Talent Acquisition Officer

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Candidate Experience & Academic Onboarding

• Manage the onboarding of newly appointed faculty members from offer acceptance until joining and handover to the College/Office.

• Act as the main contact for new faculty members and provide clear guidance on documents, requirements, timelines, and next steps.

• Confirm the employee's joining date, College/Office, reporting line, and key joining details.

• Coordinate joining arrangements, including orientation, email and system requests, ID/access, equipment, and College induction.

• Ensure a smooth handover to the line manager and College/Office and follow up on outstanding onboarding matters.

2. Documentation & Verification

• Collect, review, and track required onboarding documents, including academic qualifications, experience certificates, identification documents, licences, and other required records.

• Coordinate pre-employment requirements, including reference checks, qualification verification, employment verification, and required clearances.

• Assign and track the probation form at joining in line with the Employee Confirmation Policy.

• Track outstanding documents and approvals, follow up on delays, and escalate cases that may affect the joining date.

3. Mobilization & Logistics

• Coordinate with Academic Affairs, Colleges, the Office of Community Engagement, HR Operations, and other relevant offices to complete joining requirements.

• Coordinate visa, work permit, medical, Emirates ID, relocation, and related arrangements for international faculty members through the responsible University offices.

• Coordinate the joining advance payment for eligible international hires in line with Talent Acquisition / Employee Advances requirements.

• Coordinate onboarding logistics and ensure required arrangements are ready before the employee's joining date.

4. Records & Reporting

• Maintain accurate onboarding records, trackers, documents, approvals, and case updates in the University's HR systems.

• Prepare regular and ad-hoc reports on academic onboarding, including upcoming joiners, onboarding status, outstanding requirements, delays, completion rates, and other requested information.

• Monitor onboarding progress and highlight cases, trends, or delays requiring management attention.

5. Compliance & Process Improvement

• Maintain confidentiality and ensure onboarding activities follow University policies, procedures, and applicable regulatory requirements.

• Identify recurring onboarding issues and recommend practical improvements to workflows, checklists, communications, and systems.

• Support peak onboarding periods around semester start dates and manage multiple concurrent joining cases while maintaining accuracy and service quality.

SUPERVISION:

Reports to: Talent Acquisition Manager / as per approved organizational structure.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Management, or a related field from a recognized university.

• Minimum 3 years of relevant experience in onboarding, employee mobilization, HR operations, government relations, talent acquisition, recruitment, or a closely related area.

• Experience supporting academic or higher-education onboarding is preferred.

• Working knowledge of UAE employment and immigration processes relevant to onboarding, including MOHRE, GDRFA/ICP, Emirates ID, medical, and work-permit requirements.

• Arabic and English language proficiency, in line with the University's approved requirements for the role.

KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS:

• Ability to manage multiple concurrent faculty onboarding cases, priorities, deadlines, and dependencies.

• Proficiency in HRIS/ATS and related digital systems, including the University's approved HR system; Oracle HCM/Recruiting experience is an advantage where applicable.

• Strong attention to data accuracy, document control, record keeping, and timely follow-up.

• High level of discretion when handling confidential and sensitive personal, employment, and immigration information.

• Strong cross-cultural communication and stakeholder coordination skills.

• Ability to identify risks or delays early, escalate appropriately, and follow cases through to completion.

• Practical reporting skills, including maintaining trackers and preparing onboarding status and management reports.

Working relationships & Subordinates: Works closely with Academic Affairs, Colleges, Office of Community Engagement, HR Operations, and other relevant University offices. No direct reports unless assigned.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Work is normally performed in a typical office environment, with remote working where approved and operationally appropriate.

• Workload may increase significantly around semester start dates and other peak faculty joining periods.

• Occasional work outside normal hours may be required to support urgent joining or mobilization matters.

• Occasional travel may be required for relevant University activities, conferences, or training.