Executive Secretary

About the Role

This position supports the Dean and the Dean’s Office at a senior administrative level. The role is central to keeping the Business School’s executive functions organised, supporting communication across faculty, students, and external stakeholders, and maintaining strict confidentiality in a high-calibre academic setting.

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver full secretarial and administrative assistance to the Dean, including managing a complex calendar and preparing academic documents.
• Serve as a key contact point between KBS leadership, university departments, and other important stakeholders.
• Arrange senior-level travel, itineraries, and planning for academic events.
• Safeguard sensitive faculty information, student records, and strategic institutional matters with discretion.
• Coordinate College Council and other significant meetings, record accurate minutes, and follow up on action items.
• Support administrative work for special initiatives such as accreditation activities, research reporting, and university-wide events.
• Organise meetings, appointments, and conferences, ensuring briefing material is ready in advance.
• Prepare, edit, and circulate official memos and emails in English and Arabic where needed.
• Monitor deadlines for reports and submissions so the leadership team stays on track.
• Handle executive expenses, procurement requests, and invoices in line with university procedures.
• Route incoming queries appropriately, giving priority to urgent academic and administrative matters.
• Help prepare agendas and document proceedings for important KBS committees and meetings.
• Maintain both digital and physical records in a structured and retrievable format.

Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Office Management, or a similar discipline.
• Between 3 and 5 years of experience in an Executive Secretary or Administrative Assistant role, ideally in higher education or a corporate environment.
• Strong command of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and ERP platforms, with exposure to AI-based tools for workflow improvement.
• Excellent written and spoken English; Arabic skills are highly desirable.
• Ability to manage several priorities at once and work effectively under tight deadlines in a fast-moving academic setting.
• Demonstrated integrity and experience dealing with confidential information.
• Strong interpersonal skills for professional interaction with faculty, senior officials, and students.
• Preferred: professional certification in Executive Assistance or Office Management.
• Preferred: familiarity with higher education operations and university governance.
• Preferred: a proactive, self-directed approach with the ability to anticipate office needs.
• Preferred: experience coordinating international travel and schedules across time zones.
• Preferred: full professional fluency in Arabic and English.
• Preferred: familiarity with project management tools and academic document management systems.

Additional Information

This role involves close support of the Dean’s Office and may require handling sensitive information, coordinating with multiple departments, and contributing to the smooth execution of high-priority academic and administrative work.

Working Environment

The role is based in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, and is structured as a full-time, on-site position.