Director of Postdoctoral Affairs & Programs

MBZUAI (Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence); Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 300,000 - 450,000; Full time

Job summary

MBZUAI seeks a strategic Head of Postdoctoral Affairs to lead the design and operation of its postdoctoral portfolio. You will own the program, set priorities, and represent postdoctoral affairs across the university, aligning with MBZUAI's goal of being a comprehensive research university.

You will collaborate with academic leadership, oversee IDPs, mentoring, onboarding, and career development, and continuously evolve programs to meet emerging postdoc needs in a global research environment.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in higher education administration, AI, CS, engineering or related field.
• Doctoral degree preferred.
• 8–12 years of experience in academic research environments, including supervising postdoctoral researchers.
• Experience in governance, policy development, or research administration within a research-intensive institution.
• Experience in higher education leadership roles supporting faculty and research personnel.
• Familiarity with international research ecosystems and postdoctoral career pathways.
• Strong understanding of UAE regulatory and higher education governance frameworks preferred.
• Fluency in Arabic and/or prior experience in UAE higher education.

Responsibilities

• Create and implement the strategy for Postdoctoral Affairs, aligning program priorities with MBZUAI's broader faculty excellence goals and with MBZUAI's steady-state goal of becoming a comprehensive research university.
• Coordinate postdoctoral appointment processes with HR, Immigration, and other relevant departments.
• Develop and deliver postdoctoral career development programming, including mentoring structures, training, and pathways to independent research, faculty or industry roles.
• Oversee Postdoctoral Researchers' IDPs and related activities, ensuring consistent use, tracking, and follow-through.
• Provide mentorship guidance and support to Postdoctoral Researchers and equip PIs with mentoring resources.
• Partner with academic units and administrative departments to expand development opportunities available to Postdoctoral Researchers.
• Build and sustain a sense of community among MBZUAI's postdoctoral researchers and organize engagement events.
• Liaise with departments on outreach and community services for Postdoctoral Researchers.
• Maintain a data dashboard tracking the postdoctoral population and outcomes, support quarterly reviews with data and KPIs.
• Track and report on postdoctoral career outcomes as a measure of program effectiveness.
• Maintain a library of toolkits, templates, and SOPs for postdoctoral processes.
• Represent postdoctoral affairs in university-wide committees and contribute to policy development.

Skills

Postdoctoral administration

Academic governance

Leadership in higher ed

Policy development

Mentoring

Education

Master’s degree in higher education administration

PhD preferred

Job description

MBZUAI seeks a strategic Head of Postdoctoral Affairs to lead the design and operation of its postdoctoral portfolio. You will own the program, set priorities, and represent postdoctoral affairs across the university, aligning with MBZUAI's goal of being a comprehensive research university.

You will collaborate with academic leadership, oversee IDPs, mentoring, onboarding, and career development, and continuously evolve programs to meet emerging postdoc needs in a global research environment.