Job Overview: Academic Quality Officer (Dubai Campus)

This is a high-visibility “Institutional Governance” role at Heriot-Watt University Dubai , a globally recognized leader in transnational education. As the Academic Quality Officer , you will act as the “Regulatory Architect,” responsible for the “Compliance DNA” of the university’s licensure and academic standards within the UAE. Operating within the Registry and Academic Support (RAS) Directorate, you will be the primary liaison between the global academic quality teams and UAE government authorities. This role is designed for a detail-driven professional who can navigate the complex “Technical Grit” of CAA, KHDA, and MoHESR requirements to ensure that the university’s global provision scales with “Mechanical Accuracy.”

Key Information

Employer: Heriot-Watt University Dubai
Grade: G6
Location: Dubai Knowledge Park, Dubai (Dubai Campus)
Working Pattern: 1 FTE, Full-time
Department: Registry and Academic Support (RAS)
Salary Estimate: AED 18,000 – AED 25,000 per month (Tax-free, based on Grade G6 benchmarks in Dubai’s Higher Education sector).

Key Responsibilities

You will manage the “Accreditation Lifecycle” for the Dubai campus:

Regulatory Data Architecture: Gathering and validating university-wide data for critical returns to the CAA , the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHESR) , and the KHDA .
Accreditation Strategy: Collating and drafting complex documentation for the approval and re-approval of University licenses and academic programs.
Audit Coordination: Leading the logistics for licensure and audit events, ensuring that both internal University standards and external UAE government mandates are met.
Stakeholder Diplomacy: Maintaining strong, collaborative relationships with UAE regulatory bodies and internal academic schools to ensure “Zero-Gap” compliance.
Policy Guidance: Providing expert advice to staff on academic quality policies, procedures, and local accreditation requirements.
Partnership Monitoring: Supporting the review and renewal of external partnership agreements, including Partner Annual Monitoring and international policy development.
PSRB Management: Coordinating reporting for Professional, Statutory, and Regulatory Bodies (PSRB) to ensure global accreditations remain current and valid.

Candidate Requirements and Skills

Heriot-Watt seeks a “Methodical Coordinator” with a focus on Higher Education standards:

Professional Pedigree: Proven experience in academic quality assurance, registry services, or regulatory compliance within a Higher Education setting.
Regulatory Intelligence: Deep familiarity with the UAE education landscape, specifically the requirements of the CAA (Commission for Academic Accreditation) and KHDA .
Analytical Mastery: Exceptional ability to gather, analyze, and present complex data sets for government reporting.
Communication Mastery: High-level “Linguistic Polish” in English; the ability to draft formal reports and represent the University in high-stakes meetings.
Organizational Grit: Strong project management skills to coordinate multi-departmental audits and accreditation events under tight deadlines.
Technical Fluency: Proficiency in student record systems and Microsoft Office Suite (Excel and Word).

Salary and Benefits

This role provides a stable, prestigious platform within a global “Top-Tier” University:

Monthly Pay: AED 18,000 – AED 25,000 (Tax-free, commensurate with Grade G6 experience).
Global Exposure: The opportunity to work across a global campus network (Dubai, Malaysia, and Edinburgh).
Statutory Perks: Comprehensive medical insurance, annual flight allowance, and professional development opportunities within the RAS Directorate.
Work Environment: A collaborative, “Values-Led” culture focused on student success and academic excellence.

Market Context: Academic Quality Salaries in Dubai 2026

In 2026, Dubai’s status as a global “Education Hub” makes Quality Officers essential for maintaining international rankings. Heriot-Watt’s Grade G6 package is a competitive mid-to-senior offering:

Role Category	Monthly Salary (AED)	Context
Academic Admin	10,000 – 14,000	Support / Generalist
Academic Quality Officer	18,000 – 25,000	Regulatory / G6 Grade
Quality Manager / Head	35,000 – 50,000	Strategic Leadership

Unique Job Description

Position: Academic Quality Officer — Engineering the Standards of Global Education

Are you a “Compliance Strategist” who believes that the foundation of a world-class education is built on rigorous quality and data integrity? Heriot-Watt University Dubai is seeking an Academic Quality Officer to join our elite Registry team. We don’t just “offer courses”; We engineer the Academic and Regulatory Frameworks that allow students to flourish on a global scale. This isn’t a role for a “generalist administrator”; it’s a mission for a “Quality Architect” —someone who can navigate the complexities of CAA and KHDA regulations with “technical grit” and provide the institutional leadership that our global brand legacy demands.

