Executive Assistant

About the role

This opportunity is with a leading international law firm supporting its Middle East practice. The Executive Assistant will work closely with the Head of Middle East and must bring prior EA experience from an international law firm in the region. The position demands a polished, discreet and commercially aware professional who can handle sensitive matters with care.

This is a full-time fixed-term role covering maternity leave for up to eight months. Standard working hours are Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 6:00pm, and there is flexibility to work remotely one day each week.

The team is looking for someone organised, responsive and adaptable, with a strong service mindset and the ability to juggle multiple priorities while building trusted relationships across all levels of the business.

Executive support, diary and stakeholder coordination

You will manage a busy and complex calendar for the Head of Middle East, balancing meetings across regions, time zones and seniority levels. The role also includes acting as a first filter for requests and issues, preparing meeting agendas and notes, tracking actions, and ensuring follow-through is completed on time.

In addition, you may attend meetings with or on behalf of the Head, keep leadership informed, and prepare concise briefings, background notes and data to support commercial and strategic decisions. Close coordination with Finance, BD, HR, Compliance and other business support teams will be needed ahead of key meetings and decisions.

Travel, logistics and itinerary management

The role involves arranging complex travel from start to finish, including multi-country itineraries, accommodation, transfers and all related documentation. You will also manage visas and permits, making sure timelines and local requirements are met.

Where possible, you will help shape travel plans so several business objectives can be combined into one trip. You should be comfortable handling last-minute changes and preparing post-trip summaries that capture meetings, outcomes, next steps and follow-up actions.

Marketing and business development support

You will coordinate speaking engagements, publications and thought-leadership commitments, including deadline tracking, research coordination and drafting supporting materials such as speaker notes or panel questions. You will also help prepare for events by arranging briefing meetings and compiling attendee and engagement information.

The role includes working with the Head and Business Development teams on client target lists, monitoring progress, and providing updates on actions, deadlines and any delays.

Billing, finance and expenses

You will run the monthly billing process for the Head’s matters, keeping track of fee arrangements, billing caps and related client requirements. This includes preparing bill drafts, coordinating with Finance, sending final invoices in the required format and handling billing queries.

Expense administration is also part of the role, including collecting missing receipts or supporting documents from vendors, ensuring correct coding and descriptions, and confirming the right approvals are in place. You will also follow up on unpaid invoices and keep the relevant stakeholders updated.

Performance and people processes

You will support performance review cycles by arranging meetings, preparing packs, chasing system inputs and attending discussions to take notes. After meetings, you will help complete required follow-up actions, documentation and system updates.

Regular liaison with HR will be necessary to ensure deadlines are met and the review process stays on track.

CRM and relationship management

The role includes maintaining contact records and relationship information in InterAction, including meetings, activities and notes. You will also support relationship management with external law firms and referrers, monitoring referrals and ensuring follow-up actions are completed.

Recruitment and business operations liaison

You will keep track of Middle East recruitment activity and provide updates to the Head. A further part of the role is acting as a coordination point for HR, Finance, BD, Compliance, IT and Operations to support regional initiatives and keep communication aligned.

You will help set up regular Middle East operations meetings, capture deliverables and changes, and make sure relevant items are included in leadership agendas and briefing materials.

Person specification

The ideal candidate will have strong prior experience as an Executive Assistant, Legal PA or similar support role to a senior partner or regional leader, ideally within an international law firm or professional services setting. You should be confident handling complex diaries, international travel, billing, people processes and cross-functional coordination.

Excellent organisation, attention to detail, written and verbal communication, discretion, adaptability and resilience are all essential. Advanced Microsoft Office skills and familiarity with practice management, CRM and expense systems are also expected. Fluent written and spoken English is required.

Additional information

This is a fixed-term maternity cover assignment based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The position is full-time, onsite, with one work-from-home day permitted each week. Working hours are Monday to Friday from 9:00am to 6:00pm.