Senior Officer Career Development & Industry Engagement | AURAK

Job Description

The American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK) is seeking a motivated, organised, and highly interpersonal Senior Officer – Career Development & Industry Engagement to join its Alumni and Career Services Department.

Reporting to the Senior Manager, Alumni and Career Services, the successful candidate will lead and coordinate initiatives related to work experience, internships, career development, employer engagement, and external partnerships.

The position also supports students in developing career-readiness skills, gaining meaningful work experience, and transitioning successfully into employment.

Employer: American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK)
Department: Alumni and Career Services
Location: Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates
Position: Senior Officer – Career Development & Industry Engagement
Reports To: Senior Manager, Alumni and Career Services
Language Requirement: Fluent English and Arabic

Career Development Officer UAE – Position Overview

The Senior Officer will coordinate AURAK’s work experience, internship, career-development, and industry-engagement activities.

The role combines:

• Internship and work-experience coordination.
• Employer engagement.
• Career services.
• Industry partnerships.
• Community engagement.
• Student employability.
• Career events.
• Social media and communications.
• Stakeholder management.
• Departmental administration.
• Special projects.

A major focus of the position is building and maintaining strong relationships with employers, industry partners, professional organisations, and other external stakeholders while creating meaningful opportunities for students.

Work Experience and Internship Programme

A significant part of the role involves managing and coordinating the University’s work-experience and internship activities.

Responsibilities include:

• Developing relationships with suitable employers and organisations.
• Identifying quality internship opportunities.
• Securing work-experience opportunities.
• Matching opportunities with students’ academic programmes, interests, and career goals.
• Coordinating internship placements.
• Working with students, academic departments, and employers.
• Monitoring placements through completion.
• Maintaining accurate internship records.
• Gathering feedback from students and employers.
• Monitoring internship outcomes.
• Preparing reports.
• Recommending improvements to the internship programme.

The role therefore requires strong organisational skills and the ability to coordinate multiple stakeholders throughout the placement process.

Employer and Industry Engagement

The Senior Officer will develop and maintain relationships with:

• Employers.
• Corporate partners.
• Industry representatives.
• Professional organisations.
• Internship providers.
• Other external stakeholders.

Responsibilities include:

• Employer outreach.
• Partnership development.
• Stakeholder communications.
• Meeting coordination.
• Relationship management.
• Follow-up with external partners.
• Identifying new opportunities for student engagement and employment.

The successful candidate should demonstrate strong networking and relationship-building capability.

Career Development Activities

The role includes supporting a range of student-focused career-development initiatives.

These may include:

• Career workshops.
• Employer presentations.
• Career fairs.
• Networking events.
• Recruitment events.
• Employability programmes.
• Other career-development activities.

The objective is to help students strengthen their professional skills and prepare effectively for the transition from university into employment.

Community and External Engagement

The Senior Officer will support community and industry-engagement initiatives involving organisations such as:

• Private businesses.
• Corporations.
• Government entities.
• NGOs.
• Community organisations.
• Professional associations.
• Alumni.
• Industry partners.

The role includes identifying opportunities for collaboration that can enhance:

• Student employability.
• Work experience.
• Graduate recruitment.
• Industry engagement.
• Community partnerships.

Career and Employer Partnerships

The successful candidate will contribute to partnerships and collaborative initiatives that support the University’s employability objectives.

Responsibilities include:

• Developing external relationships.
• Supporting collaborative programmes.
• Expanding internship opportunities.
• Strengthening employer connections.
• Supporting graduate recruitment.
• Increasing opportunities for industry interaction.

Social Media and Communications

The position also includes responsibility for the Alumni and Career Services Department’s social-media channels.

Responsibilities include:

• Planning social-media content.
• Preparing content.
• Publishing content.
• Managing content calendars.
• Promoting internship opportunities.
• Promoting career activities.
• Promoting alumni initiatives.
• Promoting employer and departmental events.
• Monitoring social-media engagement.
• Analysing communications performance.
• Preparing reports and recommendations.

The successful candidate should therefore be comfortable using digital communication channels to strengthen engagement and awareness.

Department Administration and Coordination

The Senior Officer will also support the administrative operation of the Alumni and Career Services Department.

Responsibilities include:

• Preparing correspondence.
• Preparing reports.
• Developing presentations.
• Preparing briefing materials.
• Maintaining accurate departmental records.
• Handling confidential information appropriately.
• Coordinating meetings.
• Preparing agendas.
• Recording meeting minutes.
• Tracking action points.
• Ensuring timely follow-up.

Policies, Procedures and Continuous Improvement

The successful candidate will contribute to the development and continuous improvement of departmental operations.

This includes supporting:

• Policies.
• Procedures.
• KPIs.
• Operational plans.
• Departmental initiatives.
• Service improvements.

