Vice President For Academic Affairs (EMIRATI)

Salt; Sharjah; On-site; AED 600,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Salt is seeking an accomplished academic leader to shape the university's direction, expand academic offerings, and strengthen quality and accreditation. You will lead faculty and student success initiatives across a growing university environment, translating strategy into governance and measurable outcomes.

The role requires extensive senior leadership experience in higher education, with a focus on programme development, quality assurance, and external partnerships to drive institutional

Qualifications

• Lead university-wide academic strategy and governance with measurable outcomes.
• Develop and expand undergraduate and postgraduate programmes ensuring regulatory alignment.
• Strengthen accreditation readiness and uphold high curriculum standards.

Responsibilities

• Provide university-wide academic leadership, translating strategy into priorities, governance, and measurable outcomes.
• Lead development and expansion of programmes ensuring quality and regulatory alignment.
• Strengthen accreditation readiness while maintaining high standards across curriculum and policies.
• Oversee faculty effectiveness across recruitment, deployment, performance, development, and standards.
• Drive student growth and success through enrolment, retention, and graduate outcomes.
• Advance research, industry engagement, and digital transformation across academic operations.

Skills

Academic leadership

Strategic planning

Governance

Quality assurance

Stakeholder management

Industry engagement

Digital transformation

Job description

This role is ideal for an accomplished academic leader who can shape academic strategy, strengthen institutional quality, expand academic offerings, and lead faculty and student success initiatives across a growing university environment.

• Provide university-wide academic leadership, translating institutional strategy into clear academic priorities, governance frameworks, and measurable outcomes.
• Lead the development and expansion of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, ensuring academic relevance, quality, and alignment with regulatory expectations.
• Strengthen institutional and programme accreditation readiness while maintaining high standards across curriculum, academic policies, and quality assurance.
• Oversee faculty effectiveness across recruitment, deployment, performance, development, and academic standards, building a strong and high-performing academic community.
• Drive student growth and success by supporting initiatives related to enrolment, retention, academic experience, progression, and graduate outcomes.
• Advance research, industry engagement, and digital transformation across academic operations, encouraging stronger external partnerships, innovation, and data-driven decision making.
• Full Professor with a strong academic and research profile, including recognised publications, citations, research leadership, and relevant scholarly achievements.
• Extensive senior leadership experience within higher education, ideally at Dean, Vice President, Provost, or equivalent executive academic level.
• Strong experience in academic programme development, curriculum governance, institutional planning, faculty leadership, and university-wide academic operations.
• Proven knowledge of accreditation and quality frameworks, with UAE CAA experience and exposure to national or international accreditation highly preferred.
• Demonstrated success contributing to university growth through programme expansion, student recruitment and retention, research development, and institutional improvement.
• Fluency in both Arabic and English, with strong strategic leadership, stakeholder management, industry engagement, and digital transformation capability.

This is an opportunity to influence the academic direction of a growing institution, shape future programmes, strengthen quality and accreditation, and play a central role in long-term institutional development.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted