Corporate Operations (Executive & Corporate Office) - University of Birmingham, Dubai
Job vacancy:
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. Here 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. It also means that we work constructively together to provide a flexible range of services 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:
Position: Executive & Corporate Office
Discipline: Dubai Operations
Employer: University of Birmingham, Dubai campus
Salary: Competitive. Band 500
No. of positions: 1
Schedule: Full time
Location: Dubai, UAE
- 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.
Role Summary:
General Role and Responsibilities:
- 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 Duties
Executive Assistance and Operations
- Reporting to the Executive Operations Manager, you will have excellent administrative and organisational skills, work diligently when handling large volumes of data and an ability to prioritise important tasks.
- You will support the Senior leadership of the campus and provide administrative support to the Corporate Service Functions which include Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Finance and External relations.
- Act as a first point of contact when dealing with correspondence calls or on the Front Desk at the main campus reception to support the smooth running of customer interaction points within the campus.
- Manage initial requests in-person or over the phone dealing with general queries and delegate more technical queries to e appropriate teams.
- Assist in travel and temporary accommodation arrangements for staff where required.
- Review and summarise miscellaneous reports and documents, and prepare collateral, and correspondence for the Governance Meetings where required.
- Provide secretarial support for various committees and governance meetings.
Corporate and Enrichment Events
- Deliver outstanding customer service and support with bookings for bespoke commercial and corporate events in accordance with the clients’ vision, budget, and requirements.
- Coordinating weekly events; as well as supporting campus wide events and activities such as Open Days, Welcome Week and Degree Congregations
- Plan and organise an exceptional experience on behalf of the event organiser.
- Make appropriate judgements and pay attention to budgeting, and time constraints.
- Oversee the smooth execution of an event by performing the necessary checks beforehand.
- Collating feedback to ensure a continuous improvement of service.
- Support the maintenance of a Corporate and Executive Office events calendar.
- Lead on the development and implementation of the venue hire division for the campus to be offered to external clients working alongside the Marketing and Campus Operations team.
HR Administration
- Provide administrative support as part of our HR Function in Dubai as and when required which seeks to support Professional Services, Academics and Flying Faculty.
- You will develop specialist knowledge of local UAE labour and immigration laws for both employment and study.
- Support the delivery of a programme of activities for colleagues that encompasses Learning and Development, Health and Safety Management and Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion.
- Support the planning and organisation of Induction Weeks and activities for new joiners.
- Support VISA and Immigration processing for students and staff.
- Seek out collaborative corporate relationships with local hospitality and leisure providers to enhance our Employee Benefits Programme in collaboration with the Central Staff Hub.
- Continuously review processes and tasks proactively and offer suggestions for improvement sharing the best practise as appropriate.
Campus Facilities Services and Financial Administration
- Raising Purchase Orders for supplies, making positive judgements that are both cost-effective and sustainable for the campus.
- Support the maintenance of a post-room inventory and replenish campus supplies as and when necessary.
- Updating and maintaining a record or Purchase Requisitions in line with the Executive Office Budget.
Other Duties
- Develop skills and undertake responsibilities as appropriate which will fulfil the purpose of the role and support the success of the organisation.
- Participate and contribute to organizational/team meetings as required.
- Any other duties relevant to the needs of the organisation and as directed by the Executive Assistant.
- Excellent oral and written communication, with attentive listening abilities.
Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience
- Discretion and trustworthiness: you will often be part of confidential information.
- 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.
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. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website.
Additional Requirements
- Strong planning skills
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
- Advanced computer IT literacy
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