HR Administrator Dubai Campus

DescriptionHeriot-Watt University has established a reputation for world‑class teaching and leading‑edge relevant research which has made it one of the top UK universities for innovation business and industry. Heriot-Watt University has five campuses: three in the UK (Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Orkney), one in Dubai and one in Malaysia. The University offers a highly distinctive range of degree programmes in the specialist areas of science, engineering, design, business and languages. Heriot‑Watt is also Scotland's most international university boasting the largest international student cohort.About our TeamCovering all University Campuses internationally the HR Directorate provides a range of strategic and operational HR Support and Guidance to the leaders, managers and employees of the University. The services cover the full employee cycle from the point of attracting staff as potential employees through their recruitment, induction, career development and reward & recognition. This role will provide high‑quality, accurate, confidential and timely administrative support for employees throughout their time at Heriot‑Watt – from issuing contracts of employment to advising on employment, wellbeing, remuneration, family leave, annual leave and to managing their departure from the university.Detailed DescriptionThe appointment will be at Grade 5.This role compliments an existing team of 1 Head of HR, 1 Recruitment and OD Specialist, 1 HR Consultant and 1 HR Advisor. Working in close collaboration with our Payroll division you will provide high‑level senior administrative support through all aspects of the employee journey and ongoing operational projects and initiatives and will work closely with the wider operations team to support case management and change management activities.The Operational Business‑as‑Usual activities vary from day to day and we often work to very tight deadlines which require you to be adaptable and flexible in your approach, but it also provides an environment where we learn from a variety of sources, stakeholders and each other. We constantly strive for service excellence and adapt our service delivery to enhance the overall Directorate strategy in line with the University Values.Key Duties and ResponsibilitiesFirst point of contact for all HR related queries from the general public, employees and line managers on MS Teams by email, face‑to‑face and via our HR Helpdesk.Coordinate recruitment logistics including scheduling interviews, conducting pre‑interview salary checks and completing reference verifications. Looks after onboarding and induction processes including relocation support for academic staff.Draft and issue contracts for permanent and temporary staff across a number of Academic Departments (Schools) and Professional Support (Services) using existing templates.Pre‑onboarding support and existing staff support with immigration and offer enquiries and ongoing Right to Work support.Support monthly payroll operations by entering and validating data in the ERP system, coordinating with Finance for casual staff payments and tracking benefit disbursements to ensure accuracy and timeliness.Calculate and advise on family leave entitlement (maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental etc.).Monitor contract end dates and support HR colleagues in issuing changes to terms and conditions using existing templates.Provide admin support for disciplinary, grievance and capability hearings including notetaking as required.Provide advice and guidance on contractual queries including annual leave entitlement, sickness absence etc.Generate and maintain HR reports for statutory and internal use, ensuring data integrity in the ERP system andcollaborating with HR Managers to support data‑driven decision‑making.Working with the whole HR Operations team to ensure processes are well documented and understood to help improve the efficacy of the team.Manage all administrative tasks related to the Dubai annual performance review and cost‑of‑living process, ensuring accurate ERP updates and effective communication of changes with payroll colleagues.Coordinate logistics for all HR projects and training sessions including room bookings, staff invitations, liaising with TECOM authorities for medical camps and access permits, ensuring smooth execution of all HR‑led campus‑wide initiatives.Carry out any other duties which may from time to time be reasonably requested within the grade and level of responsibility of the post.Education Qualifications and ExperienceEssentialEducated to SCQF Level 6 or similar or equivalent experience.Considerable experience in a similar role, particularly with various sets of terms and conditions.Competent in the use of Microsoft suite including Excel.Well‑developed interpersonal skills.Demonstrable professional approach with the ability to work quickly, flexibly and accurately in a dynamic, changing and pressured environment.Good written and oral communication skills w