Executive Assistant to MD - Projects & Operations

We are looking for a highly capable, proactive and commercially aware Executive Assistant to the Managing Director who can do far more than traditional PA or administrative support.This is a role for someone who can take an idea, objective, event or project and make it happen.You will work closely with the Managing Director, helping turn priorities into action by researching, planning, coordinating, following up and ensuring projects are completed properly and on time.You will also play a key role in helping the Managing Director maintain oversight of the senior management team, ensuring priorities, calendars, projects, actions and deadlines remain visible, coordinated and on track.What the role involves:·Supporting the Managing Director with priorities, planning, meetings and follow-up·Taking ideas and turning them into clear actions, timelines and deliverables· Coordinating projects from concept through to completion· Organising events, exhibitions, launches, community initiatives, school visits and internal projects· Liaising with staff, suppliers, partners and external organisations· Tracking actions, deadlines and responsibilities across departments· Following up proactively until tasks are completed· Researching opportunities, suppliers, systems and solutions and presenting concise recommendations· Preparing reports, presentations, proposals, trackers and management documents· Supporting meeting preparation, documenting decisions and ensuring agreed actions are implemented· Identifying problems early and helping resolve them before they escalate· Managing confidential and sensitive information appropriately· Acting as a reliable point of coordination between the Managing Director and the wider organisationSenior Management Team Coordination:The Executive Assistant will support the Managing Director in maintaining visibility across the senior management team, which currently includes:· Head of Administration & HR· Head of Therapy Services· Head of Digital Systems & IT· Head of Marketing, Social Media & Public Relations· Head of Inclusion· Head of Psychology ServicesThe Executive Assistant will act as a central coordination point across these functions, helping ensure that agreed actions, deadlines and priorities are progressing and that the Managing Director remains informed.Management Team Coordination & Oversight:· Overseeing and helping coordinate the Zoho calendars of key management team members· Supporting managers with scheduling and workload organisation where required· Maintaining visibility of important management tasks, projects and deadlines· Regularly reviewing outstanding, approaching, overdue or blocked actions· Following up with managers regarding agreed actions and completion dates· Identifying delays, bottlenecks or dependencies between departments· Keeping the Managing Director informed of progress, delays, risks and missed deadlines· Helping ensure actions agreed in management meetings are clearly assigned and followed through· Coordinating recurring management activities such as reviews, reporting deadlines, operational meetings and planning· Helping maintain a clear overview of who is responsible for what and whether agreed actions are progressing· Escalating matters appropriately where management input or intervention is requiredThe purpose of this responsibility is not to replace the authority or accountability of individual Heads of Department. It is to strengthen communication, coordination, follow-through and visibility so that the Managing Director can remain informed without personally chasing every action.Weekly Managing Director Overview:The Executive Assistant will prepare a concise weekly management overview for the Managing Director, providing visibility of:· Key priorities and activity across each management function· Actions completed during the week· Actions due in the coming week· Overdue or delayed tasks· Projects or tasks that are blocked or dependent on another department· Decisions or approvals required from the Managing Director· Emerging risks, operational concerns or deadlines requiring attentionWe are looking for someone who is:· Exceptionally organised and able to manage multiple priorities· Proactive, resourceful and confident working independently· Strong at project coordination and implementation· Comfortable working from a broad idea rather than waiting for step-by-step instructions· Excellent at following through and closing tasks· Confident communicating with senior staff, suppliers and external stakeholders· Able to professionally and confidently follow up with managers regarding actions and deadlines· Able to identify when something is becoming delayed before it becomes a problem· Calm under pressure and able to adapt quickly· Commercially aware and mindful of time, cost and business impact· Highly competent with digital systems, task-management platforms, shared drives and Microsoft Office· Experienced with Zoho One, Zoho Calendar, Zoho Projects, Zoho Tasks or similar systems would be a strong advantage· Excellent in spoken and written English· Highly discreet and able to handle confidential management, HR and business informationIdeal experience:· Executive Assistant or senior PA roles· Project coordination or project management· Operations· Management coordination· Events and exhibitions· Healthcare, education, therapy or child-related services· Business support or management administrationThis is not a purely administrative PA role.We are looking for someone who can be given a direction such as: “We want to participate in this event" and independently work out what needs to happen, who needs to be involved, what the deadlines are, what needs to be ordered or prepared, what decisions are required and then drive the project through to completion.Equally, if a key management action is approaching its deadline, we want someone who will notice it, follow it up, understand whether anything is blocking progress and ensure the Managing Director is informed before it becomes an issue.The right person will help reduce the Managing Director’s workload by taking genuine ownership of coordination and delivery, improving visibility across the management team and helping ensure actions are followed through to completion.Role Details:Location: Dubai, UAEEmployment Type: Full-TimeIf you are someone who enjoys making things happen, solving problems, coordinating people and turning ideas into outcomes, we would like to hear from you.Work Location: In person