HR Admin Assistant - Dubai Campus

Heriot-Watt University; United Arab Emirates; On-site; AED 60,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A distinguished educational institution seeks an HR Administrative Assistant for its Dubai Campus. This role supports day-to-day HR services, manages queries, and handles recruitment processes. Candidates must possess a first degree and a year of office experience, demonstrating excellent customer service and confidentiality. This fixed-term contract requires a UAE resident visa valid for six months. The institution is committed to fostering an inclusive environment, ensuring equality and diversity are prioritized.

Qualifications

• Educated to first degree or equivalent.
• Minimum of one year’s experience in an office environment.
• Demonstrable provision of excellent customer service.
• Able to maintain confidentiality at all times.
• Work quickly and accurately in a dynamic environment.

Responsibilities

• Issue employment-related letters ensuring requests are logged.
• Manage HR inbox and helpdesk tickets.
• Produce standard reports as requested.
• Assist with recruitment processes for full-time staff.
• Coordinate office events and bookings.

Skills

Customer service excellence

Confidentiality

Flexibility and adaptability

Interpersonal skills

Education

First degree or equivalent

HR qualification (desirable)

Tools

HR Information Systems

Power BI

Job description

Job PostingTitle: HRAdmin Assistant

Grade: 3

FTE and working pattern: Full time

Department: Human Resources

Location: Dubai Campus

About our School/Directorate and Team:

The HR Dubai Team is part of the Global HR Directorate. Our purpose is to partner with you to lead the people experience, to nurture an excellent, thriving, and inclusive University work culture. We do this by working collaboratively with leaders, managers, and employees and aspire to create the right environment where every person can flourish and is supported to succeed.

Purpose of Role

The HR Services Team supports general and day‑to‑day issues affecting employees and their managers. We provide proactive and consistent professional and administrative advice and support to manage issues such as performance, planned absence such as maternity leave, unplanned absence such as sickness, requests for flexible working, etc.; and the review and development of HR policy, procedure and guidance. The post holder will report to the Senior HR Admin Assistant with a dotted line to the HR Management Dubai team to ensure the service priorities and deadlines are met. The work will be varied and will require the post holder to provide a fair, friendly, accurate, confidential and timely service.

We are currently recruiting for a HR Administrative Assistant to join our Dubai Campus HR Directorate. Please note that this is a fixed‑term contract for six months. To be considered for this position, applicants must already hold a valid UAE resident visa that remains valid for the full six‑month duration of the contract.

Summary of Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Issue employment related letters for staff ensuring all requests are channeled via the HR Helpdesk to maintain a log
• Diary management and scheduling for the HR Office
• Manage queries coming through HR inbox/helpdesk tickets and allocate complex cases to relevant team members to address
• Deal with customer enquiries, generally user guidance or process information
• Create a positive image of the University by being responsive, prompt and courteous when responding to enquiries from customers
• Produce standard reports as requested
• Enter and maintain records and data into the appropriate University system (e.g. ERP/Excel)
• Assist with casual workers’/ Part timers’ recruitment and contract renewal processes as required
• Provide support as needed throughout the full‑time staff recruitment process. This may include conducting salary‑check calls, scheduling interviews, meeting candidates, and escorting them to the appropriate panel members.
• Support with Organisation Development and Training activities as directed
• Create and maintain the HR Newsletter/communications
• Process documents, for example Exit forms, Conflict of Interest forms, employee paperwork and other information in accordance with agreed service levels and in line with data protection legislation
• Event co‑ordination, booking rooms, booking hospitality and booking travel for HR colleagues
• Carry out general office duties, e.g. reception/meeting and greeting, sort and organise mail, order stationary, maintain office equipment, filing, photocopying and shredding
• Assist Administrators on preparing the monthly overtime/allowance sheet of staff

Education, Qualifications & Experience

Essential

1. Educated to first degree or equivalent, and ideally with a recognised HR qualification
2. A minimum of one year’s experience in an office environment
3. Demonstrable provision of excellent customer service
4. Demonstrable professional and proactive approach
5. Able to always maintain confidentiality
6. Demonstrable ability to work quickly, flexibly and accurately in a dynamic, changing and pressured environment
7. Competent in the use of relevant IT packages, ideally with experience of using HR Information Systems and reporting
8. Well‑developed interpersonal skills

Desirable

1. Experience of working on Power BI

How to Apply

Please submit your CV and a cover letter setting out how you meet the criteria for this role. Shortlisted candidates may be invited to complete an on‑demand video interview as the first stage of the selection process. Successful candidates will then proceed to in‑person formal interviews at our Dubai campus.

Heriot‑Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.