Executive Assistant

This is a hybrid position that requires 8 days/month in WRI London office. Existing work authorization is required at the time of application submission as WRI is unable to sponsor any visa work sponsorship for this position.

About the Program:

WRI’s Climate, Economics & Finance (CEF) Program leads WRI’s work transforming economic, financial, and governance systems globally and at the country level to deliver WRI’s people, climate, and nature goals.  We advance an approach in which climate action, nature conservation and higher standards of living reinforce one another. Our vision is for inclusive green growth to become the most compelling development pathway for countries around the globe, embedded in how governments drive forward economic change, how businesses trade and invest, and how people thrive. 

Drawing on WRI’s long track record of rigorous research, on-the-ground experience and ability to influence and build international systems, we prioritize three strategic pillars in support of building a new economy: catalyzing country transitions, supporting new forms of cooperation to implement global goals, and shifting the economic and financial “rules of the game.”   

The CEF program includes around 300 staff with an annual budget of ~$70 million, spanning the global program and CEF teams across WRI’s 12 priority countries and regions. 

Job Summary:

As the CEF Global Director’s Executive Assistant, you will enhance the CEF program’s effectiveness by providing administrative support and coordination for the CEF Global Director (London-based) and CEF Leadership team as needed, including in the areas of scheduling, travel and visa support, expense management, meeting support and event coordination.  By aligning the use of the Global Director’s time, meetings and travel to their strategic priorities; supporting timely completion of administrative tasks; and liaising with internal and external stakeholders, you will support the Global Director and CEF leadership team to meet their priorities, uphold best practices, and achieve organizational goals.

The ideal candidate will be detail-oriented, highly organized and efficient, with evidence of this in their prior work. You will be able to anticipate needs, use your judgement to prioritize effectively, proactively resolve issues, and think ahead to ensure timely preparation for travel, events, and commitments. You will work in close partnership with the Global Director and the CEF Chief of Staff.  As a primary point of contact for internal and external stakeholders on scheduling and program coordination, you will be expected to represent WRI in emails and in-person with excellent professionalism and judgment.   

What you will do: 

• Provide administrative support to the CEF Global Director including:

• Managing calendars and scheduling appointments, in line with priorities.

• Planning and booking travel arrangements, including securing travel visas.

• Liaising with external contacts and answering inquiries.

• Preparing and monitoring expense reports and timesheets to ensure timely submission and approval.

• Drafting and sending professional correspondence.

• Provide support for the CEF Leadership team with similar duties on an as-needed basis.

• Working with the CEF Chief of Staff, ensure efficient and results-driven workflow management for the Global Director, including supporting the Global Director in tracking tasks/meetings/emails and prioritizing tasks to ensure timely follow-up and execution.

• Serve as a key point of liaison between CEF leadership and internal/external partners. 

• Maintain a strong relationship with the CEF Development team, ensuring good communication and coordination on engagement with external donors and partners.

• Arrange and participate in internal meetings, coordinate logistics, develop agendas and supporting materials, take notes, and track status of follow-up items. 

• Play a lead role in the organization of program events, both internal and off-site.

• Support ongoing efforts to maintain and improve administrative systems and processes, such as liaising with WRI core functions (e.g. HR, IT) to ensure positive onboarding for new staff.

• Assist in knowledge management of digital files, cloud storage, intranet and SharePoint systems, including archiving key documents and records.

• In coordination with the Chief of Staff, take on special projects in support of Global Directors' management, fundraising, and coordination needs, as assigned. 

What you will need:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in a related field or a High School diploma with an additional four years of experience as an administrative assistant.  

• Experience: Relevant professional experience assisting one or more executives.  

• Demonstrated exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail.  

• Demonstrated strong judgment and problem-solving skills.   

• Demonstrated flexibility and ability to operate within a team environment, ideally in a matrixed organization with offices in multiple geographies.  

• Flexibility to attend meetings outside of regular, local business hours on occasion, with notice, to accommodate colleagues in other time zones.  

• Ability to understand organizational goals and strategies and take action in support of those goals, including prioritizing among multiple requests.  

• Adaptability to changing priorities and an ability to manage multiple projects with varying deadlines.

• Professional demeanor, superior people skills, and ability to maintain confidentiality.   

• Demonstrated capacity to work well under pressure and successfully manage multiple deadlines and competing demands.  

• Excellent communication skills, including with large internal audiences. 

• Project management and computer skills in MS Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) and web-based communications (e.g., Microsoft Teams, Zoom, etc.).  

• Commitment to WRI’s mission and values and interest in environmental and sustainable development issues.  

• Commitment to WRI’s Hybrid in office work policy.  

• Languages: Fluency in English; any additional language is a plus. 

Potential Salary: UK: 38,000– 47,000 pounds per year. Salary is commensurate with experience and other compensable factors.

How to Apply: Please submit a resume with a cover letter by 28 October 2026. Internal applicants should submit their application through the Jobs Hub portal in Workday. External applicants must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered. We may close applications sooner if we receive a high volume of applications from qualified candidates.

What we offer:

• Access to the WRI global network with the opportunity to exchange with and learn from passionate colleagues working at the cutting edge of their fields across Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the US
• The chance to have an impact and to develop your career within a mission driven organization with access to varied learning and training opportunities
• A workplace that strives to put diversity and inclusion at the heart of our work
• The opportunity to join and get involved in different working groups and affinity groups to shape the future of WRI
• Commitment to hybrid working model with flexible working hours
• Generous leave days that increase with tenure
• Pension plan

About Us: World Resources Institute works to improve people's lives, protect and restore nature and stabilize the climate. As an independent research organization, we leverage our data, expertise and global reach to influence policy and catalyse change across systems like food, land and water; energy; and cities. Our 2,000+ staff work on the ground in more than a dozen focus countries and with partners in over 50 nations.

Our mission and values: WRI's mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth's environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations. Our values are shared ideals that bind us together: Independence, Integrity, Impact, Partnership and Care. These values shape how we work with one another as well as what we work toward, and they call on all of us to help create an environment where people are welcomed, respected, and able to contribute as their full selves.

Our culture: At WRI, we believe that a more inclusive, equitable, and respectful workplace helps all of us do better work and better serve our mission. We are committed to advancing gender and social equity and to fostering an environment where people of all identities and backgrounds feel they belong, are valued, and are treated with dignity and respect. Creating this kind of culture is a shared responsibility across WRI. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, caste, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, or protected Veteran status.

Our People team carefully reviews all applications.