Candidates should be able to analyse existing practices and recommend improvements that increase efficiency and service quality.

Key Result Areas

The vacancy allocates responsibilities across six Key Result Areas:

Key Result Area	Weight
Work Experience and Internship Opportunities	40%
Career Services and Employer Engagement	30%
Community Engagement and Special Projects	10%
Social Media, Communications and Engagement	10%
Department Administration and Coordination	5%
Other Duties	5%

This structure shows that internship coordination and employer engagement account for the majority of the role.

Essential Qualification

Applicants must hold a:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Human Resources, Marketing, Education, Communications, Career Development, Management, or a related field.

Desirable Qualification

A:

• Master’s degree in a relevant discipline

is desirable.

Professional Knowledge

Candidates must have professional experience or demonstrated knowledge in one or more relevant areas, including:

• Internship coordination.
• Work-experience coordination.
• Industry engagement.
• Employer relations.
• Career services.
• Work-integrated learning.

Professional Training and Certification

Training or certification in the following areas is desirable:

• Career development.
• Internship or work-integrated learning.
• Employer engagement.
• Partnership development.
• Human Resources.
• Project management.
• Related professional areas.

Experience Requirements

Applicants must have:

• Three to five years of relevant professional experience.

Relevant fields include:

• Partnerships.
• Industry relations.
• Career services.
• Alumni relations.
• Communications.
• Social media.
• Event management.
• Business development.
• Related areas.

Candidates must also demonstrate experience in:

• Internship or work-experience coordination.
• Employer engagement.
• Industry relations.
• Career services or work-integrated learning.
• Developing relationships with employers and external stakeholders.
• Coordinating events, programmes, projects, or initiatives involving multiple stakeholders.

Experience within a higher-education or student-focused environment is desirable.

Technology and Digital Skills

Candidates should demonstrate proficiency with technology and AI tools.

The vacancy specifically identifies expertise in:

• Microsoft Word.
• Microsoft PowerPoint.
• Microsoft Excel.
• Microsoft Access.

Applicants should also be comfortable using digital tools for administration, reporting, communications, and stakeholder engagement.

Required Skills and Competencies

Successful candidates should demonstrate:

• Excellent written communication.
• Excellent oral communication.
• Strong networking skills.
• Strong relationship-building skills.
• Stakeholder-management capability.
• Strong organisational skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects.
• Attention to detail.
• Problem-solving ability.
• Project-management skills.
• Coordination skills.
• Ability to improve operational practices.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced office environment.
• Ability to collaborate with people from different cultures and backgrounds.

Career Services Knowledge

Candidates should demonstrate knowledge of:

• Career development.
• Employability.
• Internship programmes.
• Work-integrated learning.
• Industry engagement.

Knowledge of higher-education systems, particularly the American model of higher education, is desirable.

Language Requirements

Applicants must be:

• Fluent in English.
• Fluent in Arabic.

Both languages are explicitly required for this position.

Internal Working Relationships

The Senior Officer will work with stakeholders across AURAK, including:

• University offices and departments.
• Office of the President.
• Office of the Provost.
• Deans.
• Directors.
• Managers.
• Faculty.
• Staff.
• Students.
• Alumni.

External Working Relationships

External stakeholders include:

• Private businesses and corporations.
• Local and federal government entities.
• NGOs and community organisations.
• Industry associations.
• Professional bodies.
• Internship providers.
• Potential employers.

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 academic 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).

AURAK describes itself as a diverse and inclusive institution and an equal-opportunities employer.

Working in Ras Al Khaimah

AURAK is located in Ras Al Khaimah, one of the northern Emirates of the UAE.

The vacancy highlights the Emirate’s combination of:

• Beaches.
• Mountains.
• Desert landscapes.
• Historical sites.
• Outdoor activities.
• Water sports.
• Hiking.
• Mountain climbing.

Ras Al Khaimah is presented as a well-developed environment that offers a quieter lifestyle than some of the UAE’s larger cities.

Job Summary

Field	Details
Employer	American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK)
Department	Alumni and Career Services
Location	Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates
Position	Senior Officer – Career Development & Industry Engagement
Reports To	Senior Manager, Alumni and Career Services
Required Qualification	Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, HR, Marketing, Education, Communications, Career Development, Management, or related field
Desirable Qualification	Master’s degree in a relevant discipline
Experience Requirement	Minimum 3–5 years of relevant professional experience
Core Areas	Internships, career services, employer engagement, industry partnerships, community engagement, events and communications
Primary KRA	Work Experience and Internship Opportunities – 40%
Employer Engagement KRA	Career Services and Employer Engagement – 30%
Technology Skills	Technology and AI tools; Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Access
Language Requirement	Fluent English and Arabic
Preferred Environment Experience	Higher education or student-focused environment
Key External Stakeholders	Employers, government entities, NGOs, professional bodies, internship providers and industry partners