Job Description

Job Category: Clerical/Administrative
:
Position Details
Dubai Operations
Executive & Corporate Office
University of Birmingham, Dubai campus
Salary: Competitive
Grade: 5
No. of positions: 1
Full time
Location: Dubai, UAE
Closing date: 5th October 2025
University of Birmingham Dubai
Having established ourselves in Dubai International Academic City in 2018 we have now moved to our new state-of-the-art campus which opened in Sept 2021. These posts represent an excellent opportunity to join an ambitious World Top 100 University as we continue to grow our long-term strategic mission in Dubai, the UAE and the wider region. Our campus reflects the very best of Birmingham through our presence in Dubai.
Background
Professional Services Ethos
Our ethos as a Professional Services team has been developed in line with the principles of being a Birmingham Professional. In Dubai this means that all Professional Services colleagues seek to collaborate effectively to ensure the needs of the whole campus community and our stakeholders are met. We work constructively together to provide a flexible range of service and support that adapt to the changing needs of the campus as we grow. There are specific focal points in the academic cycle when all Professional Services team members will be expected to contribute regardless of their primary role, for example Welcome or Graduation.
In addition, the duties listed below are illustrative of the general nature and level of responsibility of this post which is likely to change over time in response to the needs of the campus and as you develop your experience and skills. You will have the opportunity to develop and may also need to specialise your duties further, over time, in agreement with your manager.
To contribute to the success of the team and the University's vision for the Dubai Campus the Professional Services team will be seeking to continue to recruit and develop colleagues who display:

• a high level of intellectual aptitude;
• strong agility and a portfolio of skills that can adapt to meet changing circumstances;
• an innovative and creative mindset; and
• both an enterprising and entrepreneurial nature to support our growth and pursuit of excellence.

Department Overview
The Executive and Corporate Office represent the Senior leadership of the University of Birmingham Dubai and support the delivery of central corporate services which include Campus Operations, Client Relations, Finance, Human Resources, and in collaboration with Student Services, administering outstanding student-centred customer service.
All members of the office work to execute the mission set out by the University's Executive Board and Council and are required to work closely with colleagues from the Edgbaston campus to ensure that governance, policy and processes are effective and meet the needs of the wider university.
We are seeking a highly organised and detail orientated individual who has an interest in Human Resources administration.
Reporting to the Executive Assistant, the successful candidate will act as a key stakeholder for HR Administration on campus and work collaboratively with colleagues based in both Edgbaston and Dubai. They will be responsible for administering and processing a range of employee and student data with the utmost level of confidentiality ensuring the highest level of accuracy and standard of service is consistently delivered.
Main Duties
General:

• Promotes equality and values diversity acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture
• Actively manages equality, diversity and inclusion through monitoring and evaluation and actively challenging unacceptable behaviour
• Undertake continuous personal and professional development

Main:
HR Administration

• Provide clerical assistance during the onboarding and offboarding of employees
• Provide ongoing support to new joiners during the initial stages of their appointment
• Collaborate with colleagues to continually review the employee onboarding process and seek to facilitate changes where required in line with the campus needs
• Collaborate with key stakeholders including Programme Directors and Heads of Subjects to support the onboarding of Flying Faculty
• Administer, file, and maintain updated digital record of employee personal data to be retrieved as an when required i.e., for auditing purposes
• Administer, file, and maintain an updated bank of physical files
• Prepare and process all types of employee relations documents, including promotions, transfers, dependants information, salary certificates, contract renewal, and salary adjustments in compliance with university approved guidelines and policies
• Administer the distribution of pay slips in a duly time frame
• Raise purchase requisitions for Occupational Health partners
• Lead Occupational Health process for both staff and students
• Liaise with Central Staff Hub colleagues in Edgbaston regularly to administer support for colleagues in Dubai
• Seek to resolve general employee queries and escalate to key Advisory and Legal personnel as and when required
• Produce manuals and letters as and when required
• Produce ad-hoc reports as and when required

Executive & Corporate Office - People Team Support

• Work in collaboration with Corporate Operations to coordinate a programme of Health and Wellness activities for employees
• Seek collaborative relationships with local hospitality and leisure providers
• Liaise closely with colleagues in Dubai and collaborate to build a programme of activity which operates as the HR Function in Dubai incorporating colleagues leading on Learning and Development, Health and Safety Management and Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
• Continuously review processes and tasks proactively and offer suggestions for improvement sharing best practise as appropriate

Immigration Processing and Administration

• Keep abreast of legal compliance and UAE Labour law requirements and advise on changes where appropriate
• Maintain good knowledge of local labour and immigration laws
• Process both staff and student VISAs; including renewals and cancellations
• Maintain a high level of accuracy whilst processing applications in a timely manner
• Maintain a monthly report of VISA processing to be reviewed by key stakeholders
• Support the Student & Programme Administration team with student VISA queries
• Draw on previous knowledge and experience to drive solutions to more complex queries
• Administer medical health checks in collaboration with external stakeholders

Other Duties:

• Develop skills and undertake responsibilities as appropriate which will fulfil the purpose of the role and support the success of the organization
• Participate and contribute to organizational/team meetings as required
• Any other duties relevant to the needs of the organization and as directed by the Executive Assistant

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

• Discretion and trustworthiness: you will often be part of confidential information
• Excellent communication, with attentive listening abilities
• Tact and diplomacy
• Willingness to carry out administrative tasks
• Strong planning skills in a fast-paced environment
• Attention to detail and problem-solving skills
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with a proactive approach to finding and proposing solutions to challenges
• Proven ability to collaborate effectively across different teams and cultures, strong relationship building skills and service-oriented attitude
• Proven ability to multi-task and keep track of several projects running in parallel Advanced computer skills and IT literacy

In return, you will receive a competitive package and play a key role in our ambitious University's expansion as we enhance our international reputation and global footprint.
We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone .

Skills Required