Sarah King
Melbourne,VIC
Summary
Executive Assistant with extensive experience in supporting senior leadership through strategic planning and stakeholder engagement. Successfully facilitated treaty negotiations and managed complex governance meetings, ensuring confidentiality and integrity. Proficient in Microsoft 365, with a strong ability to build collaborative relationships that drive results. Expert in managing schedules, organizing projects, and delivering high-quality administrative support to executive teams.
Overview
11
11
years of professional experience
Work History
Executive Assistant to Chief Executive Officer
Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua
Whangārei, New Zealand
11.2024 - 09.2025
- I was employed as the Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer of a Māori iwi entity on contract in November 2024 to support them through a time of transition between Trustee Boards and was made permanent in March 2025.
- As well as calendar and in box management, I supported the CEO’s monthly reporting requirements, by writing monthly operational reports for their approval and delivering key insights for governance meetings.
- I provided them with strategic advice to navigate politically sensitive environments involving trustees, stakeholders and government representatives.
- Successful facilitation of the resumption of treaty settlement negotiations between the Government’s Chief Negotiator, Te Rūnanga
- Ngāti Whātua and other key stakeholders during Waitangi Week 2025 —the busiest week in the Māori political year.
- Management of all aspects of Te Rūnanga
- Ngāti Whātua Annual General Meeting, including stakeholder liaison for the Annual Report and Plan, presentation development, technology coordination, venue and catering logistics, and adherence to tikanga (Māori protocol).
- Briefed the Chair, CEO, and presenters to ensure they were well-prepared and confident.
- Provision of strategic support to the CEO through a complex and sensitive serious misconduct investigation initiated by the Chair of the Board of Trustees, by sourcing relevant documentation, preparing evidence-based responses to allegations, acting as a trusted advisor and sounding board whilst maintaining strict confidentiality throughout the process.
Executive Assistant to Leadership Team
Te Tumu Herenga / Library & Learning Services, University of Auckland
Auckland, New Zealand
05.2024 - 11.2024
- I was employed as the Executive Assistant to the Leadership Team at the University of Auckland on contract in May 2024 to support increased workload due to two international conferences scheduled for November.
- I managed the senior leadership’s calendar, coordinated all meetings chaired by the Library & Learning Services leadership, and oversaw event logistics for regular full-day workshops.
- I also played a key role in organising an international conference for the MAI network, supporting Māori and Indigenous doctoral candidates and their supervisors to gather and share knowledge.
- Delivery of sixteen MAI network doctoral programme events over six months, fostering strong engagement with academic staff and students from promotion through to completion.
- Built collaborative relationships to boost participation and ensure the programme delivered meaningful, relevant research training for early career researchers.
- Expert coordination of leadership meetings across the unit and university, ensuring senior stakeholder engagement through proactive liaison and seamless scheduling.
- Delivered comprehensive documentation to support informed decision-making and drive strategic outcomes.
- Responsible for four governance meetings each month.
- Successful organisation of a four-day international conference in six months, securing high-profile speakers, managing complex logistics for 120 attendees and meeting sponsorship and participation targets.
Executive Assistant to General Manager – Community
Whangarei District Council (WDC)
Whangarei, New Zealand
05.2023 - 05.2024
- I was employed in this role on a twelve-month contract to provide executive-level support to a member of the Strategic Leadership Team at WDC to cover parental leave.
- I delivered high-level administrative, governance, and stakeholder coordination within a local government setting.
- I managed complex diary and inbox workflows, governance reporting, and stakeholder communications to ensure the Community Group’s alignment with the Mayor, Elected Members, and senior leadership priorities.
- In my everyday interactions I applied the organisation’s values of Whanaungatanga (fostering relationships and creating connections), Manaakitanga (respect, care, hospitality, kindness and support), Kotahitanga (Unity, solidarity, and collective action) and Atawhaitanga (protection, stewardship, trust and long-term responsibility).
- Acting as the key liaison between the Community Group and the Long-Term Plan strategy team, ensuring timely input into governance processes under tight deadlines.
- Supporting the Mayor and Elected Members in addressing ratepayer concerns related to the Community Group.
- Planning and facilitation of five strategic workshops with diverse stakeholders, including elected officials and community action groups, to inform future priorities for the Community Group within the Whangarei District.
Outbound Scholarships Coordinator – 360 International
University of Auckland
Auckland, New Zealand
05.2022 - 05.2023
- As the Outbound Scholarship Coordinator, I managed all aspects of the Prime Minister’s Scholarship Programme (PMSP) for the University of Auckland.
- This included writing the funding proposals for Education New Zealand (a division of the New Zealand Government’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment), student recruitment, promotion of the programmes, application assessment, travel logistics, event management, stakeholder liaison, budget oversight, through to writing completion reports.
- This was a twelve-month contract.
- Advising potential scholarship applicants on how to prepare and submit the most compelling application by addressing the selection criteria and highlighting their suitability.
- Organising pre-departure briefings, student mentorship sessions, and post-travel debriefings to ensure seamless programme delivery and post-journey support.
- Successfully applying for nine Prime Minister Scholarship Programmes, giving over 120 students the opportunity to participate in international group education experiences.
Central Processing Officer
Ministry of Social Development
Whangārei, New Zealand
10.2021 - 05.2022
- I was then promoted to a Central Processing role where I assessed applications, made decisions on eligibility based on the relevant legislation and the applicant’s situation and then processed the applications on the system to trigger payment.
- I also supported the Residential Care team during New Zealand’s Covid lockdown to assist their team to continue the processing of applications whilst they were working from home.
- Accurate assessment and processing of applications in an environment where mistakes would have a huge impact on a client’s income.
