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. Existing remote work agreements will be honored for current WRI staff.   

 About the WRI Polsky Center for the Global Energy Transition  

The WRI Polsky Center for the Global Energy Transition delivers pragmatic, scalable, and urgently needed solutions to achieve a clean, abundant, affordable, and reliable energy future. 

Harnessing WRI’s renowned analytical power, convening ability and global expertise, the WRI Polsky Energy Center works with governments, utilities, companies, financial institutions and civil society to find bold solutions to the barriers that stand in the way of the energy transition, including modernizing grids, unlocking financing, sourcing critical minerals responsibly and building a future-ready workforce. 

We support the global commitment to accelerate renewable energy, deliver energy storage solutions, and increase energy efficiency, while continuing to transition from fossil fuels. 

The WRI Polsky Energy Center takes a unique, three-part approach that combines WRI's renowned experts, a world-class Advisory Group, and collaboration with partners to: 

• Generate evidence-based analyses on barriers and solutions through rigorous research from around the world. 

• Orchestrate the change by engaging influential actors - banks, companies, utilities, governments and civil society to co-create and implement solutions. 

• Leverage WRI’s reach including the Institute’s presence in a dozen of the world’s most influential economies and global expertise on topics that are important to the energy transition such as land use, oceans, urban development, climate, economics, finance and governance. 

Job Highlight: 

Reporting to the Global Director, you will support the administration and coordination for the WRI Polsky Energy Center’s Global Director and Leadership team. You will provide administrative support, including efficient calendar management, travel coordination, and meeting support. We seek a detail-oriented and highly organized individual to provide routine administrative coordination support and special projects as needed. 

You will work closely with the Global Operations Director, the Global Impact Director, and the Global Coordination Manager to ensure cohesion across the energy leadership teams.  

What will you do:  

• Provide administrative support to the Global Director including managing calendars, scheduling appointments, making travel arrangements, securing travel visas, answering inquiries, and drafting professional correspondence  

• Support the Global Director in tracking tasks/meetings/emails and prioritization of tasks to ensure timely follow-up and execution  

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

• Prepare Word, Excel, PowerPoint presentations, agendas, reports, special projects 

• Prepare and monitor expense reports and timesheets to ensure timely submission and approval  

• Ensure that senior executives’ priorities are met, organizational goals are achieved, and best practices are upheld by managing the flow of information to senior executives and by serving as the liaison between executives and internal/external partners 

• Organize team communications and plan events, both internal and off-site 

• Identify and implement administrative improvements including archiving key documents and records 

• Support ongoing efforts to improve administrative systems and processes, avoiding duplication of efforts 

• Participate in administrative and operational communities of practices/institutional meetings 

What will you 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 organizational skills and attention to detail  

• Demonstrated judgment and problem-solving skills  

• Flexible and able to work independently and accurately and within a team environment  

• Ability to set priorities and solve a range of problems independently  

• Adaptable to rapidly changing priorities and ability to manage multiple projects with varying deadlines  

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

• Patience and perseverance in understanding and explaining issues to partners, contractors and other team members  

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

• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to work well in a geographically dispersed team  

• Professional demeanor, superior people skills and ability to maintain confidentiality Project management and computer skills in MS Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint), web-based communications (e.g., Microsoft Teams, Zoom, etc.)  

• Commitment to WRI’s mission and values and interest in environment and development issues  

• Commitment to WRI’s Hybrid in office work policy  

• Languages: Fluency in English with 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 20 July 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.