Executive Assistant (on Contract)

Role/Title: Executive Assistant

Location:

Target Start Date:

Period:

Reporting To:

Executive Director - Asia and Head of Regional Strategy

About Us

Acumen, established in 2008 under the Sannam S4 Group umbrella, is a premier internationalisation partner for educational institutions worldwide. Originating in India, we have expanded our services across Asia, North America, and beyond, providing comprehensive support to universities and organisations embarking on their global journeys.

Our Mission and Approach

Driven by research and rich data insights, Acumen offers innovative solutions tailored to the unique needs of each partner. Our end-to-end services empower educational institutions to establish and enhance their international presence, ensuring they receive trusted guidance and expertise at every step.

Global Reach and Services

With a strong presence in India, South and Southeast Asia, and North America, Acumen delivers excellence in education consulting, advisory, and implementation. Our services include in-country representation, high school engagement, agent management, enrollment services, and strategic consulting, all designed to help institutions thrive in today's competitive international education landscape.

Our Team and Values

Our diverse team of over 300 professionals, with a 70% female representation, embodies our core values: Collaboration, Agility, Impact, Empowerment, and Integrity. This commitment to diversity and inclusion fosters a dynamic and supportive environment, enabling us to deliver impactful solutions to our partners.

Why Choose Acumen

Our unique understanding of the education sector, combined with a people-first approach and student-focused insights, has made us an invaluable partner for educational institutions globally. We prioritise your needs, offering practitioner-led expertise and end-to-end support without taking commissions or selling services directly to students, ensuring our focus remains solely on enhancing your institution's success.

Partner with Acumen to navigate the complexities of international education and achieve sustainable growth in the global arena.

The Opportunity

An exciting opportunity which will embed you at the heart of a fast growing, international consulting business, providing you a first-hand insight and key role in a business committed to being the global market leader in its field.

Joining at a period of rapid expansion, you will be an integral member of the leadership team and have an important global remit dealing with both internal and external matters.

As the Executive Assistant to the Founder and Executive Chairman the role requires setting, implementing and tracking his (and the Group’s) international strategic priorities. This requires daily liaising across the global senior leadership team, Board members and advisors. You will provide adequate information, insights and planning to maintain focus in order to facilitate efficient decision making and execution to achieve desired outcomes. With excellent interpersonal skills, the role will communicate the Founder’s updates and initiatives with key local and international staff and stakeholders. In addition to managing his own busy international travel and daily meetings schedule, you will also plan, coordinate and implement global team / Board meetings.

Role Summary :

This role will also involve effective coordination with key stakeholders like admin, finance, HR, and others for smooth operations. You will work to establish, improve and manage operational processes, implement new or improve adoption of current systems leveraging technology where possible to drive efficiencies (time and expenditure) across the business. The role will also offer support to the Executive Director – India & South Asia.

The ideal candidate will be experienced in handling a wide range of planning, operational, strategic and implementation tasks. Your personality and working style will promote a positive culture of teamwork across the business.

You must be very organised, able to use key business software tools to a medium to advanced level and be able to demonstrate an ability to learn new ones, be flexible and enjoy the administrative challenges of supporting a growing business with diverse people and projects globally.

You will have the support of an international team of administration, finance, HR and technology personnel with whom you will regularly interface with to assist in the implementation of your tasks.

What success in this role looks like:

• Your success will be a direct correlation to the success of the objectives of the Founder Executive Chairman and therefore the Group’s Playing to Win strategy.
• Supporting the business in hitting their annual sales and marketing goals
• Improve existing and implement new technology to deliver demonstrable business (quantitative and qualitative) efficiencies
• Establish a strong social and collaborative work culture across the business

Communication

• Effective communication of the Founder’s, Board and senior leadership activities to a local and wider international audience
• Help plan and prepare for Senior Leadership and Group Board meetings
• Deliver clear expectations to team members and track progress against these expectations

Operations

• Coordinate team needs in terms of office space, facilities, office supplies, deliveries/mail, etc.
• Plans in-house or off-site events and activities (i.e. staff meetings, parties, celebrations and conferences)
• Plans external, client-centric events, such as webinars, seminars, and conferences
• Manage and coordinate travel arrangements
• Manage the Founder and Executive Director’s diary

Minimum Required Qualifications / Expertise

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, management, operations management, or a related field (or combination of education and experience)
• 7+ years of experience in an operations management / Executive Assistant or Chief of Staff position
• Strong project management experience
• Ability to multitask, prioritise a variety of tasks and meet deadlines
• Strong written and verbal communication skills,
• Excellent organisational skills and team-oriented “can-do” mentality
• Experience with Salesforce CRM and financial reporting (preferred)
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and G Suite; strong aptitude to learn and adopt new software and systems
• Available to work flexible hours to accommodate international office hours
• Strong problem-solving ability, including metrics-driven thinking
• Ability to travel as necessary

Desired Skills

With a strong track record of professionalism and support for our clients, Acumen, a part of Sannam S4 Group, has built its business on individuals who bring value and experience to the business and its clients and the accountability that a fast-growing mid-sized business requires.

Below are the desired and preferred skills and competencies for this position:

• Naturally proactive
• Strong communication skills
• Time management, interpersonal and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work in target-oriented environment and under pressure.
• Flexible, committed and driven
• Proven execution skills
• Can do attitude and problem solver
• Ability to analyse reports and data and make recommendations
• Seniority Level
• Associate
• Industry
• Education Management Higher Education
• Employment Type
• Full-time
• Job Functions

Website Address: www.acumen.education

Social Media: https://www.linkedin.com/company/acumen-edu/