Chief of Staff – Events

Carter Murray have exclusively partnered with a global events and communication advisory firm to find them an experienced and highly motivated Chief of Staff.

The role is full-time, based in Dubai, and reports to the CEO.

Responsibilities:

• Act as gatekeeper so that issues raised to the CEO are only ones that solely she can solve (i.e. demand accountability from others, act as decision maker were empowered by CEO, and prioritize decisions needing CEO escalation)
• Understand the ins and outs of all operational team responsibilities, to ensure that best practice is continuously being upheld and nothing falls through the cracks (i.e. understand exactly what needs to be done, oversee its execution, and make sure that it is being 100% complied with)
• Ensure a solutions-based approach so that teams bring recommendations, not problems to the attention of the CEO – Synthesize complex challenges into briefings so they can be assessed quickly and efficiently by the CEO (i.e. Do the deep dive on issues to provide the concise CEO the „So what?“) – Help to steer the CEO’s time and Mindspace (i.e. understand her priorities and goals, and do not let other issues distract from those)
• Be a trusted advisor to CEO (i.e. provide insights on top-of-mind issues, act as sounding board, identify and bring in experts or other advisors when useful)
• Provide insights on conceptual strategy decisions (i.e. ideate new initiatives and brainstorm approaches)
• Support interactions with the Board, Executive Chairman, and Executive Office Team, such as story lining/narrative building, presentation drafting, and follow-up actions (i.e. ensure upward management is efficient and positively perceived)
• Lead key initiatives and taskforces that are cross-functional or new to the organization (i.e. take leadership role in building new functions – such as new tech tools – or expanding into new geographies)
• Help to steer goal of 20x growth in next years (i.e. take a PMO role in efforts to expand across the organization)
• Support in maintaining and building organizational competency throughout expansion (i.e. interviewing and hiring for key positions, codify company-wide initiatives such as the Marrakesh retreat, establish team norms and team building, and general development planning to maintain a top-tier culture during rapid growth)
• Internally be quality control gatekeeper to CEO (i.e. demand the best from all teams, build respect and efficiency, being „bad cop“ when it’s needed to deliver for clients and shareholders)
• Build relationships with existing clients so that recurring processes can be handled by COS with only updates to CEO (i.e. take regular day-to-day actions off the CEO’s plate)
• Support in business development with new clients across geographies (i.e. ability to step-in and go wherever and deliver whatever whenever it’s needed)
• Be able to do all tasks of running an event end-to-end (i.e. step-in and run the show when required)
• Protect CEO’s family time and vacation by confidently executing all necessary actions when needed and only escalating if absolutely required

Qualifications:

• Self-motivated team player with strong interpersonal skills, experience working/living in different countries.
• Previous experience working with government ministries, relevant government agencies & corporate clients.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, with flexibility to work odd and long hours when required (due to working with stakeholders and clients across different time zones).
• Exceptional organizational skills, including multitasking and time management.
• Ability to interact and build trust with a varied range of stakeholders.
• Proficient skills in PowerPoint and other collaborative and creative working apps.
• Excellent writing and research skills with an ability to draft clear and concise presentations in English.
• Ability to quickly adapt to changing priorities and find solutions to challenges.
• Native Arabic speaking and fluent in English, both written and oral.

Due to the high volume of applications, please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. If you do not hear from us within two weeks, kindly consider your application unsuccessful at this time. Thank you for your understanding.

The SR Group (Dubai) Limited is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.

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