Executive Assistant - ISD EMEA

Overview

The Executive Assistant (EA) role in ISD EMEA provides strategic, trusted business support to senior leadership team members, enabling leadership effectiveness, organisational rhythm, and operational excellence across a complex, matrixed environment.

The role operates across multiple countries and time zones, partnering closely with leaders, Business Managers, Chiefs of Staff, HR, Finance, Communications, and EA peers across ISD, MCAPS, and broader Microsoft. The EA exercises strong judgment, discretion, and autonomy, proactively managing ambiguity while anticipating leadership and business needs. The role is an active member of the ISD EMEA EA community, contributing to shared standards, capability building, and culture.

Responsibilities

Leadership Enablement, Calendar Management & Rhythm of Business

• Provide strategic calendar management and timeplanning support for senior leaders (GM Level), aligning schedules to business priorities, operating rhythm, and leader preferences.
• Manage complex meeting logistics endtoend, including preparation of agendas, briefings, prereads, attendee alignment, and coordination of rooms, AV, and technology.
• Use business context and judgment to prioritise competing demands, resolve scheduling conflicts, identify appropriate delegates, and keep leaders informed of tradeoffs.
• Support and execute the leader’s Rhythm of Business (ROB), partnering with Business Managers and Chiefs of Staff to manage cadence, confidential communications, and decision forums, and where appropriate, attend meetings and ensure followup where needed.

Cross-Organisational Collaboration, Projects & Operational Excellence

• Act as a liaison between executives, teams, and crossorganisational partners, building strong networks across ISD, MCAPS, and adjacent Microsoft organisations.
• Own and deliver multiple projects endtoend with varying deadlines, maintaining high executional standards and accountability for outcomes.
• Coordinate and lead events and offsites, including workback schedules, checkpoints, logistics, supplier management, and postevent closeout.
• Drive operational excellence through process simplification, continuous improvement, and effective use of Microsoft tools and systems.

Business Support Leadership, Resource Management & Team Enablement

• Lead by example within the Business Support discipline, demonstrating executive presence, professionalism, and sound judgment, and acting as a role model to EA peers.
• Contribute to the ISD EMEA EA community by sharing best practices, supporting onboarding, mentoring less experienced colleagues, and participating in interviews where required.
• Support team management activities including headcount management, recruitment coordination, onboarding/offboarding, executive onboarding, and accurate reporting in partnership with Business Managers, HR, and Finance.
• Manage travel planning and logistics for leaders and teams, including complex international itineraries, compliance with Microsoft travel and tax policies, and ontheground issue resolution.
• Partner with Finance on expense, purchase, and resource management, including discretionary budgets, vendor coordination, policy compliance, and financial tracking.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Demonstrated experience supporting senior leaders in a complex, matrixed, multinational environment, with strong autonomy and judgment.
• Proven ability to manage high volumes of competing priorities, ambiguity, and sensitive information with discretion and professionalism.
• Strong cross-organisational collaboration skills, with experience partnering with HR, Finance, Business Managers, Chiefs of Staff, and Communications teams.
• Experience owning projects, events, and operational initiatives endtoend, with a track record of executional excellence.
• High proficiency with Microsoft tools (Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, PowerPoint, expense and headcount systems) and a continuous improvement mindset.

Key skills/competency

• Strategic Support
• Calendar Management
• Project Management
• Cross-Organisational Collaboration
• Operational Excellence
• Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, PowerPoint)
• Discretion & Professionalism
• Rhythm of Business Management
• Event Coordination
• Resource Management