Campus Director

Confidential; Dubai; On-site; AED 350,000 - 550,000; Full time

Job summary

Confidential in Dubai seeks an experienced Campus Director to lead and develop a well-established higher education campus. The role encompasses overall operations leadership, academic coordination, student recruitment, financial performance, regulatory compliance, and people leadership across multidisciplinary teams.

The successful candidate will combine deep knowledge of the higher education environment with exceptional operational leadership, commercial awareness, and a collaborative approach

Qualifications

• PhD from an accredited university is required.
• Leadership experience in a university or higher education environment is essential.
• Experience in the UAE or GCC higher education context is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership for campus operations and ensure coordination across academic and administrative functions.
• Develop and execute short- and long-term campus plans aligned with strategic objectives.
• Oversee budgeting, financial performance and resource allocation.
• Drive student recruitment and enrollment initiatives and monitor targets.
• Strengthen student engagement, experience and retention across the campus.
• Collaborate with academic leadership to uphold standards of delivery and outcomes.
• Ensure regulatory, accreditation and institutional compliance.
• Lead campus management teams and promote accountability for objectives.
• Monitor performance and implement corrective actions as needed.
• Support orientation and campus activities to boost engagement and retention.
• Build a high-performance culture and strong external relationships.

Skills

Campus operations

Leadership

Student recruitment

Enrollment strategy

Financial oversight

Regulatory compliance

People leadership

Stakeholder management

Strategic planning

Communication

Education

PhD

Job description

We are conducting a search for an experienced Campus Director to lead the operations and continued development of a well-established higher education campus in the United Arab Emirates.

This is a senior leadership position with broad responsibility for the effective management of the campus, including operations, academic coordination, student recruitment and retention, financial performance, regulatory compliance, people leadership, and external stakeholder engagement.

The successful candidate will combine a strong understanding of the higher education environment with excellent operational leadership, commercial awareness, and the ability to lead diverse academic and administrative teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership and direction for campus operations, ensuring effective coordination across academic and administrative functions.
• Develop and execute short- and long-term campus plans aligned with the institution's broader strategic objectives.
• Oversee campus budgeting, financial performance, resource allocation, and operational efficiency.
• Drive student recruitment and enrollment initiatives and monitor progress against agreed targets.
• Lead initiatives aimed at strengthening student engagement, experience, retention, and overall campus performance.
• Work closely with academic leadership to maintain high standards of academic delivery and student outcomes.
• Ensure the campus operates in accordance with applicable regulatory, accreditation, and institutional requirements.
• Provide leadership to campus management teams and promote accountability for agreed objectives and performance standards.
• Monitor operational and departmental performance, identify areas requiring improvement, and implement appropriate corrective actions.
• Support the effective delivery of student orientation, campus activities, and other initiatives that contribute to student engagement and retention.
• Build a high-performance culture that encourages collaboration, professional development, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Develop strong relationships with relevant external stakeholders and strengthen the institution's engagement with the wider community.
• Provide management with timely operational and performance reporting to support effective decision-making.

Candidate Profile

We are seeking an established higher education professional who can demonstrate:

• Strong experience managing or overseeing operations within a university or higher education environment.
• Proven leadership experience across multidisciplinary academic and administrative teams.
• Strong understanding of student recruitment, enrollment, retention, and the overall student experience.
• Experience with budgeting, operational planning, and performance management.
• Sound commercial and financial awareness.
• Strong stakeholder-management and relationship-building capabilities.
• Excellent communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• A collaborative leadership style combined with the ability to hold teams accountable for results.
• A strong results orientation and ability to operate effectively in a dynamic environment.

Qualifications

PhD from an accredited university is required.

Relevant leadership experience within higher education is essential. Experience within the UAE or GCC higher education environment would be advantageous.