Job Description

Job Purpose

The Head of Quality Assurance and Institutional Effectiveness is responsible for providing strategic leadership for the University's quality assurance, institutional effectiveness, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement functions.

The postholder will lead the development, implementation, monitoring, and enhancement of the University's Quality Assurance Framework, ensuring academic quality, institutional effectiveness, regulatory compliance, and operational excellence across all areas of the University. The role is central to supporting institutional licensure, programme accreditation, strategic planning, performance management, and the achievement of the University's mission and strategic objectives.

Working directly with the President and senior leadership team, the Head of Quality Assurance and Institutional Effectiveness will promote a culture of continuous improvement, evidence-based decision-making, accountability, and academic excellence while ensuring full compliance with the requirements of the UAE Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA)

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Lead the University's Quality Assurance and Institutional Effectiveness Department.
• Develop and implement the University's Quality Assurance Strategy and Institutional Effectiveness Framework.
• Promote a University-wide culture of continuous quality enhancement and evidence-based decision-making.
• Advise the President and senior leadership on quality assurance, regulatory compliance, strategic planning, and institutional performance.
• Support the achievement of the University's Strategic Plan and institutional objectives.

Quality Assurance

• Develop, implement, monitor, and review the University's Quality Assurance Framework.
• Ensure effective quality assurance processes operate across all academic and administrative departments.
• Lead Annual Programme Monitoring, Periodic Programme Reviews, institutional self-evaluation, and quality enhancement initiatives.
• Coordinate internal quality audits and quality improvement activities.
• Monitor implementation of quality improvement action plans.
• Develop and review academic policies, procedures, and quality assurance documentation.
• Promote good practice and quality enhancement throughout the University.

Institutional Effectiveness

• Lead the University's institutional effectiveness and performance management activities.
• Develop institutional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and performance dashboards.
• Monitor institutional performance against strategic objectives.
• Coordinate institutional benchmarking against national and international higher education standards.
• Produce institutional effectiveness reports for senior management and governance committees.
• Support evidence-based planning and decision-making.
• Coordinate institutional data collection, analysis, and reporting.

CAA Compliance and Accreditation

• Lead the University's compliance with the requirements of the UAE Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA)
• Maintain expert knowledge of the CAA Standards for Institutional Licensure and Programme Accreditation (SILPA) and ensure institutional compliance.
• Coordinate preparations for institutional licensure, programme accreditation, substantive change applications, annual reporting, monitoring activities, and CAA review visits.
• Coordinate the preparation of Self-Study Reports, compliance reports, and supporting evidence.
• Advise senior management on regulatory developments and accreditation requirements.
• Monitor institutional compliance with all regulatory standards and recommend corrective actions where necessary.

Academic Quality

• Support academic programme validation, review, approval, and enhancement.
• Monitor programme quality indicators, student achievement, progression, retention, completion, and graduate outcomes.
• Coordinate External Examiner processes and quality enhancement activities.
• Monitor academic standards across all Schools.
• Support Programme Leaders and Deans in maintaining academic quality.

Surveys, Data and Performance Analysis

• Oversee the University's student, graduate, alumni, employer, and staff surveys.
• Analyse survey results and produce institutional reports.
• Monitor student satisfaction, engagement, retention, progression, and graduate outcomes.
• Produce institutional performance reports using data analytics and benchmarking.
• Develop institutional dashboards to support strategic planning and continuous improvement.

Risk Management and Compliance

• Support the University's institutional risk management framework.
• Monitor risks associated with academic quality, regulatory compliance, and institutional performance.
• Ensure quality-related risks are identified, monitored, and appropriately managed.
• Support internal and external audits.

Policy Development

• Lead the development and review of quality assurance, academic governance, institutional effectiveness, and compliance policies.
• Ensure institutional policies remain aligned with CAA requirements and international best practice.
• Advise departments on policy implementation and regulatory compliance.

