Assistant Manager - Design Excellence

Job description / Role

Description

The assistant manager – business support plays a critical role in providing high-level administrative, operational, and coordination support to the executive director (ED) and senior management team. This position is responsible for managing confidential information with discretion, overseeing complex calendar scheduling, organizing internal and external meetings, arranging comprehensive travel logistics, and ensuring the smooth flow of communication across departments. The role also includes responsibility for preparing professional reports and presentations, supporting departmental planning and resource allocation, managing timesheets, and coordinating onboarding for new team members.

Acting as a central point of contact, the assistant manager – business support ensures the efficient day-to-day functioning of the office and contributes to a collaborative and well-organized work environment. The position requires a high level of professionalism, proactive problem-solving, and the ability to manage multiple priorities with minimal supervision.

Essential duties and responsibilities

• Manage confidential information with care and sensitivity in the use and dissemination;
• Manage multiple calendars with judgment allocating time between meetings and facilitating requisite logistics;
• Be responsible for organizing internal and external meetings on behalf of the ED and the senior team, ensuring all necessary requirements are arranged including venue, equipment, presentations, and agendas;
• Plan and arrange business travel, including visa requirements, detailed flight itineraries, logistics, hotel accommodation, car rental, and expenses administration;
• Monitor and respond to incoming communications including phone calls, emails, and walk-ins, ensuring proper department distribution;
• Provide secretarial support for meetings as and when required including drafting and circulating meeting agendas, preparing minutes, communicating reminders, venue confirmation, and arranging refreshments;
• Draft and write highly professional quality reports and presentations;
• Maintain an organized file of documents and retrieve information requested by authorized users;
• Liaise with other department staff as required;
• Maintain weekly schedules and tracking of staff attendance, timekeeping, vacations, and sickness and liaise with HR where required;
• Support the ED with all administrative related tasks;
• Establish and maintain good relationships with all staff;
• Support the senior management in resource planning;
• Support the team with access to MS Teams channel and BIM 360;
• Process and approve department timesheets and ensure weekly reminders;
• Manage and coordinate new starters requirements.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, management, or design related subjects. Other degrees will be considered depending on experience;
• Fluency in English, Arabic an advantage;
• Ability to work as a team player as well as independently without micro management;
• A results orientated and self-starter with attention to detail;
• Confident communication and presentation skills;
• Excellent time management skills;
• Experience in web-based meeting platforms;
• Proficiency in MS Office suite with advanced use of Excel;
• Excellent communication skills written and verbal;
• Maintains absolute confidentiality;
• Able to work effectively under pressure and to meet multiple deadlines;
• Resourceful, adaptable, flexible, and self-motivated;
• Results oriented;
• Comfortable with multi-tasking;
• Administrative and MS Office Suite certifications, PowerBi an advantage;
• 5+ years’ experience in a similar role;
• 5+ years Middle East experience.