Executive Assistant to Global Business Area Officer

Arcadis is the world's leading company delivering sustainable design, engineering, and consultancy solutions for natural and built assets.

We are more than 36,000 people, in over 70 countries, dedicated to improving quality of life. Everyone has an important role to play. With the power of many curious minds, together we can solve the world's most complex challenges and deliver more impact together.

Role description:

The Executive Leadership Team (ELT) is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the company and each member of the ELT is supported by an Executive Assistant. The Executive Assistant of the ELT member serves as the primary point of contact for internal and external constituencies on all matters pertaining to the ELT member, by providing executive support & PM support to enable the ELT member to execute the business strategy and adhere to strategic priorities aligning all actions to key objectives for the year.

This role reports to the Global Business Area Officer who is a member of the Executive Leadership Team

The role will be based in Amsterdam, Netherlands

Role accountabilities:

The Executive Assistant (EA) provides excellent executive, Project Management, and development support to the ELT member. The Executive Assistant serves as the primary point of contact for internal and external constituencies on all matters pertaining to the ELT Member. The Executive Assistant also serves as the liaison to the ELT member's business team as well as other senior leadership group members; organizes and coordinates executive outreach and external relations efforts and oversees special projects.

Strategic initiatives & support

• Ensure priorities of the ELT member's scope are built into the ELT member's decision-making and all areas are considered when planning meetings, travel, and projects.
• Understand the ELT member's strategic priorities/objectives between the ELT, Supervisory Board, and internal stakeholders.
• Help the ELT member report on each business priority, ensuring a difference is being made to the business and things are 'moving forward' and goals are met.
• Project Manage events and/or initiatives relating to the ELT Member.

Meeting governance

• Represent the ELT member in meetings where necessary delivering messages on the ELT member's behalf. Provide feedback to the ELT member and debrief on the meetings attended.
• Managing the meeting cadence for the ELT member's team meetings, ensuring a rolling agenda is set and maintained, materials are sent in advance, and objectives are achieved.
• Agenda items for meetings are relevant to current initiatives and performance ensuring deep dives are added to the agenda where appropriate.
• Responsible for action lists related to ELT member's scope. Managing actions arising from meetings and developing meeting action plans. Drive response to ensure governance.

Support and management

• Providing approvals on behalf of the ELT member where required for example travel and expenses.
• Provide high-level support in the production of presentations, reports, and proposals in line with Management requirements, which could include proofreading, creating charts/graphs, and managing versions of edits and documents and papers for meetings.
• Reading, monitoring and selectively responding to the Executive's emails proactively taking the lead on delegating actions where necessary.
• Preparing correspondence on the ELT member's behalf. Act as a point of contact and an efficient liaison between colleagues and clients.
• Completion of timesheets and expenses in a timely manner.
• Maintenance of any electronic filing systems/other filing systems e.g. database/marketing materials.
• Creating a network with leaders and EAs to act as a sounding board, and provide feedback and advice.
• Keeping up to date with new technology and informing the Executive and leadership team of new and more efficient ways of working e.g. MS Teams.

Travel

• Arranging extensive travel schedules, visas, and accommodation as required with a comprehensive itinerary.
• Maximise all opportunities to coincide trips with other meetings always considering sustainability issues.

Diary management

• Strategic diary and time management for the ELT members efficiently and effectively, ensuring they are well-prepared for meetings.
• Looking at the long-term calendar, evaluating opportunities, and determining fit with priorities including meeting preparation, speeches and/or presentations, and follow-up.
• Managing requests and making sure the ELT member is not overloaded and priorities are maintained.

Qualifications & Experience:

The Executive Assistant to the ELT member has an academic intellectual capacity and significant experience as an Executive Assistant in a professional international services company on the executive level (preferably in a listed company environment). You have outstanding organizational skills and you have mastered English + preferably another language verbally and written.

• Results orientation - Achieving quality results by directing effort on expected outcomes.
• Adaptability - Constantly adapts to changing circumstances, engaging in continuous learning whilst maintaining corporate perspective.
• Communication - Using language as a flexible tool to collect and share information in a variety of formats/situations.
• Innovation in Problem Solving - Builds innovative solutions to emerging problems using information from multiple sources.
• Management Excellence - Excellent discipline in prioritizing, planning, organizing, and delivering successful projects of high complexity. Outstanding logistical, organizational, coordination, and planning skills. Highly organised.
• Excellent relationship builder and able to influence. Ability to build relationships with an international network and key stakeholders across different levels, both internally and externally.
• Can work under pressure in a calm and thoughtful way.
• Likes to work as part of a team but equally comfortable working alone.
• Finishes all work to a high standard even when under pressure / tight deadlines.
• Forward-thinkers like to consider the bigger picture, anticipate potential issues, and plan for them.
• Positive attitude and willingness to help others.
• Applies discretion and confidentiality in all matters.
• Excellent common sense and a good sense of judgment.
• Resilient and hard-working.
• Professional, proficient, and proactive in approach.
• Excellent attention to detail. Accuracy and quality driven.
• Able to work independently, self-manage, multi-tasking, and prioritise workload.
• Excellent business English both written and oral.
• Able to travel to other locations on an ad hoc basis.

Recruitment agencies need not respond. Details from this vacancy are not to be used for marketing purposes.

We can only achieve our goals when everyone is empowered to be their best. We believe everyone's contribution matters. It's why we are pioneering a skills-based approach, where you can harness your unique experience and expertise to carve your career path and maximize the impact we can make together.

You'll do meaningful work, and no matter what role, you'll be helping to deliver sustainable solutions for a more prosperous planet. Make your mark, on your career, your colleagues, your clients, your life, and the world around you.

Together, we can create a lasting legacy.

Join Arcadis. Create a Legacy.

Our Commitment to Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging

We want you to be able to bring your best self to work every day, which is why we take equality and inclusion seriously and hold ourselves to account for our actions. Our ambition is to be an employer of choice and provide a great place to work for all our people.