Committee Support and Governance

• Serve as Secretary or lead officer for Quality Assurance Committee, Institutional Effectiveness Committee, and other relevant committees.
• Prepare reports for the Academic Board, Executive Board, and the Board of Trustees.
• Present institutional quality reports to senior leadership.
• Monitor implementation of committee decisions.

Leadership and Staff Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop staff within the Quality Assurance and Institutional Effectiveness Department.
• Promote professional development and continuous improvement.
• Deliver quality assurance training for academic and professional staff.
• Foster a collaborative culture focused on excellence and accountability.

External Engagement

• Represent the University during CAA visits, accreditation reviews, audits, and external quality assessments.
• Develop relationships with national and international quality assurance agencies.
• Participate in professional networks relating to higher education quality and institutional effectiveness.
• Promote institutional benchmarking and international best practice.

Person Specification

Essential Qualifications

• Master's degree in Higher Education, Educational Leadership, Quality Assurance, Business Administration, Management, or a related discipline.
• A doctoral qualification (PhD or Professional Doctorate) is strongly preferred.
• Professional qualifications in quality assurance or higher education leadership are advantageous.

Essential Experience

• Minimum of seven years' senior experience in quality assurance, institutional effectiveness, academic quality, or higher education administration.
• Previous experience working within a university licensed and accredited by the UAE Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA) is essential.
• Demonstrable experience leading institutional licensure, programme accreditation, or major CAA compliance activities.
• Extensive practical knowledge of the CAA Standards for Institutional Licensure and Programme Accreditation (SILPA).
• Experience leading Annual Programme Monitoring, institutional reviews, and quality enhancement.
• Experience developing institutional KPIs and performance monitoring systems.
• Experience preparing Self-Study Reports, accreditation documentation, and quality reports.
• Experience supporting Academic Board, quality committees, and institutional governance.
• Experience managing quality assurance teams.

Desirable Experience

• Experience supporting the establishment of a new higher education institution.
• Experience of UK higher education quality assurance frameworks (QAA) alongside UAE CAA requirements.
• Experience implementing institutional performance management systems.
• Experience with international rankings, benchmarking, and performance indicators.
• Experience using Power BI, Tableau, or similar business intelligence tools.
• Experience managing strategic planning processes.

Essential Knowledge

• Expert knowledge of the UAE Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA) Standards for Institutional Licensure and Programme Accreditation (SILPA).
• Higher education quality assurance and quality enhancement.
• Institutional effectiveness and strategic planning.
• Academic governance.
• Programme validation and review.
• Performance measurement and KPI development.
• Risk management.
• Data analytics and institutional reporting.
• Benchmarking methodologies.
• Higher education policy and regulation.

Essential Skills

• Exceptional strategic leadership skills.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Outstanding report-writing and policy development skills.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to interpret and apply complex regulatory frameworks.
• Strong project management and organisational skills.
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders and lead institutional change.
• Excellent leadership, mentoring, and people management skills.
• Commitment to academic excellence, continuous improvement, and institutional effectiveness.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Successful institutional licensure and programme accreditation outcomes.
• Full compliance with CAA requirements.
• Timely completion of Annual Programme Monitoring and institutional reviews.
• Achievement of institutional strategic KPIs.
• Continuous improvement in student satisfaction, retention, progression, and graduate outcomes.
• Completion of quality enhancement action plans.
• Successful preparation for external audits and accreditation visits.
• Quality and timeliness of institutional reporting.
• Development and implementation of institutional performance dashboards.
• Effectiveness of quality assurance training and staff engagement.
• Contribution to the achievement of the University's Strategic Plan.

Other Duties

The postholder may be required to undertake such other duties, commensurate with the seniority and responsibilities of the post, as may reasonably be requested by the President. The Head of Quality Assurance and Institutional Effectiveness is expected to uphold the values, policies, and strategic objectives of Global University College and provide strategic leadership in developing a culture of quality, accountability, continuous improvement, and regulatory compliance that supports academic excellence and the University's long-term success.