Executive Assistant (Dubai) - Dubai Operations - 97577 - Grade 6

Description

Position Details

Dubai Professional Services, External Relations

University of Birmingham, Dubai campus

Salary: Competitive

Grade 6

Full time

Permanent

Location: Dubai, UAE

Closing date: 19 June 2021

University of Birmingham Dubai

Having established ourselves in Dubai International Academic City in 2018 we are now moving to a new and exciting phase of our development with the opening of our new state-of-the-art campus in September 2021. This post represents 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.

Professional Services Ethos

Our ethos as a Professional Services team has been developed in line with the principles of being a Birmingham Professional. In particular, 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 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.

In order 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 will provide outstanding support to the leadership of the Dubai campus to assist in delivering the vision and mission set out by the University's Executive Board and Council. The members of the office will support the delivery of the strategic ambitions through the delivery of central corporate services functions that begin at a range of levels and develop in line with the development of the campus. The Office will work closely with colleagues from the UK campus in order to ensure that governance, policy and processes required are effective in meeting the needs of both Edgbaston and the Dubai campus.

Job summary

As the Executive Assistant in the Dubai Executive and Corporate Office you will be responsible for a broad range of complex executive support, as well as staff management. You will use your excellent organisational skills and attention to detail to ensure the people you support are well prepared, and that the tasks you carry out are completed to a high quality in a timely manner.

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.

Executive Office

• Undertake complex diary management and meeting planning, usually 6-12 months ahead, making decisions on the best use of time. Proactive inbox management, with confidence to make decisions on behalf of others where appropriate.
• Dealing with a wide range of more complex enquiries and correspondence independently.
• You will manage one or two others in the Executive Office, acting as a role model and coach.
• Arranging complex overseas and UK travel, including booking flights, hotels, transfers, and organisation and planning of itineraries, ensuring best use of time and taking into account budgetary constraints.
• Collate, analyse and interpret data. This may include identifying and resolving issues with the data.
• Will manage some smaller projects on own initiative, but will also carry out desk research and source data from internal and external sources in order to contribute to wider projects.
• Support the management, development and implementation of operational processes and systems.
• You may also be involved, as required, in the following:

• monitoring budgets including processing payments, authorising expenditure, raising concerns where finances are not in line with the budget,
• procuring goods and services through the University system,
• updating and writing contents for the department's communications eg intranet pages,
• dealing with health and safety and facilities issues,
• monitoring internal procedures/compliance and ensuring these are followed and disseminated as appropriate.

Governance

• Proactive preparation and collation of meeting-related papers, working collaboratively to determine what information might be required in advance of a meeting, articulating clear deadlines for submission and proactively chasing where necessary. This may include attending meetings to provide high-quality committee support, taking minutes and following up as appropriate.

HR-related duties

• You will be responsible for acting as a point of contact for HR-related queries from staff, liaising as appropriate with HR Advisers in Edgbaston to ensure staff receive answers to queries. Where the queries are straightforward you will answer them from your knowledge of the Dubai Staff Handbook.
• You will be responsible for dealing with staff visas using the AXF portal.
• Responsible for supporting recruitment of academic staff by acting as key liaison point between Schools and the Recruitment Team at Edgbaston, drawing together adverts and further particulars and ensuring recruitment is progressed promptly, including arranging selection activities as appropriate.
• Responsible for staff induction, devising activities and timetables for new staff.
• Responsible for devising wellbeing activities for staff, liaising as appropriate with staff in Edgbaston.
• Ensuring staff expenses are processed and remitted to Edgbaston.

Event management

• Organisation of corporate or VIP events or visits including booking a venue, sending invitations, arranging refreshments, liaising with speakers/visitors, manage bookings, co-ordination of colleagues, advertising, collating feedback and reporting back.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

• Understands the importance of equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace
• Ability to identify and respond to equality and diversity and inclusion issues in line with relevant policies and procedures
• Educated to degree level or relevant significant practical work experience evidencing the skills and ability to undertake the role.
• Mathematics and English at GCSE grade C or above or equivalent level 2 qualification.
• Previous experience of offering specialist advice eg on visa arrangements.
• Previous staff management experience.
• Previous experience in a role offering HR information and advice, or dealing with recruitment.
• Ability to identify and implement improvements to services.
• Highly proficient IT skills, in particular the ability to handle complex electronic diaries and emails, the wider MS Office suite of programmes including excel and PowerPoint.
• Proven ability to plan ahead and anticipate requirements, proactively planning own (and sometimes others' workloads) to manage time effectively, progress tasks concurrently and work to deadlines.
• Previous event experience would be an advantage.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to write for different audiences, and to required deadlines.
• Excellent interpersonal skills: you must be able to inspire confidence and command authority with a range of colleagues and provide excellent customer service at all times.
• Ability to work effectively in a large, complex organisation, and to develop a good understanding of how the University and higher education institutions work.
• Ability to understand policy and procedures and how to apply these.

Dimensions

• This role will require you to exercise personal initiative within and beyond the Executive Office, including when managing staff and budgets. You will also offer proactive advice on HR-related matters.

Planning and organising

• You will be required to plan and organise the team and service and ensure that the service works with other areas in Dubai.

Problem solving and decision making

• You will be expected to develop approaches proactively, rather than just tackling problems as they arise. You will recommend improvements to services.

Internal and external relationships

• You will be liaising with a wide range of internal colleagues and stakeholders, likely to be University-wide and with external stakeholders.

As interest in all of the advertised posts has been extremely high, we encourage you to apply online, tailoring your skillset against the listed criteria in the application form.

Valuing excellence, sustaining investment

We value diversity and inclusion at the University of Birmingham and welcome applications from all sections of the community and are open to discussions around all forms of flexible working.