In this position, you are the pilot of our accreditation engine. You will spend your days (at our state-of-the-art Dubai campus ) architecting the data returns, audit reports, and policy guidelines that define our success in the UAE. Whether you are using your analytical mastery to collate complex regulatory submissions or utilizing your stakeholder skills to represent the University before government bodies, your “interpersonal polish” and “methodical approach” will be our greatest assets. You thrive in an environment where you are trusted to maintain the University’s license to operate, challenged to meet strict audit timelines, and rewarded with a tax-free salary and the chance to shape the future of a Top-100 global institution.

We are looking for a proactive professional with a passion for Higher Education governance and an “excellence-first” mindset. If you have the “resourcefulness” to coordinate multi-campus reviews and the “communication skills” to advocate for academic standards, Heriot-Watt offers you a premier platform to reach your potential. Join us in Dubai, and let’s engineer a more extraordinary and compliant future for global education together.

Heriot-Watt University, Dubai

The Company

Heriot-Watt University Dubai is the pioneering overseas campus of the prestigious Edinburgh-based institution, established in 2005 as the first British university in Dubai International Academic City. With a heritage dating back to 1821 , it is globally recognized for its leadership in STEM, Business, and Design . By 2026, the Dubai campus has solidified its position as a “global college” hub, ranked 287th in the world (QS World University Rankings 2026). It is fully accredited by the CAA (Commission for Academic Accreditation) and consistently receives 5-star ratings from the KHDA . The university is a critical driver of the UAE’s knowledge economy, recently hosting the inaugural Social Capital 2026 conference and spearheading research through its Center for Excellence in Smart and Sustainable Construction (CES²C) .

Culture

The culture at Heriot-Watt Dubai is anchored in the strategy “Shaping Tomorrow Together,” defined by four core values: Inspire, Collaborate, Belong, and Celebrate. It is a research-informed, industry-linked environment that bridges Scottish academic heritage with the UAE’s future-forward ambition. The internal spirit is characterized by “Global Connectivity,” fostering an inclusive community of over 5,000 students from 115 nationalities . The university prioritizes well-being and happiness , featuring a dedicated Student Services Center and specialized support like the “Maths Gym.” It is a workplace and learning space that rewards pioneering innovation , where students can seamlessly transfer between UK, Malaysia, and UAE campuses through the Go Global program.

Location

In 2021, the university moved to a futuristic, state-of-the-art campus in Dubai Knowledge Park (DKP) , adjacent to Dubai Media City and Internet City. The 48,000 sq. ft. The James Watt Building serves as a centerpiece for collaborative learning, featuring digitally focused “pod rooms,” a Bloomberg Trading Room for finance students, and a Global Incubator for startups. Its central location in the city’s “knowledge corridor” provides students with immediate physical proximity to global tech giants, facilitating a direct pipeline from the classroom to the international professional environment.

Heriot-Watt Dubai: 2026 Strategic Pillars

Pillar	Feature / Achievement	Strategic Objective
Accreditation	CAA & KHDA 5-Star	Ensuring degrees are fully recognized for UAE public and private sector roles.
Research Hub	CES²C & Robotics Lab	Leading breakthroughs in AI, Robotics, and Smart Construction.
Global Mobility	Go Global Programme	Enabling inter-campus transfers to Edinburgh or Kuala Lumpur.
Entrepreneurship	Edinburgh Business School Incubator	Developing the next generation of founders and “Future Shapers.”
Thought Leadership	Social Capital 2026	Hosting world-renowned scholars to explore resilient societal structures.

2026 Trending Courses & “Semantic DNA”

Future-Tech Mastery: High demand for specialized tracks in MSc Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Applied Cyber Security .
Sustainability Leadership: Strategic focus on Global Sustainability Engineering and Renewable Energy Engineering aligned with UAE Net-Zero goals.
Business Excellence: Premium education through the Edinburgh Business School , including MSc Business Analytics and Digital Marketing .
Psychology & Design: Expanding research in the Psychology Lab and the Design Hub for architecture and fashion branding.

To apply for this job please visit www.hw.ac.uk.