We don’t just talk, we do. Lead the change with us.

At the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, we work with political leaders around the world to drive change. We help governments turn bold ideas into reality so they can deliver for their people. We do it by advising on strategy, policy and delivery, unlocking the power of technology across all three. And by sharing what we learn on the ground, so everyone can benefit. We do it to build more open, inclusive and prosperous countries for people everywhere.

We are a global team of over 800 changemakers, operating in more than 40 countries, across five continents. We are political strategists, policy experts, delivery practitioners, technology specialists and more. We speak more than 45 languages. We are working on over 100 projects, tackling some of the world’s biggest challenges. We’re all here at TBI to make a difference.

In a world of ever more complex challenges, we believe diversity of background and perspective is a strength. We pride ourselves on a culture that values and nurtures difference. We are dedicated to unlocking potential, not only for the countries we work in but also for each of our team members. No matter where you’re from or who you are, if you’re passionate about the transformative power of progressive politics, we invite you to build a better future with us.

Role Summary

TBI continues to grow its work in the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Central Asia (MENACA). As a result of this growth, we are searching for an outstanding candidate to provide effective and efficient support to the TBI teams in MENACA, and to ensure smooth administrative and operational delivery. This includes administrative, operational and business setup support to the TBI management and other staff members.

The role reports in to the Dubai office in DIFC, and will work closely with our Advisory and Internal Operations teams across the region, as well as our global Internal Operations teams, and will be part of a wider cohort of Operations Assistants. The postholder will deliver excellent logistical, operational and administrative support to our people and work closely with our teams on the ground.

The Operations Assistant will be either directly responsible for implementing the tasks below or will provide oversight of staff and departments that perform these functions.

Core tasks

• Lead all aspects of the management and maintenance of TBI managed properties in Dubai.

• Ensure all staff have access to the tools and resources needed to deliver high quality work from our Dubai office (IT kit and video conferencing, wifi, AC, stationary, refreshments etc.).

• Support visa and work permit applications for staff in DIFC, and all related administrative processes for employment.

Ongoing business support functions

• IT: liase with central IT support and HR onboarding teams, to ensure that all staff have adequate and functioning IT equipment.

• HR and staffing: liase with central HR teams to manage onboarding of new staff, advise country staff on HR and staffing policies, support team members in country with ongoing work permit/visa queries.

• Admin: support the Managing Director and country leadership team with logistics support

• Travel: Ensure the consistent use of and adherence to the TBI travel management system and procedures

• Coordinate in country moves outside of core locations

• Support visa applications and arrival procedures of international staff and visitors to the programme

• Ensure that all international staff and visitors have a working means of communication within 24 hours of arrival in country

Office operations

• Onboard and oversee local vendors including cleaners, local IT etc.

• Ensure the UAE government and company policies are being followed regarding protocols and procedures

• Liase with the Global Security and Operations Team to ensure protocols are followed and identify and flag operational risks to the Country Head

• Support projects with leadership visits and events as needed in the region with the logistics coordination between the teams involved

• Participate in the crisis management team in the event of a medical or security emergency.

Finance

• Manage financial activities in compliance with TBI policy and procedures

• Support the Country Head and team in central financial management including preparing requests for advance of funds and/or direct payments; monitoring budget expenditures and maintaining a proper record of budgets and spending

Safety, security and access

• With support from the Global Operations and Security team, develop country level security SOPs that are contextually appropriate to the risk to TBI staff and activities in country

• Maintain an active network with other agencies as well as key interlocutors to ensure that TBI understands the security context. Notify the Managing Director, Global Security and Operations Team when the political or security situation may impact TBI’s staff or activities

• Ensure that any violation of safety and security rules as well as security incidents are reported to the Managing Director and Global Operations and Security team

• Work with the Managing Director to enable safe access for TBI staff to new areas and identify key stakeholders and interlocutors relevant to the area of operation

• Ensure that all TBI locations are compliant with fire regulations and equipped with firefighting equipment where necessary

• Act as the point of contact in country to carry our security tasks as directed by the Global Security and Operations team

• Maintain an up to date country Flap sheet and communications tree.

It is also expected that the postholder will cover any other duties as required where capacity and availability permits. These duties will be communicated in advance and agreed with the Country Head where possible.

The individual should work to the highest standard with a keen attention to detail delivering workable solutions to various teams with competing priorities.

They should proactively enagage with the business and be bold in their approach, working to make change for the better and improve operational efficiency and reduce the threat to our people, assets and reputation. They should be an ambassador for the team and build trust with those with whom they engage. They should be solution orientated.

In addition, the postholder should be able to demonstrate more than three years’ of experience of:

• Programme management

• Security, operations, logistics and administration.

Fluency in written and verbal English is required.

Closing Date:

2026-08-24