Executive Assistant to Managing Director

Executive Assistant to Managing Director

Location: Dubai, UAE

Travel: Frequent travel to Tanzania (extended stays required)

Role Overview

We are seeking a highly disciplined, structured, and execution-driven Senior Executive Assistant to support a Managing Director overseeing multiple agribusiness and industrial operations across the UAE and East Africa.

The Senior Executive Assistant will function as the Managing Director’s operational extension — ensuring priorities are executed, deadlines are enforced, communication is structured, and strategic initiatives move forward without delay.

This role requires maturity, decisiveness, strong follow-through, and the ability to operate confidently at C-suite level.

Core Mandate

The SEA exists to:

• Protect the MD’s time
• Enforce structure across departments
• Ensure execution of decisions
• Improve organizational response speed
• Reduce operational friction

Key Responsibilities

1. Executive Rhythm & Priority Control

• Own and structure the MD’s calendar with strategic prioritization
• Prepare daily and weekly priority maps
• Maintain action logs for all executive decisions
• Ensure zero loss of instruction or follow-through
• Escalate risks early

2. Cross-Department Execution Oversight

• Track KPIs across finance, operations, HR, and projects
• Coordinate structured updates from department heads
• Identify underperformance before it reaches crisis level
• Ensure alignment between Dubai headquarters and Tanzania operations

3. Multi-Country Operational Coordination

• Coordinate frequent travel between Dubai and Tanzania
• Travel with the MD when required
• Act as temporary coordination hub when on-site in Tanzania
• Maintain structured documentation across locations

4. Executive Communication Control

• Draft high-level correspondence
• Interface with senior managers and investors
• Filter inbound requests to protect executive bandwidth
• Ensure all communication is structured and clear

5. Personal Executive Management

• Manage personal and family calendar
• Coordinate appointments and personal commitments
• Organise and execute personal tasks on behalf of the MD

Required Experience

• 7+ years supporting CEOs, founders, or Managing Directors
• Experience in structured corporate or multi-entity environments
• Exposure, operations, or large-scale projects preferred
• Experience operating in emerging markets is advantageous

Required Competencies

• Exceptional organization skills
• High execution discipline
• Strong written and verbal English
• Undertands how to utalize AI for better efficency
• Ability to hold senior managers accountable respectfully
• Strong reporting and documentation habits
• Emotional intelligence with firmness

Personality Profile

• Calm under pressure
• Proactive and anticipatory
• Loyal and discreet
• High work stamina
• Structured thinker
• Not intimidated by strong personalities
• Comfortable operating in high-performance environments

Travel Requirements

• Must be willing to travel regularly to Tanzania
• Extended stays (1–4 weeks) required
• Comfortable working in operational environments

Performance Metrics (KPIs)

• 100% meeting action tracking
• Zero missed critical deadlines
• Weekly executive dashboard delivered consistently
• Improved cross-department execution speed
• Reduced operational delays