Director Dean's Office

United Arab Emirates University; Abu Dhabi Emirate; On-site; AED 300,000 - 400,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent educational institution in Abu Dhabi is seeking a Senior Management Team member to oversee the administrative and operational aspects of the College of Medicine and Health Sciences. The ideal candidate will manage HR, finance, and strategic planning, ensuring services align with core teaching, research, and clinical activities. Candidates must have a Master’s and preferably a PhD in a related field along with 15+ years of academic administration experience, ideally in a medical environment.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive experience in academic administration, preferably in a medical or health sciences institution.
• Strong background in higher education administration including HR, finance, and strategy.
• Comprehensive understanding of Western higher education governance.

Responsibilities

• Direct the preparation and submission of the Annual CMHS Operating Budget.
• Prepare, implement and monitor systems for the recruitment and retention of faculty and staff.
• Oversee the efficient office administration of CMHS.

Skills

Strategic Planning

Financial Analysis Skills

Excellent written and verbal interpersonal and communication skills

Computer proficiency

Leadership

Critical Thinking and Evaluation

Education

Master’s degree in Business Administration or relevant field

PhD in Education Leadership or a related field

Tools

SPSS

MySQL

MS Access

Advanced Excel

Job description

Overview

Job Description: Will be a member of the Senior Management Team, including the Dean’s Office Group and an ex officio member of Faculty Council with responsibility for planning, directing the administrative, operational, and support services of the CMHS and ensuring that the delivery of these services is aligned to the core activities of Teaching, Research and Clinical Care. Will have oversight of ensuring operationalisation of the CMHS Strategy in all aspects, including but not limited to finance, business, procurement, HR, planning, research, education and clinical practice. Also have the role of liaison with DOIT, HR and construction/estates.

Finance

• Direct the preparation and submission of the Annual CMHS Operating Budget.
• Continuously monitor and analyse CMHS spending patterns and advise CMHS Senior Management Team to effectively spend budget in a timely manner to prevent end of year budget deficit / surplus.
• Ensure that the appropriate accounting and budgetary systems are in place and CMHS operates within the financial powers delegated to it by the University.

Human Resources

• Prepare, implement and monitor systems for the recruitment, retention and induction of faculty and staff.
• Ensure Faculty and Staff contract renewals are precisely done in a timely manner.
• Ensure onboarding/offboarding of new employees are done in a professional way.
• Direct the preparation and submission of CMHS annual faculty and staff recruitment plan.
• Ensure replacement recruitment is done in a timely manner.
• Ensure staff professional development programs organized by HR are utilized.
• Ensure that the appropriate HR systems are in place and personal records are maintained for faculty and staff.

Purchasing

• Ensure that the appropriate systems are in place for the ordering and receiving of goods and supplies.
• Monitor MSRs and purchase orders to prevent any delays.
• Ensure that all tenders and contracts are processed in accordance with the University Bylaws and statutory regulations.

Central Services & Administration

• Ensure that systems are in place to ensure the efficient office administration of the CMHS.
• Oversee and ensure new employee arrival procedures are running smoothly and all assistance is given to help new employees settle in Al Ain.
• Ensure that a stock of appropriate housing is maintained for faculty and staff.
• Direct the preparation and submission of the CMHS Strategic Business Plan.
• Supervise the college’s outreach activities to ensure media attention and maximum visibility given to CMHS.
• Supervise Dean’s Office Administrative personnel to ensure work is done precisely, in a professional manner and in time.

Facilities

• Ensure that the grounds, building, fabric, plant and equipment of the CMHS are maintained to the appropriate standards.
• Ensure the necessary systems are in place relating to health, safety and security.

Other

• Oversee, coordinate or support as needed program accreditation processes, curriculum development, site visits, review self-study reports and data submission to MOHESR, OIE.
• Coordinate the development of the College’s strategic plan, Action Plan, Annual reporting, Risk Management Plan, and other key strategic reports.
• Review and coordinate periodic revision of college policies, governance, operational manual, and other operational documents, etc.
• Ensure the college website is up-to-date with relevant content.
• Ensure college and program promotional brochures are updated.
• Prepare Dean’s speeches, communications as requested.
• Other duties as assigned.

Specialized Tasks

• Strategic Planning
• Financial/Budget Control
• Performance Appraisal
• Facilities Management
• Employee Rewards and Recognition
• Employee Retention
• Compliance with Policies
• Policy development and documentation
• Weekly & monthly reports

Minimum Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, HR or relevant field
• PhD in Education Leadership, Business Administration, Health Administration, Education Management, or a related field.
• 15+ years of progressive experience in academic administration, preferably within a medical or health sciences institution.
• Strong background in higher education administration, including HR, finance, budgeting, strategy, risk management, policy and program development, project management, and digital transformation.
• Knowledge of accreditation frameworks and compliance requirements.
• Comprehensive understanding of Western higher education governance and administrative practices, with proven experience in applying these standards within an academic environment.
• Experience must include acting as a direct line manager for staff.
• Preferably with experience in an Academic/Medical Environment.

Experience/Skills

Experience/Skills:

• Strategic Planning
• Financial Analysis Skills
• Statistics Skills (SPSS)
• Programming (MySQL, Visual Basic or similar)
• Database design (MS Access or similar)
• Excellent written and verbal interpersonal and communication skills
• Computer proficiency (Advanced Excel, Word, PowerPoint, InDesign and Access user)
• Ability to handle work pressure successfully
• Proficiency in English and knowledge of Arabic an advantages
• Leadership: Provide a model role, train and mentor staff, direct contributions to the initiatives and processes of the College.
• Effective Communicator: Communicate and exchange information effectively with stakeholders.
• Culture Effectiveness: Understand, consider and value the culture and backgrounds of all the staff.
• Critical Thinking and Evaluation: Analyse and interpret the information to make the right decisions in the right situation and at the right time.
• Relation Management: Interact effectively to provide a top standard of support and service that satisfies our client base and helps to achieve the university's short and long-term objectives.

Preferred Qualifications

Preferred Qualifications:

• As above