Role overview
The Executive Assistant to the Executive Director, Strategy and Policy and Company Secretary provides proactive, high-level executive and administrative support to enable the effective operation of the Executive Director's portfolio, including his responsibilities as Company Secretary.
The role supports the coordination of governance, Board and Plenary-related meetings and ensures key administrative, logistical and information-management processes are delivered to a high standard.
Operating with discretion, judgement and foresight, the Executive Assistant acts as a trusted first point of contact for the Executive Director's direct reports, CEO Office, internal teams and external stakeholders.
The role supports explicit information flow across the Strategy and Policy portfolio and assists with the preparation, coordination and follow-up of governance, management and stakeholder engagements.
This is a high-performing executive support role requiring initiative, sound judgement, confidentiality, strong digital capability and a service-oriented approach.
Working closely with the CEO Office and Operations team, the Executive Assistant supports Company Secretariat workflows, Board and Plenary meeting logistics, action tracking, records management and timely follow-up.
The role reports to the Executive Director, Strategy and Policy and Company Secretary.
REPORTS TO
Executive Director, Strategy and Policy and Company Secretary
DIRECT REPORTS
Nil
EMPLOYMENT TYPE
Full time or Part time considered
Key responsibilities
Provide proactive, high-level executive and administrative support to the Executive Director, Strategy and Policy, anticipating priorities, managing competing demands and enabling effective decision-making.
Manage the Executive Director's diary, inbox, travel, logistics and meeting schedule to ensure seamless preparation, coordination and follow-through across internal, governance and external engagements.
Support the Executive Director's Company Secretariat responsibilities by coordinating administrative support, logistics, papers, records and follow-up for Board,



Plenary and related governance meetings.
Maintain oversight of portfolio and Secretariat workflows, including action tracking, records management, meeting preparation, follow-up and prioritisation of urgent or sensitive matters using Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive and task-tracking systems.
Act as the first point of contact for the Executive Director's direct reports, supporting effective information flow, diary coordination, meeting follow-up and escalation of matters requiring attention.
Support the Executive Director's engagement with the UA Board, members, government, sector stakeholders and external partners, ensuring interactions are professional, timely and well managed.
Coordinate high-quality correspondence, reports, presentations and briefing materials for the Executive Director, working with teams across UA to ensure advice is accurate, timely and fit for purpose.
Uphold the highest standards of confidentiality, professionalism, accuracy and service in all executive support and Company Secretariat activities.
Key relationships
Internal:
Executive Director, Strategy and Policy
Executive Director's direct reports and Strategy and Policy portfolio teams
CEO Office, Governance, Finance, Events and Operations teams
UA Executive Team and Leadership Group
External:
UA Board members, Plenary members, member universities and sector groups
Australian Government departments and agencies
Community and other external stakeholders
Capabilities and experience
Exceptional organisational and time-management skills in high-pressure environments.
High-level discretion, judgement and ability to manage sensitive information.
Strong written and verbal communication skills,



with experience drafting executive correspondence and briefing materials.
Proficiency in coordinating complex logistics, governance meetings, papers, records and stakeholder engagement.
Ability to anticipate needs, prioritise competing demands and deliver outcomes under pressure.
Strong relationship-building skills with senior internal stakeholders, Board and Plenary members, member universities and external partners.
Commitment to integrity, professionalism and a culture of service.
Strong digital capability, including confidence using Microsoft 365 tools such as Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive and SharePoint, as well as digital filing, workflow tracking and document management systems.
Measures of success
Executive Director is well supported, and advice, meeting materials and follow-up are accurate, timely and high quality.
Positive relationships with key stakeholders, with a reputation for timely and professional communication.
Executive and Company Secretariat workflows are smooth, proactive and enable informed decision-making.
Communication with the Executive Director's direct reports, Executive Team, Board, Plenary and broader UA staff is clear and timely.
Board and Plenary meeting logistics, records and follow-up are coordinated professionally and accurately.
Confidentiality and discretion are always upheld.
Personal attributes
A practical, positive and solutions-focused approach.
Sound judgement and curious nature.
Strong relationship-building and a collaborative working style.
A supportive team member who builds trust, capability and accountability.
Resilience, adaptability and calm under pressure.
High levels of integrity and professionalism.
Qualifications and experience
Relevant qualification in business administration, governance administration or equivalent professional experience.
Demonstrated experience providing high-level support to senior executives in a university, government, member-based, governance or complex organisation.

📌 Executive Assistant To Executive Director, Strategy And Policy (Canberra)
🏢 Universities Australia
📍 Canberra