- Empathetic and collaborative team member who consciously applied the organisation’s values of Manaaki (caring about the wellbeing and success of People), Whānau (being inclusive and building a sense of belonging), Mahi Tahi (working together and making a difference for communities) and Tika me te Pono (doing the right thing with integrity) in my interactions with colleagues and clients.
Support Officer
Ministry of Social Development
Whangārei, New Zealand
04.2021 - 10.2021
- I commenced working for the Ministry of Social development in the capacity of a support officer, where I supported the Central Processing Officers by matching documentation received via email and through the mail with previously lodged applications for childcare benefits.
Student Investigation and Resolutions Officer
Oxford Brookes University
Oxford, UK
01.2019 - 08.2020
- In this role, I investigated students who had been referred to our team for alleged breaches of university regulations and determined appropriate outcome when breaches occurred.
- I conducted research on best practice and advised stakeholders across the university on the findings, driving changes to improve student compliance.
- I managed University Conduct Committees meetings and Appeals meetings, advising senior academics and leaders on university policy to assist with decision making on the cases they were reviewing.
- I left this position to return to New Zealand.
- Leading formal student interviews to establish context and inform case outcomes, applying regulatory frameworks with fairness while demonstrating empathy during highly emotive and sensitive interactions.
- Influencing university policy on academic conduct by successfully implementing an academic integrity module to be completed by first year students.
- Successful resolution of over 100 student cases within one academic year, while ensuring procedural integrity and compliance.
Senior Administrator and Executive Assistant
Royal Microscopical Society
Oxford, UK
11.2017 - 01.2019
- In this role I delivered all aspects of every meeting held by the Society, from agenda preparation, to following up on the completion of actions, to minute production, to travel arrangements and reimbursements for those attending the meetings which were held across the UK.
- I managed the CEO’s diary, emails, and reconciliated their credit card every month.
- I left this position to take on the Student Investigation and Resolution role at Oxford Brookes University.
- Successful delivery and administration of fifty meetings over 14 months.
- Coordinating all logistics for two Christmas Fellows Dinners held at Merton College at the University of Oxford, including accommodation and travel for seventy-five fellows.
- Managing all aspects of the Society’s Annual General Meeting, including stakeholder liaison for the Annual Report and Plan, presentation development, technology coordination, venue and catering logistics.
- Briefed the Chair, CEO, and presenters to ensure they were well-prepared and confident.
Research Services Coordinator – Faculty of Science
University of Technology Sydney (UTS)
Sydney, Australia
04.2014 - 08.2017
- As Research Services Coordinator I managed all processes relating to the faculty’s 328 Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students and assisted researchers with post-award management.
- I managed the research committee meetings and compiled data about the faculty’s research output, publication output and measured it against the faculty’s KPI and presented the findings to the faculty and to the university research committee.
- I administered all financial processes relating to the academic staff’s research activity and funding.
- I trained and managed one staff member.
- I left this job to go to the UK.
- Successful delivery of the annual 3-minute thesis competition, increasing HDR student participation by 10% each year.
- Expert User and collaborator on a project to create an online application portal for HDR applicants which went live in March 2017.
- Leading budget oversight, and expenditure tracking for faculty research initiatives, keeping researchers and HDR student spending within budget.
Education
Graduate Diploma - Sociology
Massey University
New ZealandBachelor of Arts - American Studies
Wolverhampton University
UKSkills
- Executive support and diary management
- Event and conference coordination
- Governance and documentation
- Confidential investigations and risk mitigation
- Strategic planning and problem solving
- Discretion and integrity
- Stakeholder engagement and relationship management
- Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace
- BoardPro and E-Scribe
- Generative AI and Symplectic
- PeopleSoft, TRIM, and Oracle
- TechOne
Locations
- Whangārei, New Zealand
- Auckland, New Zealand
- Oxford, UK
- Sydney, Australia
Professional Development
- He Papa Tikanga Māori Certificate, Te Wānanga
- Aotearoa, NZ
- Assertive Communication Certificate, UTS, Australia
- Effective Team Building Certificate, UTS, Australia
- Supervisor Development Certificate, UTS, Australia
- Having Difficult Conversations Certificate, Oxford Brookes University, UK
- Project Management Certificate, University of Auckland, NZ
- Project Management for Professionals Certificate, ATN LEAP Programme, QUT, Australia
- Minute Taking Certificate, Odyssey Training, Sydney, Australia
- Investigative Interviewing Certificate, Intersol Training, UK
- Emergency Management Training (CIM3 & CIMS4), AIIMS-equivalent
- First Aid at Work Certificate, St John Ambulance, New Zealand
- Mental Health First Aid Training, MIND, UK
- Accounting for Non-Accountants Certificate, UTS, Australia
Timeline
Executive Assistant to Chief Executive Officer
Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua
11.2024 - 09.2025
Executive Assistant to Leadership Team
Te Tumu Herenga / Library & Learning Services, University of Auckland
05.2024 - 11.2024
Executive Assistant to General Manager – Community
Whangarei District Council (WDC)
05.2023 - 05.2024
Outbound Scholarships Coordinator – 360 International
University of Auckland
05.2022 - 05.2023
Central Processing Officer
Ministry of Social Development
10.2021 - 05.2022
Support Officer
Ministry of Social Development
04.2021 - 10.2021
Student Investigation and Resolutions Officer
Oxford Brookes University
01.2019 - 08.2020
Senior Administrator and Executive Assistant
Royal Microscopical Society
11.2017 - 01.2019
Research Services Coordinator – Faculty of Science
University of Technology Sydney (UTS)
04.2014 - 08.2017
Graduate Diploma - Sociology
Massey University
Bachelor of Arts - American Studies
Wolverhampton University