Chief of Staff - Arabic Speaker

at  Makeen Advisors FZ LLC

Makeen Advisors, founded by former McKinsey consultants and seasoned entrepreneurs, connects clients with top independent consulting talent to enhance their strategic and operational capabilities. Our consultants bring expertise across sectors, functions, and regions, collaborating with clients on strategy, implementation, and interim roles. We support major MENA organizations, from public and private sectors to start-ups, SMEs, and NGOs, enabling impactful initiatives across the region.

We are currently looking for a Chief of Staff to join our client, a communication advisory firm, on a full-time basis. Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Serve as a strategic gatekeeper to ensure only essential issues requiring the CEO’s unique input are escalated, upholding accountability across the organization, making empowered decisions, and prioritizing matters for CEO review.
• Develop a deep understanding of all operational team responsibilities to ensure best practices are consistently implemented and responsibilities are met comprehensively.
• Foster a solutions-driven culture, guiding teams to present actionable recommendations rather than problems to the CEO. Synthesize complex challenges into concise briefings for efficient CEO assessment, focusing on her strategic priorities without distraction.
• Act as a trusted advisor to the CEO, offering insight on critical issues, serving as a sounding board, and engaging additional experts when necessary.
• Contribute strategic insight to conceptual decisions by providing new initiatives and brainstorming innovative approaches.
• Facilitate interactions with the Board, Executive Chairman, and Executive Office Team by shaping narratives, drafting presentations, and ensuring timely follow-up on actions, promoting effective upward management.
• Lead cross-functional and new organizational initiatives, including the establishment of new functions, expansion efforts, and deployment of tech tools in new geographies.
• Steer growth initiatives to achieve the organization’s 20x expansion target, taking on a PMO role in scaling efforts.
• Support the organization’s competency development through expansion by recruiting key positions, codifying company-wide initiatives, setting team norms, and driving developmental planning to maintain a strong culture.
• Internally, ensure quality control by demanding excellence from all teams, and enforcing standards as necessary to deliver top-tier results for clients and shareholders.
• Build and manage client relationships, allowing routine processes to be managed independently by the Chief of Staff, with updates provided to the CEO as needed.
• Engage in business development across global geographies, stepping in as needed to deliver client solutions.
• Demonstrate full capability in end-to-end event management to assume control as necessary.
• Safeguard the CEO’s personal time by managing all essential tasks and only escalating issues when required.

REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS:

• Native Arabic speaking and fluent in English, both written and oral.
• Self-motivated team player with strong interpersonal skills, and experience working/living in different countries.
• Previous experience working with government ministries, relevant government agencies & corporate clients.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, with the flexibility to work odd and long hours when required (due to working with stakeholders and clients across different time zones).
• Exceptional organizational skills, including multitasking and time management.
• Ability to interact and build trust with a varied range of stakeholders.
• Proficient skills in PowerPoint and other collaborative and creative working apps.
• Excellent writing and research skills with an ability to draft clear and concise presentations in English.
• Ability to quickly adapt to changing priorities and find solutions to challenges.
  Should you be interested, please register and apply on the link here .

• Serve as a strategic gatekeeper to ensure only essential issues requiring the CEO’s unique input are escalated, upholding accountability across the organization, making empowered decisions, and prioritizing matters for CEO review.
• Develop a deep understanding of all operational team responsibilities to ensure best practices are consistently implemented and responsibilities are met comprehensively.
• Foster a solutions-driven culture, guiding teams to present actionable recommendations rather than problems to the CEO. Synthesize complex challenges into concise briefings for efficient CEO assessment, focusing on her strategic priorities without distraction.
• Act as a trusted advisor to the CEO, offering insight on critical issues, serving as a sounding board, and engaging additional experts when necessary.
• Contribute strategic insight to conceptual decisions by providing new initiatives and brainstorming innovative approaches.
• Facilitate interactions with the Board, Executive Chairman, and Executive Office Team by shaping narratives, drafting presentations, and ensuring timely follow-up on actions, promoting effective upward management.
• Lead cross-functional and new organizational initiatives, including the establishment of new functions, expansion efforts, and deployment of tech tools in new geographies.
• Steer growth initiatives to achieve the organization’s 20x expansion target, taking on a PMO role in scaling efforts.
• Support the organization’s competency development through expansion by recruiting key positions, codifying company-wide initiatives, setting team norms, and driving developmental planning to maintain a strong culture.
• Internally, ensure quality control by demanding excellence from all teams, and enforcing standards as necessary to deliver top-tier results for clients and shareholders.
• Build and manage client relationships, allowing routine processes to be managed independently by the Chief of Staff, with updates provided to the CEO as needed.
• Engage in business development across global geographies, stepping in as needed to deliver client solutions.
• Demonstrate full capability in end-to-end event management to assume control as necessary.
• Safeguard the CEO’s personal time by managing all essential tasks and only escalating issues when required