinate practical matters that require senior-level judgement.
• Act as a bridge between executives and employees, suppliers and external stakeholders.
• Take ownership of special projects and urgent requests when they arise.
• Manage and coordinate the Office Management team; (1,2 fte)

Requirements for this position:

You are a seasoned, senior professional who is comfortable working with executives and senior leadership. You bring a solid presence, sound judgement and the maturity to know when to support, lead or simply listen. You look ahead and are able to anticipate issues and actions, based on the information available to you.

Just as importantly, you are approachable, kind and respectful to everyone in the organisation. You enjoy connecting with people at every level and are someone colleagues feel comfortable approaching. You bring the same professionalism and respect to every interaction, whether you are speaking with a member of the Executive Team, a colleague on the shop floor or an external supplier

• Significant experience in a senior executive support role, supporting CEOs, executive teams or senior leadership.
• A strong understanding of executive dynamics, priorities and decision‑making.
• Excellent judgement, discretion and the ability to handle sensitive information with complete confidence.
• The ability to communicate confidently and appropriately at every level of the organisation.
• A proactive, hands‑on approach to managing calendars, meetings, travel and day-to-day executive priorities.
• The confidence to take ownership, anticipate needs and act without constant direction.
• The ability to remain calm, organised and composed under high pressure and when priorities change.
• A practical understanding of how a growing technology company operates and the pace that comes with it.
• Fluency in both Dutch and English; you will work with many internationals in the office, as well as interact with suppliers, partners and stakeholders across the world and must be equally comfortable communicating professionally in both languages, speaking as well as writing.
• A minimum availability of 32 hours per week and a commitment to being onsite preferably 4 days per week.

Working in a scale-up

SMART Photonics is not a traditional corporate environment.

We are building and scaling a high‑tech organisation with an ambitious international position. Processes continue to develop as the company grows. Priorities can change quickly and unexpected issues will come up. We prefer some‑one who enjoys this.

What we offer

This is an opportunity to play a central role in one of Europe's ambitious photonics scale‑ups.

You will work closely with the Executive Team and have a broad view of the company. You will have a direct impact on how effectively our leadership team operates as SMART Photonics continues to grow.

If you are an experienced executive professional who knows how to operate at the highest levels of an organisation, enjoys being hands‑on and thrives in a scale‑up environment, we would like to hear from you.