Application Open:
Full-Time
Job Purpose:
To provide high-level operational support within the Department and across the Division including coordination of operational responsibilities, complex administrative assistance, project support, events management, coordination of programs and workshops.
Key Responsibilities:
Administration:
- Provide high-level administrative support as required by the management, including formulating meeting agendas, recording minutes of meetings, and assisting with the creation of reports and presentations.
- Liaise with all department and/or division advisors, management, project leads and executive assistant to ensure organizational alignment.
Team Operations:
- At the direction of management, provide efficient and effective financial administration support across the management teams, including managing invoices, tracking budget, and ensuring department managers provide requisite forecasts and information in line with MBZUAI budget processes and reporting requirements.
- Manage compliance with operational human resources requirements across the department/division teams, including completing HR paperwork, ensuring probationary and performance evaluation processes are completed correctly and on time, and supporting line managers to understand and comply with HR policies and procedures.
Project Support:
- At the direction of the management, work to support the Projects Specialist, Advisors and relevant internal and external stakeholders, providing operational and administrative support to facilitate the planning, monitoring, execution, and evaluation of projects assigned by and/or in support of the management.
Programs & Workshops:
- Carry out the events management activities associated with MBZUAI programs and workshops.
- Lead on the evaluation of programs and workshops, creating and administering qualitative surveys and other measurement tools to establish effectiveness and achievement of objectives.
- Evaluate satisfaction feedback and other evaluative data to identify successful outcomes and areas for program improvement, reporting to individual presenters, facilitators, and to MBZUAI management to establish a continuous improvement cycle for programs and workshops.
- Coordinate the announcements for division and/or department events.
Events Management:
- Lead on events management activities and ensure organizational alignment.
- Develop events proposals and plans including budgets, timelines, and logistics plans, ensuring events serve their intended purpose, and comply with relevant MBZUAI policies including budgeting, procurement, resource allocation, and security policies.
- Coordinate with Marketing and Communications to ensure event promotion reaches the intended audience and is consistent with MBZUAI branding and communications standards.
- Coordinate with General Services to ensure physical and attendee security at events, including that requisite arrangements are made for the security of VIPs and special guests with Public Affairs & Alumni Relations.
- Oversee event logistics including venue preparation, materials sourcing, catering, in consultation with Information Technology for audio-visual requirements, ensuring services are delivered according to plan to achieve seamless running of MBZUAI events.
- Manage the financial and contractual requirements associated with events, ensuring vendor and supplier agreements clearly stipulate deliverables and conform with MBZUAI procurements requirements; and that the cost of events does not exceed budget.
- Oversee the performance of events staff and volunteers, ensuring efficient and effective execution of events.
- Manage post-event evaluation and analysis, measuring and identifying successful outcomes and areas for improvement.
Travel Coordination:
- Make travel arrangements for senior managers, including booking airline travel and accommodation in accordance with MBZUAI budget and procurement guidelines, creating itineraries, and advising on visa requirements, insurance, and other requirements for travel.
Other Duties:
- Cooperate and coordinate with internal and external stakeholders to achieve the office’s and/or reporting units the functional and operational goals and facilitate the strategic objectives of MBZUAI.
- Carry out other related duties assigned by the line manager.
Academic Qualifications:
- A minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in business administration, project management, or any other relevant discipline.
Professional Experience:
Essential
- At least five years’ experience managing complex operations in large organizations, project and events management, learning and development, or administrative role e.g., office management.
- At least two years of experience managing events in industry, research and/or higher education.
- Proven experience evaluating corporate and/or academic programs utilizing recognized assessment techniques, reporting on learning outcomes, and making or suggesting improvements based on quantitative and qualitative analysis.
- Proficiency in survey design and administration, analysis, and reporting.
- Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of continuous quality improvement.
- Demonstrated experience in creating project budgets.
- Demonstrated experience in financial administration.
- Demonstrated experience selecting suppliers and service providers in accordance with procurement and budget requirements and managing supplier relationships for the benefit of an organization.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with competency in report writing.
- Superior computing skills including word processing, spreadsheets, databases, presentations, and data analysis software.
- Demonstrated success operating in a multicultural environment and adapting systems and processes to meet diverse expectations and needs.
- Exposure to and understanding of Middle Eastern business and cultural practices.
Preferred
- Experience managing executive travel bookings.
- Experience working successfully in the UAE.
- Arabic language speaker.
