Academic Support Senior Specialist (UAE National)

Overview

Key Roles & Responsibilities

• Administer and oversee operational processes related to graduate programs to ensure efficiency, compliance with university policies, and service excellence.
• Coordinate Teaching Assistant (TA) assignments, workload distribution, contracts, and stipends in collaboration with academic departments and the Registration Office.
• Liaise with academic departments and the Registration Office to ensure accurate student status updates, registration compliance, graduation clearance, and monitoring of academic progression.
• Support and continuously enhance thesis and dissertation processes from proposal stage through final submission and archiving.
• Coordinate graduate student petitions and financial appeal cases submitted to the Graduate Financial Appeal Committee (GFAC) and Graduate Studies Council (GSC), including documentation, case preparation, communication of decisions, and follow-up actions.
• Develop, maintain, and manage comprehensive graduate studies data, including enrollment trends, progression rates, thesis milestones, TA allocations, and other key records related to graduate students.
• Design and produce dashboards, analytical reports, and data visualizations to support evidence-based decision-making and prepare periodic and ad-hoc reports for management and accreditation purposes.
• Support accreditation activities and ensure the availability and accuracy of required graduate program documentation and data.
• Monitor student performance and academic risk indicators and provide insights to support timely interventions.
• Maintain records of graduate student participation in conferences, professional activities, and research leave.
• Coordinate the preparation and update of Graduate Studies communication materials, including the GSO webpage, brochures, and promotional content in collaboration with the Communications Department.
• Manage and maintain a centralized digital repository for graduate studies documentation, including academic program records and updates to the University Catalogue.
• Support graduate recruitment and program awareness initiatives through accurate information, content preparation, and data provision.
• Serve as a key point of contact for graduate student and faculty inquiries, ensuring timely and professional support.
• Monitor and manage the academic progression of scholarship students to ensure compliance with university policies and regulations, while maintaining accurate records of scholarship status, duration, and progression outcomes.
• Facilitate communication between sponsored students and their sponsors to ensure alignment with program requirements, and coordinate with internal departments and sponsors regarding student performance, reporting requirements, and academic updates.
• Contribute to process improvement initiatives and identify opportunities for automation to enhance operational efficiency and student experience.
• Perform any other duties as assigned by the line manager.