Administrative Assistant | AURAK School of Business & ACE

Job Description

The American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK) is seeking a highly organised, detail-oriented, and service-focused Administrative Assistant to support the School of Business and the AURAK Center for Entrepreneurship (ACE).

The role combines day-to-day academic administration with operational and logistical support for entrepreneurship programmes, events, incubation activities, workshops, innovation initiatives, and external partnerships. The successful candidate will work closely with the Dean, Department Chairs, faculty members, Director of ACE, students, mentors, partner organisations, and relevant University offices.

Employer: American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK)
Units: School of Business and AURAK Center for Entrepreneurship (ACE)
Location: Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates
Position: Administrative Assistant
Field: Academic Administration / Entrepreneurship Support

Administrative Assistant AURAK – Position Overview

The Administrative Assistant will serve as a key point of contact for both the School of Business and ACE.

The role supports:

• Faculty and Department Chairs.
• Academic documentation.
• Course files.
• Accreditation evidence.
• Meetings and communications.
• Room bookings.
• Faculty onboarding.
• ACE programmes and incubation cohorts.
• Entrepreneurship events.
• Partner coordination.
• Records and reporting.
• Office administration.

The successful candidate must be able to balance the priorities of two active units while maintaining accuracy, professionalism, and timely follow-up.

School of Business Administrative Support

The role provides day-to-day support to faculty members and Department Chairs.

Responsibilities include:

• Preparing and formatting course materials.
• Printing and copying academic documents.
• Organising handouts.
• Preparing examination papers.
• Supporting academic documentation.
• Tracking faculty requests.
• Following up on outstanding actions.

The Administrative Assistant will also help ensure that requests are completed accurately and within established deadlines.

Course Files and Accreditation Documentation

The successful candidate will support academic quality and accreditation activities by maintaining records such as:

• Course files.
• Syllabi.
• Assessment records.
• Samples of student work.
• Accreditation evidence.
• Related academic documentation.

Strong record keeping and attention to detail are therefore essential.

Faculty Administrative Support

The role includes assisting faculty with administrative requests involving:

• Travel.
• Conferences.
• Procurement.
• Purchases.
• Expenses.

The Administrative Assistant will coordinate with University offices such as:

• Human Resources.
• Finance.
• Information Technology.
• Facilities.

Faculty Onboarding

The successful candidate will support the onboarding of new faculty members.

This may include coordinating:

• Office arrangements.
• Keys.
• Stationery.
• IT accounts.
• Introductions.
• Other practical onboarding requirements.

Room and Meeting Coordination

The position includes responsibility for reserving:

• Classrooms.
• Laboratories.
• Meeting rooms.

These may be required for:

• Make-up sessions.
• Examinations.
• Meetings.
• School events.

The Administrative Assistant will also communicate room changes to faculty and students where necessary.

ACE Programme and Incubation Support

The role provides operational support to the AURAK Center for Entrepreneurship (ACE).

Responsibilities include coordinating logistics for incubation cohorts, such as:

• Scheduling sessions.
• Booking venues.
• Confirming mentors.
• Confirming speakers.
• Maintaining programme records.
• Supporting cohort activities.

Entrepreneurship Events and Initiatives

The Administrative Assistant will support ACE programmes and flagship activities including:

• ACHIEVE.
• Startup Expo and Demo Day.
• Global Entrepreneurship Week.
• Workshops.
• Boot camps.
• Innovation challenges.
• SME clinics.
• Family Business Hub sessions.

Responsibilities may include:

• Event registration.
• Venue arrangements.
• Materials preparation.
• Logistics.
• On-the-day coordination.
• Stakeholder communication.

Partner and Stakeholder Coordination

The role includes scheduling meetings between the Director of ACE and external partner organisations.

Responsibilities include:

• Coordinating appointments.
• Maintaining records of joint activities.
• Tracking follow-up actions.
• Supporting partnership administration.

Entrepreneurship Records and KPI Reporting

The Administrative Assistant will maintain records relating to:

• Incubated ventures.
• Licensed start-ups.
• Mentors.
• Programme participants.
• ACE activities.

The role also includes compiling information for:

• KPI dashboards.
• Quarterly reports.
• Annual reports.

Website, Social Media and Promotional Support

The position includes supporting updates to:

• ACE website content.
• Social media posts.
• Promotional materials.

This work will be coordinated with AURAK’s Office of Marketing and Communications.

Front-Desk and Enquiry Support

The Administrative Assistant will serve as a first point of contact for the School of Business and ACE.

Responsibilities include:

• Answering telephone calls.
• Transferring calls.
• Taking messages.
• Responding to email enquiries.
• Responding to walk-in enquiries.
• Assisting students and faculty.
• Assisting mentors, visitors, and partners.
• Directing enquiries to the appropriate person or department.

Meetings and Follow-Up

The successful candidate will coordinate School, Department, committee, and ACE meetings.

