Executive Assistant

Role Overview

Brooki is expanding its footprint across the UAE and GCC markets as a collaborative venture between Bellamy Holdings and Arada Food and Beverage. This position serves as the primary senior support and coordination hub for the Middle East operations, working closely with UAE leadership, linking with the Brooki global team in Australia, and serving as the sole conduit to Arada’s corporate departments.

Key Duties

• Provide comprehensive support to UAE operations leadership across retail stores and production units.
• Oversee and update the expansion roadmap for UAE and GCC, including tracking new store openings.
• Serve as the exclusive liaison to corporate functions such as legal, finance, HR, IT, leasing, project management, quality assurance, marketing, and procurement.
• Manage the routing of requisitions, payment processing, and budget approval workflows through Arada.
• Develop reports and presentations for management reviews and committee meetings.
• Coordinate landlord and mall-related activities including handover, fit-out progress, trading hours, and guarantees.
• Manage legal counsel interactions related to leases, licenses, trademarks, and collaboration agreements.
• Handle administration of trade licenses, permits, visas, with an active expiry monitoring system for renewals.
• Prepare and control official documents, ensuring proper filing and version management.
• Oversee vendor and supplier relationships, including onboarding procedures, obtaining quotations, and follow-ups.
• Coordinate logistics around shipments, customs clearance, cargo insurance, and delivery schedules.
• Organize partner launch activities within the UAE and Saudi Arabia, including creating commercial summaries and timelines.
• Collaborate regularly with the Brooki global team, providing weekly updates on status across the UAE and GCC.
• Manage calendars across multiple time zones, preparing agendas, meeting minutes, and briefing materials.
• Arrange travel plans, itineraries, and logistical support for events and meetings.
• Act as an intermediary for the COO with both internal teams and external stakeholders.
• Assist in crafting communications, memos, and strategic updates.
• Ensure all actions have assigned owners and deadlines, promptly escalating any unresolved issues older than 48 hours.
• Maintain operational boards and tracking systems using Microsoft 365, monday.com, and employ AI tools daily.
• Handle sensitive information with utmost confidentiality and professionalism.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent educational background.
• At least six years of experience as an executive assistant, chief of staff, or senior operations coordinator, ideally supporting C-suite executives.
• Experience in the food and beverage or hospitality sector, with familiarity of store operations and supplier management.
• Essential prior work experience in the GCC, with knowledge of UAE licensing and authority procedures.
• Preferred exposure to joint venture or corporate group structures.

Skills and Competencies

• Outstanding organizational abilities, capable of managing numerous simultaneous priorities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, proficient in interacting with landlords, regulatory bodies, legal advisors, and shareholders.
• Understanding of contracts and leases to identify key terms and potential risks, without legal specialization.
• High emotional intelligence combined with strong business insight.
• Advanced technology proficiency across Microsoft 365, Teams, HRIS, monday.com, and AI platforms, with adaptability to new software.
• Persistent yet courteous in following up with stakeholders across multiple organizations to ensure task completion.
• Proficiency in Arabic language, both spoken and written, is highly advantageous.