Administrative Coordinator - Social Science

Allocation Assist Middle East; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

New York University Abu Dhabi is seeking an Administrative Coordinator to support the Social Science division in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The role involves high-level administrative and program coordination for faculty, postdoctoral associates, instructors, and researchers, with responsibilities spanning budgets, seminars, onboarding, communications, events, and daily divisional operations.

The position reports to the Associate Dean of Administration and Planning and requires a Bachelor's degree with at

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• At least 2 years of office experience.
• Strong written and oral communication in English.
• Ability to work flexibly within a complex organization.
• Prior experience supporting faculty or academic programs is a plus.
• Excellent discretion and judgment in leadership-support contexts.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-level administrative support to Social Science faculty.
• Coordinate program support activities at the program level.
• Support internal and external divisional communications.
• Assist with faculty finance processes related to travel and spending.
• Prepare expense reimbursements and payments to vendors/individuals.
• Complete ePro data entry and budget tracking.
• Coordinate meetings, calendars, and visitor hosting.
• Support Seminar and Academic Programs activities including travel and events.

Skills

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Customer service

Budget tracking

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

Database software

WordPress

Adobe applications

Web platforms

Social media platforms

Job description

Administrative Coordinator - Social Science Job Snapshot Role: Administrative Coordinator - Social Science Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE Industry: Higher Education Function: Administrative Experience: 2 years of office experience Job Type: Full Time Position Overview New York University Abu Dhabi is seeking an Administrative Coordinator to support the Social Science division in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Reporting to the Associate Dean of Administration and Planning, the role provides high-level administrative and program coordination for faculty, postdoctoral associates, instructors, and researchers. The position covers faculty support, financial administration, seminar and conference coordination, onboarding, communications, event planning, and day-to-day divisional operations.

Job Details Country: UAE City: Abu Dhabi Industry: Higher Education Function: Administrative Salary: Not disclosed Gender: No Preference Candidate Nationality: Not specified Job Type: Full Time Work Arrangement: On-site

Key Responsibilities

• Provide high-level administrative support to Social Science faculty.
• Coordinate administrative and program support activities, particularly at the program level.
• Support internal and external divisional communications.
• Assist with faculty finance processes related to research account travel and spending.
• Prepare expense reimbursements and payments to vendors and individuals.
• Complete ePro data entry, follow up on purchase orders, and support general budget tracking.
• Assist with social media and media outreach activities.
• Coordinate mail services, supply ordering, divisional calendars, communications, visitor assistance, and room reservations.
• Take on new administrative assignments and support the Manager and Assistant Dean with large or complex projects when required.
• Provide operational cover when other administrative staff are on leave.

Seminars and Academic Programs

The Administrative Coordinator will support seminar activities for at least one Social Science program. Responsibilities include coordinating with seminar conveners and external guests, arranging travel, organizing meeting schedules, tracking budgets, and managing general guest hosting. The role will serve as a key administrative contact for faculty seminar conveners and requires a strong understanding of relevant budget and travel policies, with the ability to communicate requirements clearly and operate with minimal supervision.

• Travel arrangements.
• Catering.
• Pre-event administrative preparation.
• On-site event support.
• Budget tracking.
• Post-event evaluation and follow-up.

Faculty Onboarding and Off-Boarding

• Coordinate onboarding and off-boarding for new and visiting faculty and staff.
• Manage recurring planning cycles for incoming and outgoing faculty every seven weeks, including J-Term and Summer periods.
• Support academic onboarding activities alongside administrative onboarding.
• Develop familiarity with NYU teaching software, academic processes, and course schedules.
• Provide practical information and administrative assistance to new joiners.

Conference and Event Coordination

Working closely with the Manager, the Administrative Coordinator will support planning and delivery of the Social Science Conference Series and other special events.

Responsibilities include coordinating the annual planning of at least four conferences per year and managing:

• Travel arrangements.
• Catering.
• Pre-event administrative preparation.
• On-site event support.
• Budget tracking.
• Post-event evaluation and follow-up.

Required Qualifications

Candidates must hold a Bachelor 's degree and have:

• At least 2 years of office experience.
• Experience delivering a high level of customer service.
• Strong written and oral communication skills in English.
• Ability to work collegially and flexibly within a complex organizational environment connecting NYU New York and NYU Abu Dhabi.
• Ability to prioritize multiple projects and work effectively under tight deadlines.
• Strong organizational skills, accuracy, and attention to detail.
• Professional maturity and sound judgment appropriate for leadership-support responsibilities.
• Exceptional discretion and confident communication skills.
• Ability to take initiative and work resourcefully within a team environment.
• Advanced business computing and internet skills.

Technical Skills

Candidates should have expertise with:

• Microsoft Office Suite.
• Microsoft Word.
• Microsoft Excel and spreadsheet applications.
• Microsoft PowerPoint.
• Database software.
• WordPress.
• Adobe applications.
• Web platforms.
• Social media platforms.

Preferred Qualifications

A Bachelor 's degree or relevant advanced certification or professional qualification diploma is preferred. Candidates with the following experience will have an advantage:

• 5 years of experience in comparable administrative positions.
• Evidence of advancement into progressively more responsible roles.
• Experience with an established international company, private organization, or governmental body operating in the UAE.
• Experience working with multinational institutions.
• Arabic language proficiency.

Professional Environment

The position requires an administrator who can balance structured operational responsibilities with changing priorities across faculty support, academic programs, events, financial processes, and divisional administration. Confidentiality, flexibility, accuracy, professional communication, and the ability to coordinate independently are important to successful performance in the role.

Applications are welcomed from all qualified candidates. In line with UAE regulations, Emirati candidates are encouraged to apply.

About New York University Abu Dhabi

New York University Abu Dhabi is a degree-granting research university with an integrated liberal arts and sciences undergraduate program spanning the Arts, Sciences, Social Sciences, Humanities, and Engineering. Together with NYU New York and NYU Shanghai, NYU Abu Dhabi forms part of NYU 's global university network connecting campuses and academic centers across six continents. The Abu Dhabi campus supports education, advanced research, scholarly collaboration, and knowledge creation within an international and multidisciplinary academic environment.