HR Administrator

Heriot-Watt University; Dubai; On-site; AED 120,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global university in Dubai is seeking an HR Officer to provide administrative support across the employee journey, from recruitment to payroll. The successful candidate will manage HR queries, coordinate induction processes, and assist in maintaining compliance with HR regulations. A suitable candidate should have SCQF Level 6 education or equivalent experience, strong interpersonal and communication skills, and proficiency in Microsoft tools, especially Excel. This role offers a dynamic environment within a supportive team.

Qualifications

• Considerable experience in a similar administrative role.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality with sensitive data.
• Experience in coordinating recruitment logistics and onboarding.

Responsibilities

• Act as first point of contact for HR queries.
• Coordinate recruitment activities including scheduling interviews.
• Draft and issue contracts for staff.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Microsoft Suite proficiency

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Flexible approach

Education

Educated to SCQF Level 6 or equivalent experience

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Oracle HR system

Job description

Description

Heriot-Watt University has established a reputation for world‑class teaching and leading‑edge relevant research which has made it one of the top UK universities for innovation business and industry. Heriot-Watt University has five campuses: three in the UK (Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Orkney), one in Dubai and one in Malaysia. The University offers a highly distinctive range of degree programmes in the specialist areas of science, engineering, design, business and languages. Heriot‑Watt is also Scotland's most international university boasting the largest international student cohort.

About our Team

Covering all University Campuses internationally the HR Directorate provides a range of strategic and operational HR Support and Guidance to the leaders, managers and employees of the University. The services cover the full employee cycle from the point of attracting staff as potential employees through their recruitment, induction, career development and reward & recognition. This role will provide high‑quality, accurate, confidential and timely administrative support for employees throughout their time at Heriot‑Watt – from issuing contracts of employment to advising on employment, wellbeing, remuneration, family leave, annual leave and to managing their departure from the university.

Detailed Description

The appointment will be at Grade 5.

This role compliments an existing team of 1 Head of HR, 1 Recruitment and OD Specialist, 1 HR Consultant and 1 HR Advisor. Working in close collaboration with our Payroll division you will provide high‑level senior administrative support through all aspects of the employee journey and ongoing operational projects and initiatives and will work closely with the wider operations team to support case management and change management activities.

The Operational Business‑as‑Usual activities vary from day to day and we often work to very tight deadlines which require you to be adaptable and flexible in your approach, but it also provides an environment where we learn from a variety of sources, stakeholders and each other. We constantly strive for service excellence and adapt our service delivery to enhance the overall Directorate strategy in line with the University Values.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• First point of contact for all HR related queries from the general public, employees and line managers on MS Teams by email, face‑to‑face and via our HR Helpdesk.
• Coordinate recruitment logistics including scheduling interviews, conducting pre‑interview salary checks and completing reference verifications. Looks after onboarding and induction processes including relocation support for academic staff.
• Draft and issue contracts for permanent and temporary staff across a number of Academic Departments (Schools) and Professional Support (Services) using existing templates.
• Pre‑onboarding support and existing staff support with immigration and offer enquiries and ongoing Right to Work support.
• Support monthly payroll operations by entering and validating data in the ERP system, coordinating with Finance for casual staff payments and tracking benefit disbursements to ensure accuracy and timeliness.
• Calculate and advise on family leave entitlement (maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental etc.).
• Monitor contract end dates and support HR colleagues in issuing changes to terms and conditions using existing templates.
• Provide admin support for disciplinary, grievance and capability hearings including notetaking as required.
• Provide advice and guidance on contractual queries including annual leave entitlement, sickness absence etc.
• Generate and maintain HR reports for statutory and internal use, ensuring data integrity in the ERP system and collaborating with HR Managers to support data‑driven decision‑making.
• Working with the whole HR Operations team to ensure processes are well documented and understood to help improve the efficacy of the team.
• Manage all administrative tasks related to the Dubai annual performance review and cost‑of‑living process, ensuring accurate ERP updates and effective communication of changes with payroll colleagues.
• Coordinate logistics for all HR projects and training sessions including room bookings, staff invitations, liaising with TECOM authorities for medical camps and access permits, ensuring smooth execution of all HR‑led campus‑wide initiatives.
• Carry out any other duties which may from time to time be reasonably requested within the grade and level of responsibility of the post.

Education Qualifications and Experience

Essential

• Educated to SCQF Level 6 or similar or equivalent experience.
• Considerable experience in a similar role, particularly with various sets of terms and conditions.
• Competent in the use of Microsoft suite including Excel.
• Well‑developed interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrable professional approach with the ability to work quickly, flexibly and accurately in a dynamic, changing and pressured environment.
• Good written and oral communication skills with the ability to interact with a range of stakeholders at all levels.
• Able to convey information to a non‑technical audience in a clear and concise way.
• Accuracy and attention to detail.
• Flexible and professional approach to work with the ability to maintain confidentiality when handling sensitive personal data.

Desirable

• Demonstrable advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
• Experience of working with Oracle HR system and ability to troubleshoot or find workarounds.

Please note that this job description is not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to undertake other relevant duties commensurate with the grading of the post. Activities may be subject to amendment over time as the role develops and/or priorities and requirements evolve.

How to Apply

Please submit your application via the Heriot‑Watt Careers page attaching a cover letter describing your interest and suitability for the post and an updated CV.

At Heriot Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real‑world impact, which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team.

Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well‑being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community.

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.

The appointment is conditional upon successful completion of all Labour and Immigration formalities and the start date will need to be delayed if the employment visa is not in place.

Required Experience:

Unclear Seniority