Admin Officer – IAAI

The Chronicle Of Higher Education, Inc.; United Arab Emirates; On-site; AED 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

MBZUAI is seeking an experienced Executive Assistant to support the line manager and division, handling calendars, communications, and documentation with high discretion. The role requires coordinating meetings, travel, budget tasks, and data collection to drive informed decisions.

Candidates should have a Bachelor’s in business administration and at least two years in a large organization, with excellent English communication, superior organizational skills, and UAE familiarity preferred.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration or related discipline.
• Minimum two years as an executive assistant or administration officer in a large, complex organization.
• Excellent written and verbal English skills.
• Strong organization and time management skills.
• Ability to prioritize tasks and handle multiple assignments.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Experience in survey administration, analysis and reporting.
• Experience selecting suppliers per procurement and budget requirements.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Outlook, and data analysis tools.
• Exposure to multicultural environments including UAE context.
• Arabic language skills preferred.

Responsibilities

• Manage the line manager’s schedule, balance competing demands, and prioritize commitments to support division goals.
• Assess and prioritize requests for approval and ensure timely review by management.
• Act as primary contact for internal/external stakeholders regarding the line manager’s commitments.
• Coordinate reports, presentations, and professorial duties where applicable.
• Create professional communications and maintain accurate records and documents.
• Manage email and correspondence, drafting replies as needed.
• Prepare and analyze reports to support informed decision making.
• Maintain confidential files and ensure data security in line with policies.
• Oversee executive assistants and document agendas/minutes for meetings.
• Coordinate travel and budget/logistics to reflect policy requirements.

Skills

English skills

Time management

Multitasking

Interpersonal skills

Attention to detail

Flexibility

Customer service

Survey analysis

Procurement

Report writing

MS Office

Cultural awareness

Arabic language

Procurement & supplier management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business administration

Tools

MS Office

Outlook

Data analysis software

Job description

Application Open: Full-Time

Key Responsibilities

Department Responsibilities

• Manage the line manager’s schedule, balance conflicting demands, and prioritize commitments and appointments to ensure effective use of the daily schedule to support them achieve their role and division goals.
• Assess and prioritize requests for approval received and ensure requests are reviewed by the management in a timely manner.
• Act as key point of contact for internal and external stakeholders requesting the management’s attention, inclusive as acting as key point of contact for the line manager’s direct reports, overseeing to it that the line manager’s time is effectively and efficiently managed and providing a tactful and respectful interface that supports achievement of IAAI goals.
• Support the management in the execution of professorial duties (if relevant), for example by coordinating reports, presentations, and other commitments.

Correspondence, Documentation & Information Management

• Create well-structured, professional communications and documentation by efficiently gathering, compiling, and formatting information, demonstrating excellent written language skills, and using appropriate software and tools.
• Manage and prioritize email and other correspondence to the line manager, drafting replies where appropriate, and ensuring timely and accurate responses to all communications.
• Conduct thorough research, analyze data, and write insightful and well-structured reports for the line manager presenting findings and recommendations in a clear and concise manner to support informed decision‑making.
• Maintain accurate records and databases to facilitate the division’s planning and decision‑making.
• Contribute to the development, execution, and analysis of surveys and other data collection methods necessary to support decision‑making by the management.
• Maintain the confidentiality of sensitive files and information by implementing secure storage and retrieval procedures and ensuring compliance with MBZUAI information security and privacy policies.

Administration

• Provide high‑level administrative support as required by management.
• Schedule and carry out administration in relation to performance reviews of the line manager’s direct reports and/or department employees, ensuring compliance with MBZUAI timelines and procedures.
• Continuously review the administrative systems and recommend well‑researched improvements, including smart utilization of IT and AI, to enhance quality of outputs and create efficiencies.
• Maintain alignment with department line managers and coordinators when applicable.

Coordination with Executive Assistants

• Oversee the workflow of division Executive Assistants, redistributing tasks as appropriate to ensure best utilization of administrative resources for the benefit of the division.
• Liaise with other divisional Executive Assistants to collect and coordinate information required for effective decision‑making by the management.
• Create and distribute agendas for division and IAAI meetings, ensuring all relevant topics are covered and participants are prepared so that meetings are efficient and productive.
• Document, distribute, and maintain meeting minutes to ensure complete and accurate records of discussions and decisions made in division and university meetings.
• Follow up on resolutions and action items to ensure decisions are implemented and objectives met.
• Draft action plans to support significant decisions and meeting resolutions, identifying resources required, and establishing timelines and reporting frequencies in consultation with the Office or project owner as appropriate.

Hospitality

• Greet and receive VIPs and visitors in a professional and friendly manner, ensuring appropriate assistance and hospitality is provided, thereby projecting a positive impression of the IAAI.

Budget Support & Coordination

• Plan and manage conferences, events, and executive meetings, ensuring all logistics and details are handled to deliver an efficient, successful, and well‑organized experience that reflects positively on the IAAI.
• Coordinate the line manager’s travel arrangements, ensuring arrangements align with MBZUAI travel policies and make best use of effective time management.
• Provide efficient and effective financial administration support to the Office including all funding, managing expenditure requests, managing invoices, tracking budget, and ensuring all financial transactions are accurately recorded, processed, and reported in a timely manner.
• Assist in the preparation of the budget, ensuring managers provide requisite information and forecasts on time so that the Office submits budget plans and reports according to IAAI requirements.
• Monitor and analyze fund expenditure against budget and report any discrepancies to the management or their delegate.

Academic Qualifications Required

• A minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in business administration or any other relevant discipline.

Professional Experience Required

Essential

• At least two years’ experience as an executive assistant or administration officer in a large, complex organization.
• Excellent written and verbal English skills.
• Strong organization and time management skills.
• Ability to prioritize tasks and handle multiple assignments simultaneously.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to gain and maintain trust, including experience working successfully supporting senior executives and officials.
• Attention to detail with the ability to produce high‑quality work under tight deadlines.
• Flexibility and adaptability in a fast‑paced, changing environment.
• Commitment to customer service excellence.
• Experience in survey administration, analysis, and reporting.
• Demonstrated experience and competence in financial administration.
• Demonstrated experience selecting suppliers in accordance with procurement and budget requirements and managing supplier/service‑provider relationships.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with competency in report writing.
• Superior computing skills including Microsoft Office, Outlook, and with word processing, spreadsheets, databases, presentations, and data analysis software.
• Demonstrated success operating in a multicultural environment and adapting systems and processes to meet diverse expectations and needs.
• Exposure to and understanding of Middle Eastern business and cultural practices.

Preferred

• Prior employment in a university.
• Experience working successfully in the UAE.
• Arabic language speaker.