Dean of the School of Business – American University in Dubai

Job Description

The American University in Dubai (AUD) invites nominations and applications for the position of Dean of the School of Business.

This is a senior academic leadership position based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, at a time of significant institutional growth and strategic development.

Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

The Opportunity

The School of Business educates a significant proportion of AUD’s student population and plays a central role in the University’s academic portfolio.

As AUD marks its 30th anniversary, the School is expanding its work at the intersection of business, technology, innovation, and society.

The incoming Dean will join AUD’s leadership team in implementing a new institutional strategic plan and will have opportunities to:

• Promote student success.
• Expand faculty research capacity.
• Strengthen graduate education.
• Deepen partnerships with local and international organisations.
• Expand industry engagement.
• Support international collaboration.
• Advance innovation in business education.
• Shape the School’s academic identity as business education increasingly incorporates AI, data science, and technology-enabled learning.

The Dean will also help guide recently introduced initiatives, including the AI in Business major launched in Fall 2025 and expanded international collaborations.

The Position

The Dean of the School of Business serves as the School’s chief academic and administrative officer and reports directly to the Provost.

The Dean is responsible for academic strategy, programme development, accreditation, faculty leadership, research development, external engagement, and School operations.

The successful candidate will provide leadership across areas including:

• Curriculum development.
• New programme development.
• Academic assessment.
• AACSB and national accreditation.
• Faculty recruitment and development.
• Research and scholarship.
• Student success.
• Alumni engagement.
• Industry partnerships.
• Budget and resource management.
• Executive and professional education.
• Organisational effectiveness.

The Dean will be expected to build on the School’s existing strengths while ensuring that programmes evolve in response to developments in AI, data science, technology, business practice, and hybrid education.

Key Responsibilities

The Dean will be expected to:

• Provide strategic leadership aligned with AUD’s institutional mission and strategic plan.
• Oversee curriculum design and the development of new academic programmes.
• Lead academic assessment and continuous improvement.
• Advance faculty research and scholarly activity.
• Support externally funded research and grant initiatives.
• Lead AACSB and national accreditation processes.
• Strengthen student success and alumni engagement.
• Develop partnerships with businesses, government organisations, and other external stakeholders in Dubai and internationally.
• Collaborate with AUD’s Center for Executive Programs and Professional Services on outreach, training, and executive education.
• Manage the School’s budget, staffing, and operational efficiency.
• Recruit, retain, develop, and support a diverse and high-performing faculty.
• Promote interdisciplinary collaboration across the university.
• Represent the School within AUD and to external academic, professional, government, and industry stakeholders.

Required Qualifications

Applicants should demonstrate:

• A PhD in a business discipline from a regionally accredited institution, preferably a Western institution.
• At least 10 years of teaching experience.
• Significant graduate-level teaching experience.
• Academic rank of Associate Professor or Full Professor.
• A proven record of academic leadership in higher education.
• Demonstrated excellence in research and scholarly contributions.
• Experience in curriculum development.
• Experience with accreditation processes, including AACSB or comparable accreditation.
• Strong team leadership and communication skills.
• Multicultural fluency.
• Experience working in international academic environments.

Preferred Qualifications

Additional desirable experience includes:

• Executive education.
• Consulting.
• Business practice.
• Leadership of externally funded initiatives.
• Experience with public-private partnerships.
• Ability to establish strong academic-industry networks.
• Familiarity with the UAE and Gulf business environment.
• Demonstrated success in leading academic change and innovation.

Preparing for Senior Business School Leadership?

🎓 Recommended Course: Strategic Leadership and Management Specialization

Leading a modern business school requires expertise beyond teaching and research. Deans increasingly need to manage strategy, organisational change, faculty performance, stakeholder relationships, resource allocation, and implementation of institutional priorities.

The Strategic Leadership and Management Specialization from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign provides structured learning in strategic leadership, organisational management, team effectiveness, and strategy implementation.

👉 Explore the Strategic Leadership and Management Specialization on Coursera

It may be particularly relevant to deans, associate deans, department chairs, programme directors, senior academics, and professionals preparing for university or business-school leadership roles.

Affiliate disclosure: Arab Academic Jobs may receive a commission if you enroll through this link, at no additional cost to you.

Compensation and Benefits

AUD states that the position offers a competitive compensation package based on the expatriate model.

Benefits include:

• Tax-exempt basic salary.
• Housing.
• Annual round-trip airfare.
• Health and life insurance.
• Professional memberships.
• Conference attendance expenses.
• Assistance with children’s tuition.
• Other applicable benefits.

About the American University in Dubai

The American University in Dubai is a private, academically and culturally inclusive institution established in 1995.

AUD states that it was the first American university established in the Gulf region.

The university is accredited in the United States by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) and in the UAE by the Commission for Academic Accreditation.

AUD serves more than 2,200 students from over 100 countries.

Its academic schools include:

• Architecture, Art & Design.
• Arts & Sciences.
• Business.
• Engineering.
• Graduate School of Education.
• Mohammed bin Rashid School for Communication.

A School of Medicine is also under development in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine.

About the School of Business

The School of Business at AUD is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

Undergraduate Programmes

The School offers a Bachelor of Business Administration with majors in:

• Accounting.
• Economics.
• Finance.
• Marketing.
• Advertising and Integrated Marketing Communications.
• AI in Business.

Students may also pursue:

• IAA Certificate in Marketing Communications.
• Certificate in Management Accounting.

The School also offers a dual-degree programme with Manchester Metropolitan University, allowing students to earn two degrees over four years.

Graduate Programmes

Graduate offerings include:

• Master of Business Administration (MBA).
• MBA concentration in Finance.
• MBA concentration in Management.
• MBA concentration in Marketing.
• Master of Science in Innovation Management (MSIM).

A nine-credit Graduate Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Management, delivered in partnership with Amazon, is scheduled to launch in Summer 2026.

The certificate will use a hyflex delivery model and will be stackable into the MSIM programme.

Industry and Executive Education Engagement

The School works closely with AUD’s Center for Executive Programs and Professional Services (CEPPS) to provide tailored training and development programmes for public and private sector organisations across the UAE.

It also collaborates with the AUD Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center (AEIC) to support entrepreneurial leadership across the university.

Application Process

Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

Interested candidates should apply through the American University in Dubai Recruitment Portal using the subject line:

**Dean of the