Company Overview

Offering a complete ecosystem of maritime services, including broking, finance, port services and research, Clarksons is at the heart of global shipping. Our unrivalled reach, expertise, and depth of experience, combined with leading research, enables us to partner with clients across every sector to meet the demands of the world’s rapidly evolving maritime, offshore, trade and energy markets. Building on our unique heritage and harnessing our insights to see further, faster, we work with our clients and communities to create strategies that have a positive impact on the industry and the world around us. Dedicated to excellence, it’s our people that drive success for our clients.

To understand more including day-to-day life at Clarksons, visit us at www.clarksons.com

Role Summary

Main roles and responsibilities as Office Manager and Head of the support team are across: Administration, Finance, Catering and Facilities, for two entities in Dubai: Clarksons FZCO and Clarksons Futures Limited (FZ Branch).

This is an important role and as Office Manager, you will unite and manage the Support team and oversee all office functions to ensure the smooth running of the office. The role is very diverse and includes everything from performance monitoring and conducting annual salary reviews for the Support team to creating and ensuring adherence to local company policies and procedures. The Office Manager also liaises closely with the managing director, finance manager and heads of departments along with global managers and colleagues. A “no job is too small” attitude is required.

What you’ll be doing

Office Administration related:

• Manage the Administration team and oversee administrative matters including:

• Events: Oversee the organisation of internal and external events.
• Travel and hotel bookings: Identify and select the best and most cost-effective travel solutions for the company and liaise with Travel Management Companies as necessary to ensure continuity of the agreed services and highlight and monitor any shortfalls.
• Monitor Admin and the Agent’s handling of bookings and troubleshoot any issues that may arise. Ensure adherence to admin and travel policies.
• Manage the service apartments.
• Insurance: Identify and select the best and most cost-effective providers of the necessary health, life and office insurances and manage the yearly renewal processes.
• Oversee the catering and facilities staff and that services provided are of the highest standard.
• Health and safety function to promote the best work environment possible.

Accounts related:

• Accounts/Finance Manager liaison.
• Understand and monitor office expenses. Take measures to reduce costs wherever possible.
• Support expenses authorisation.
• Assist the team by being an authorised signatory on the bank when appropriate.

Property related:

• Act as the main point of contact with the building and community manager.
• Manage the company’s owned and rented premises and oversee rental and/or sale processes with tenants/buyers.
• Oversee the overall appearance of the office and ensure everything is correctly presented and in good working order.
• Oversee maintenance throughout the office and ensure that any building/décor repairs/modifications are done to the highest standard.
• Arrange and coordinate office moves as necessary.

IT related:

• Work closely with IT to ensure services are of the highest standard throughout the office.
• Work closely with HR and IT to optimise seating arrangements and ensure adherence to IT policies across the office.
• Monitor the local network drive and ensure correct usage and proper access rights to folders.

Company Secretary role:

• Liaise closely with CoSec in London.
• Act as the main point of contact for Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC).
• Maintain up to date company documentation (e.g. trade licence etc.) and manage renewals.
• Organise Board of Director meetings, attend and take minutes.
• Carbon data reporting.
• ShareSave administrator.

Compliance role:

• Act as compliance support for Dubai.
• Attend annual seminars and monthly Teams calls with the global support team.
• Liaise with the sanctions and KYC teams globally.
• Compliance onboarding with new joiners.
• Assist Dubai employees on compliance related matters.
• Monitor Dubai’s usage of compliance software and work proactively to improve statistics.

Other:

• Undertake additional duties and responsibilities as required to meet the needs of the business.  

What we’re looking for

We welcome applications from candidates who share our Company Values and key attributes, as follows:

• Integrity and respect – acting thoughtfully and ethically to do the right thing in accordance with Conduct Rules, and to promote and foster a respectful work environment for all.
• Drive – self-motivation and the desire and commitment to succeed, deliver excellence and make positive change.
• Relationship building – excellent communicator to effectively build strong, long-lasting relationships with colleagues, clients and others.
• Collaboration – working well with others across diverse backgrounds to share information, develop skills and deliver results. 
• Resilience - persisting and adapting to changing or difficult situations and adopting a positive and focused approach.
• Smart - problem-solving and analytical abilities, with a curious and inquisitive mind, and an openness to new ideas.

Other requirements

• 5+ years of experience in global mobility, immigration, or related fields.
• Strong knowledge of international immigration laws, tax regulations, and employment policies.
• Understanding of various types of work permits, visas, and relocation processes.
• Exceptional organisational skills, a keen eye for detail, and the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, able to build relationships with employees, managers, and external partners across geographic locations.
• Flexible and proactive in approach.
• Ability to deal with ambiguity and thrive in an evolving environment.
• You are a team player who acts with a sense of urgency and adapts to a fast-paced and ever-changing environment.
• You have strong ethics, demonstrated discretion, and sound judgment while working with sensitive and confidential information.
• Proficient in MS Office skills (Powerpoint, Excel, Word, Outlook)