Executive Assistant - Brooki

About the Role

Brooki, a rapidly expanding joint venture between Bellamy Holdings and Arada Food and Beverage, is growing across the UAE and GCC. This role acts as the primary senior support and coordination hub for the Middle East operations, serving UAE leadership, liaising with the Brooki global team in Australia, and acting as the central point of contact for Arada corporate departments.

Key Responsibilities

• Support UAE operations management across retail stores and production sites.
• Maintain and update the expansion roadmap and store opening schedule for UAE and GCC.
• Serve as the sole liaison with Arada corporate teams including legal, finance, HR, IT, leasing, projects, quality, marketing, and procurement.
• Process requisitions, payment approvals, and budget requests through Arada.
• Compile reports and presentations for leadership reviews and committee meetings.
• Manage landlord and mall relations, overseeing handovers, fit-out progress, trading hours, and guarantees.
• Coordinate legal counsel for leases, licenses, trademarks, and partnership agreements.
• Administer trade licenses, permits, visas, and maintain an expiry schedule for renewals.
• Prepare official documents for signing and manage document control, including filing and versioning.
• Oversee supplier and vendor management including onboarding, obtaining quotations, and follow-ups.
• Coordinate logistics for shipments, customs clearance, cargo insurance, and deliveries.
• Manage partner launches in UAE and Saudi Arabia, preparing commercial summaries and timelines.
• Report regularly to the Brooki global team, providing weekly updates on UAE and GCC operations.
• Manage calendars across multiple time zones, and prepare agendas, minutes, and briefings for meetings.
• Arrange travel, itineraries, and logistics for events and meetings.
• Facilitate communication between the COO and various internal and external parties.
• Support in drafting business communications, memos, and strategic updates.
• Track all pending actions with accountability owners and deadlines; escalate any issues unresolved beyond 48 hours.
• Maintain organizational boards and trackers using Microsoft 365 and monday.com; utilize AI tools daily.
• Handle sensitive and confidential information with professionalism and discretion.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent qualification.
• At least six years in roles such as executive assistant, chief of staff, or senior operations coordinator, ideally supporting C-suite executives.
• Experience in food and beverage or hospitality sectors, with familiarity of store operations and suppliers.
• Essential GCC experience with good understanding of UAE licensing and regulatory processes.
• Exposure to joint venture or group corporate environments preferred.

Skills and Competencies

• Excellent organization skills to effectively manage multiple concurrent tasks.
• Strong communication abilities written and oral, capable of engaging with landlords, authorities, advisors, and shareholders.
• Understanding of contracts and lease agreements, able to identify key terms and potential risks.
• High emotional intelligence and sound business judgment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft 365, Teams, HRIS, monday.com, and AI tools, with aptitude to learn new systems quickly.
• Persistent and courteous in following up with stakeholders until issues are resolved.
• Arabic language skills, both written and spoken, are highly preferred.