Responsibilities include:

• Scheduling meetings.
• Preparing agendas.
• Preparing meeting materials.
• Taking minutes.
• Tracking action items.
• Following up on agreed actions.

Administrative Documents

The role includes preparing:

• Letters.
• Memoranda.
• Presentations.
• Spreadsheets.
• Reports.
• Other administrative documents.

Applicants should therefore have strong Microsoft Office skills.

Records and Database Management

The successful candidate will maintain accurate:

• Electronic files.
• Physical files.
• Spreadsheets.
• Databases.
• Administrative records.
• Programme documentation.

Procurement and Budget Support

The role includes:

• Ordering stationery.
• Monitoring office supplies.
• Ordering equipment.
• Raising purchase requests.
• Coordinating with vendors.
• Tracking spending against approved budgets.

These duties apply particularly to School and ACE activities and events.

Confidentiality and Sensitive Information

The Administrative Assistant will handle confidential material including:

• Student records.
• Examination papers.
• Faculty files.
• Start-up information.
• Other sensitive documentation.

All confidential information must be handled in accordance with AURAK policies and procedures.

Key Result Areas

The position is divided across three main Key Result Areas:

Key Result Area	Weight
School of Business – Faculty Support	35%
ACE Program and Event Support	35%
Shared Office Administration and Compliance	30%

This means the role is evenly balanced between academic support and entrepreneurship programme support, with a substantial shared administration component.

Essential Qualification

Applicants must hold a:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Management, Marketing, Entrepreneurship, or a related field from an accredited institution.

Desirable Qualifications

The following are desirable:

• Recognised office administration certification.
• IT certification.
• Training in event coordination.
• Certification in event coordination or related areas.

Experience Requirements

Applicants must have:

• Two to three years of administrative, programme, or event coordination experience.
• Experience providing administrative support in a professional environment.

Preferred Experience

The following experience is desirable:

• University environment.
• Incubator.
• Entrepreneurship centre.
• Business-support environment.
• Event or programme coordination.
• Multi-stakeholder activities.
• CRM systems.
• Database systems.
• Social media platforms.
• Start-up or business-support environments.

Skills and Knowledge

Candidates should demonstrate:

• Strong organisational skills.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks.
• Ability to prioritise competing requirements.
• Ability to meet deadlines.
• Event coordination skills.
• Programme coordination.
• Good written communication.
• Good verbal communication.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Service-focused approach.
• Accurate record keeping.
• Report preparation.
• Presentation preparation.
• Basic KPI reporting.
• Confidentiality.
• Problem-solving.
• Follow-up skills.
• Independent working.
• Teamwork.

Microsoft Office Skills

Applicants should have good working knowledge of:

• Microsoft Word.
• Microsoft Excel.
• Microsoft Outlook.
• Microsoft PowerPoint.

Business English

Candidates should demonstrate good business English, including:

• Spelling.
• Grammar.
• Punctuation.
• Proofreading.

Language Requirements

Applicants must be:

• Fluent in written and spoken English.

In addition:

• Arabic is preferred.

Internal Working Relationships

The role works closely with:

• Dean, School of Business.
• Department Chairs.
• School of Business faculty.
• Director, AURAK Center for Entrepreneurship.
• ACE mentors.
• Student ambassadors.
• Students.
• Student Affairs.
• Marketing and Communications.
• Finance.
• Human Resources.
• Registrar.
• Facilities.
• Information Technology.
• Other University offices and departments.

External Working Relationships

External stakeholders include:

• RAK Department of Economic Development.
• RAK Chamber of Commerce.
• RAK International Corporate Centre.
• National Incubator Network.
• Industry mentors.
• Partner organisations.
• High schools participating in ACHIEVE.
• Event vendors.
• Suppliers.
• Visitors and guests.

Key Professional Behaviours

AURAK identifies the following behaviours as important for the role:

• Service excellence.
• Professional ethics and integrity.
• Problem-solving.
• Time management.
• Teamwork.

About the American University of Ras Al Khaimah

The American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK) is an independent higher-education institution in the United Arab Emirates offering undergraduate and graduate education based on an American-style academic model.

According to the vacancy information, AURAK’s programmes are accredited by the relevant UAE authorities, and the University is also accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).

Job Summary

Employer	American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK)
Units	School of Business and AURAK Center for Entrepreneurship (ACE)
Location	Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates
Position	Administrative Assistant
Field	Academic Administration / Entrepreneurship Support
Required Qualification	Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Management, Marketing, Entrepreneurship, or related field
Experience Requirement	Minimum 2–3 years of administrative, programme, or event coordination experience
Core Responsibilities	Faculty support, academic documentation, ACE programme support, events, records, meetings and stakeholder coordination
KRA Split	School of Business Support 35%; ACE Programme/Event Support 35%; Shared Administration 30%
Core Software	Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint
Preferred Systems	CRM, databases and social media platforms
Preferred Experience	University, incubator, entrepreneurship centre, business-support or start-up environment
Language Requirement	Fluent English essential; Arabic preferred
Application Deadline	Not stated