Assistant Director - Center for Continuing Education

American University of Kuwait; Kuwait; On-site; KWD 24,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

American University of Kuwait's Center for Continuing Education seeks an Assistant Director to translate strategy into high-quality, profitable program delivery. You will oversee program operations, instructor management, client servicing and the systems that scale the center.

Reporting to the Director, you will run day-to-day programs across open-enrolment, corporate, executive education, and government contracts, supervise staff, ensure quality, and build partnerships with international bodies.

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end operational lifecycle of all CCE programs: scheduling, registration, venue and facility allocation, materials production, instructor logistics, attendance, assessment, and certification issuance.
• Maintain the master program calendar and resolve conflicts across cohorts, campus space, and external delivery venues.
• Ensure every program launches with a complete delivery pack: approved outline, contracted instructor, confirmed materials, participant roster, and evaluation instruments.
• Supervise placement testing and assessment operations, including lab scheduling, proctoring standards, and accuracy of the system of record.
• Serve as the escalation point for delivery incidents — instructor absence, participant complaints, scheduling failures — and implement corrective action.
• Coordinate curriculum development cycles with AUK faculty, external subject-matter experts, and content authors; track deliverables against contracted milestones.
• Maintain the instructor roster: sourcing, credential verification, onboarding, contracting, evaluation, and renewal or removal decisions recommended to the Director.
• Administer instructor and content-author agreements in line with institutional policy, including intellectual property terms, deliverable schedules, and payment triggers.
• Operate the quality assurance cycle — participant evaluations, classroom observation, pass‑rate and completion analysis — and produce improvement recommendations.
• Ensure program content and delivery remain aligned with the requirements of relevant international awarding and certification bodies.
• Manage the corporate and government client portfolio operationally: proposal preparation, contracting support, onboarding, delivery coordination, and post-program reporting.
• Supervise the business development and sales function, including territory and sector allocation, pipeline discipline, CRM data integrity, and conversion performance.
• Prepare client-facing documentation: proposals, statements of work, program specifications, completion reports, and renewal recommendations.
• Support the Director in partnership execution with international institutions and certification bodies, managing the operational and administrative workstreams once agreements are signed.
• Represent CCE in internal AUK committees and in client meetings as delegated.
• Prepare and monitor program-level costing, pricing models, and margin analysis; flag programs operating below target contribution.
• Track revenue, receivables, instructor costs, and direct program expenses; support the Director in preparing monthly and annual financial reporting for the Center.
• Administer procurement, purchase requests, invoicing, and payment processing for CCE in coordination with the Finance Department.
• Maintain accurate records to support the Center’s financial reporting obligations and any external audit or review.
• Ensure compliance with AUK institutional policies, Kuwait labour and data protection requirements, and contractual obligations to clients and partners.
• Directly supervise program coordinators, administrative staff, and sales personnel; set objectives, conduct performance reviews, and develop capability.
• Build and maintain standard operating procedures, templates, and documentation so that delivery quality is not dependent on individuals.
• Identify and implement systems improvements — registration, CRM, reporting, and records management — that reduce manual effort and error.
• Promote a service culture in which client responsiveness and delivery reliability are treated as non‑negotiable.
• Assume the Director’s operational authority during periods of absence, within defined delegation limits.

Job description

Department: Center for Continuing Education

Reports to: Director - Center for Continuing Education

Scope and Purpose:

The Assistant Director of the Center for Continuing Education (CCE) is a senior operational leadership role responsible for translating the Center’s strategy into consistent, high-quality, and profitable delivery. Where the Director sets direction, secures partnerships, and owns the Center’s overall performance, the Assistant Director owns execution: program operations, instructor management, client servicing, and the internal systems that allow the Center to scale without loss of quality.

The role carries direct responsibility for the day-to-day running of CCE’s training portfolio across its business lines — open-enrolment and corporate programs, executive and leadership education, professional certification preparation, and contracted government programs. The Assistant Director deputizes for the Director in their absence and represents the Center to clients, faculty, instructors, and internal AUK departments.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Program Operations and Delivery
• Own the end-to-end operational lifecycle of all CCE programs: scheduling, registration, venue and facility allocation, materials production, instructor logistics, attendance, assessment, and certification issuance.
• Maintain the master program calendar and resolve conflicts across cohorts, campus space, and external delivery venues.
• Ensure every program launches with a complete delivery pack: approved outline, contracted instructor, confirmed materials, participant roster, and evaluation instruments.
• Supervise placement testing and assessment operations, including lab scheduling, proctoring standards, and accuracy of the system of record.
• Serve as the escalation point for delivery incidents — instructor absence, participant complaints, scheduling failures — and implement corrective action.
• Curriculum, Instructors, and Quality Assurance
• Coordinate curriculum development cycles with AUK faculty, external subject-matter experts, and content authors; track deliverables against contracted milestones.
• Maintain the instructor roster: sourcing, credential verification, onboarding, contracting, evaluation, and renewal or removal decisions recommended to the Director.
• Administer instructor and content-author agreements in line with institutional policy, including intellectual property terms, deliverable schedules, and payment triggers.
• Operate the quality assurance cycle — participant evaluations, classroom observation, pass‑rate and completion analysis — and produce improvement recommendations.
• Ensure program content and delivery remain aligned with the requirements of relevant international awarding and certification bodies.
• Client and Stakeholder Management
• Manage the corporate and government client portfolio operationally: proposal preparation, contracting support, onboarding, delivery coordination, and post-program reporting.
• Supervise the business development and sales function, including territory and sector allocation, pipeline discipline, CRM data integrity, and conversion performance.
• Prepare client-facing documentation: proposals, statements of work, program specifications, completion reports, and renewal recommendations.
• Support the Director in partnership execution with international institutions and certification bodies, managing the operational and administrative workstreams once agreements are signed.
• Represent CCE in internal AUK committees and in client meetings as delegated.
• Financial and Administrative Management
• Prepare and monitor program-level costing, pricing models, and margin analysis; flag programs operating below target contribution.
• Track revenue, receivables, instructor costs, and direct program expenses; support the Director in preparing monthly and annual financial reporting for the Center.
• Administer procurement, purchase requests, invoicing, and payment processing for CCE in coordination with the Finance Department.
• Maintain accurate records to support the Center’s financial reporting obligations and any external audit or review.
• Ensure compliance with AUK institutional policies, Kuwait labour and data protection requirements, and contractual obligations to clients and partners.
• Team Leadership and Systems
• Directly supervise program coordinators, administrative staff, and sales personnel; set objectives, conduct performance reviews, and develop capability.
• Build and maintain standard operating procedures, templates, and documentation so that delivery quality is not dependent on individuals.
• Identify and implement systems improvements — registration, CRM, reporting, and records management — that reduce manual effort and error.
• Promote a service culture in which client responsiveness and delivery reliability are treated as non‑negotiable.
• Assume the Director’s operational authority during periods of absence, within defined delegation limits.