Strategic Director of University Administration

Sharjah Performing Arts Academy (SPAA); Sharjah; On-site; AED 500,000 - 900,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private medical insurance

Residency visa

Annual return ticket

Education allowance

Job summary

Sharjah Performing Arts Academy (SPAA) seeks a Director of Administration to lead strategic and operational administration across the university. The role partners with the President and senior leadership to shape governance, policies, and cross‑functional service standards, ensuring compliant, efficient and student‑centred administrative delivery.

The ideal candidate has 10–12 years in administrative management within higher education or large organisations, with strong English and Arabic

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Management, Education Administration or a related discipline.
• ,
• ] ,
• job_responsibilities_description":[

Responsibilities

• Set strategic direction for administrative services.
• Lead development, implementation and review of administrative policies and governance controls.
• Ensure administrative processes are efficient, compliant, transparent, customer-focused.
• Define clear accountabilities and escalation routes across administrative functions.
• Use evidence and stakeholder insight to identify opportunities to improve service quality.
• Provide high-quality reports, risk assessments, and dashboards to the President and senior leadership.
• Coordinate institutional support for the President and key committees.
• Oversee preparation and follow-up of agendas, minutes and correspondence.
• Ensure decisions translate into practical delivery plans with milestones.
• Coordinate across schools and departments to remove operational barriers.
• Oversee senior leadership administrative support and committee coordination.
• Lead development and implementation of administrative policies, procedures and delegations in line with UAE regulations.
• Strengthen institutional compliance with documented, auditable practices.
• Maintain robust records, confidentiality and information governance.
• Support internal reviews, audits and regulatory submissions.
• Identify administrative risks and develop controls and improvement plans.
• Provide strategic leadership in facilities readiness and campus administration.
• Coordinate facilities management, security, cleaning and transport services.
• Ensure service levels and health and safety requirements are met.
• Oversee campus readiness for teaching, rehearsals, events and official functions.
• Contribute to space planning and long-term facilities improvement.
• Coordinate supplier relationships with Procurement and Finance.
• Prepare specifications, tenders, contracts and SLAs.
• Monitor supplier performance and contract deliverables.
• Maintain records relating to contracts and administrative expenditure.
• Lead budget planning and resource management for Administration.
• Provide timely financial updates and budget forecasts.
• Maintain controls over approvals, expenditures and assets.
• Lead and develop the administrative team with clear objectives and performance measures.
• Promote accountability, collaboration, and service excellence.
• Ensure appropriate staffing structures and workload management across functions.
• Build strong relationships with faculty, staff, students and external partners.
• Represent the University professionally in dealings with external stakeholders.
• Coordinate administrative requirements for events and special projects.
• Drive continuous improvement and digital transformation of processes.
• Identify opportunities to streamline through technology and automation.
• Establish service standards and performance indicators.
• Review processes and implement improvements.
• Qualifications & Experience
• Bachelor’s degree in related field; 10–12 years of administrative management experience; leadership in university or large organisation;
• Experience in UAE government procedures and higher education; knowledge of accreditation, governance processes.
• Excellent English and Arabic communication; strong interpersonal and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and administrative systems; ability to manage multiple priorities.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Governance

Stakeholder engagement

People leadership

Budget management

Digital transformation

Communication skills

English & Arabic

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master’s degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Administrative systems

Job description

Sharjah Performing Arts Academy (SPAA) seeks a Director of Administration to lead strategic and operational administration across the university. The role partners with the President and senior leadership to shape governance, policies, and cross‑functional service standards, ensuring compliant, efficient and student‑centred administrative delivery.

The ideal candidate has 10–12 years in administrative management within higher education or large organisations, with strong English and Arabic