Executive Operations & Office Manager – EMEA
Location: Bedfordshire, UK
Department: Executive
Reports To: General Manager, EMEA
Legal Entity: United Wheels UK Ltd
Job Status: Full-time Permanent
Level: IC
Travel: Minimal
Summary
We are looking for a highly organised, proactive, and professional Executive Operations & Office Manager to support the EMEA Leadership Team and ensure the effective day-to-day operation of our EMEA business and offices.
This is a broad and varied role combining executive support, office management, employee engagement, and business operations. Working across the UK, Europe, Asia, and the USA, you will act as a key coordination point for the EMEA Leadership Team, helping ensure priorities, meetings, projects, and business processes are organised and executed effectively.
The role is office-based at our Bedfordshire office. As part of a global organisation, occasional flexibility across international time zones will be required.
Why This Role Matters
A leadership team is only as effective as the operation around it. This role is the coordination point that keeps the EMEA business running smoothly — making sure the right people are in the right meetings, priorities and actions are tracked and followed through, the offices run well, and the many moving parts of a global organisation stay connected across the UK, Europe, Asia, and the USA. It blends executive support, office and people coordination, and business operations into a single trusted role. Done well, it gives the EMEA Leadership Team the time, structure, and reliable execution they need to focus on running and growing the business.
What Success Looks Like (3 Core Outcomes):
- A Well-Supported Leadership Team: The EMEA Leadership Team is effectively supported — diaries, meetings, international travel, and executive documentation are managed smoothly, and confidential and time-sensitive matters are handled with discretion.
- 'Smooth-Running Offices & Engaged Workplace: The EMEA offices operate effectively day to day, the workplace is positive and engaging, and onboarding logistics, workplace initiatives, and health & safety are well-coordinated — with dotted-line support to the US People & Culture team as needed.
- Priorities Tracked & Delivered: Cross-functional projects, the EMEA operating calendar, and leadership action plans are coordinated with clear ownership, deadlines, and follow-through, keeping strategic priorities and business reviews on track.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities: Other duties may be assigned.
Executive & Leadership Support
- Provide executive and operational support to the EMEA Leadership Team.
- Manage diaries, leadership meetings, international travel, and executive visits.
- Coordinate meetings, agendas, minutes, actions, and follow-up.
- Meet and welcome clients, visitors, and external stakeholders, coordinating arrangements to ensure a professional visitor experience.
- Arrange and serve refreshments and catering for meetings, events, visitors, and executive requirements.
- Prepare presentations, reports, communications, and other executive documentation.
- Handle confidential and time-sensitive matters with professionalism and discretion.
Office Management & Workplace Engagement
- Oversee the effective day-to-day operation of the EMEA offices, including facilities, suppliers, equipment, purchasing, and workplace requirements.
- Provide dotted-line support to the US-based People & Culture team, acting as a local point of contact for EMEA and helping coordinate people-related activities as needed.
- Help coordinate the logistics of new-joiner onboarding and employee moments (welcomes, milestones, and events) in support of a positive workplace experience.
- Support internal communications, employee engagement, and workplace initiatives.
- Assist with Health & Safety and workplace compliance requirements.
Business Operations
- Coordinate cross-functional projects and key business initiatives across EMEA.
- Maintain leadership action plans, ensuring clear ownership, deadlines, and follow-through.
- Coordinate the EMEA operating calendar, including leadership meetings, annual planning, and business reviews.
- Support the General Manager and Leadership Team in tracking strategic priorities, KPIs, and key actions.
- Coordinate leadership presentations and business reviews, ensuring timely and accurate inputs from functional teams.
- Support governance, audit, compliance, and business documentation where required.
- Act as a central coordination point between EMEA leadership and global functions.
- Provide flexible support to other departments during busy periods, assisting with ad hoc tasks, projects, and operational priorities as required.
Supervisory Responsibilities: None.
Education and/or Experience
- Experience in executive support, office management, business operations, or a similar role.
- Excellent organisational, planning, and prioritisation skills.
- Strong attention to detail with the ability to manage multiple priorities independently.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Professional, discreet, and confident handling sensitive information.
- Strong Microsoft Office 365 skills.
- Experience coordinating executive meetings and international travel.
- Experience in project coordination, business operations, or supporting people/workplace initiatives would be advantageous.
Personal Attributes
Proactive, organised, and solutions-focused, with a strong sense of ownership and follow-through. You will be calm under pressure, adaptable to changing priorities, and comfortable working with stakeholders at all levels. Above all, you will be collaborative, approachable, and willing to step in wherever needed to help the EMEA organisation operate effectively.
Competencies
Covation Global’s competencies are grounded in our Core Values (Integrity, Simplicity, Priority, Agility) and Strategic Pillars (Rider Centricity, Collaborative Innovation, Operational Excellence).
- Integrity: We do what we say. Operates with honesty, transparency, and accountability at every step; honours commitments to partners, riders, and colleagues, and builds trust through consistent, responsible decisions.
- Simplicity: Complexity is a tax. Delivers clarity, ease, and purposeful design in everything; streamlines processes, removes unnecessary steps, and focuses on what matters most.
- Priority: Focus on what matters most. Ruthlessly prioritises the critical few over the trivial many, concentrating energy and resources where they drive the greatest value and outcome.
- Agility: Speed is precision in motion. Moves with purpose, speed, and adaptability; embraces change, thinks creatively, acts decisively, and responds quickly to shifting needs and market conditions.
- Rider Centricity: Keeps the rider at the centre of decisions. Anticipates needs and works to deliver best-in-class experience, better quality, and better value across every brand and function.
- Collaborative Innovation: Develops game-changing solutions inspired by the rider, supported by collective research and shared expertise, and validated by business results; challenges the status quo to drive improvement.
- Operational Excellence: Delivers results with lean, efficient execution. Drives continuous improvement across products, processes, operations, costs, and service, while maximising value for the organisation.
- ESG & Responsible Growth: Supports sustainable innovation, ethical operations, and positive community impact, ensuring growth is achieved responsibly and with integrity to people and the planet.
Language Skills
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; able to communicate professionally with leadership, staff, visitors, and global functions.
- Additional European language skills an advantage.
Mathematical Skills
- Comfortable working with budgets, purchasing, KPIs, and business data relevant to office and operations coordination.
Reasoning Ability
- Ability to prioritise, plan, and solve problems independently across multiple concurrent responsibilities, exercising sound judgement and discretion.
Computer Skills
- Strong Microsoft Office 365 skills required.
- Familiarity with travel or project-coordination tools an advantage.
Physical Demands This is an office-based role. Reasonable adjustments may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this role, the employee is regularly required to use a computer and communicate with colleagues, leadership, and visitors. Occasional flexibility across international time zones will be required.
Work Environment This role is office-based at the Bedfordshire, UK office. Reasonable adjustments may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The work environment is professional and collaborative, supporting the EMEA Leadership Team and coordinating with global functions across the UK, Europe, Asia, and the USA. The noise level is usually low to moderate.
