Center Administrator – NYUAD Wireless Center (Fixed – Term for 3 years)

UAE nationals are encouraged to apply 

New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) seeks to appoint a Center Administrator reporting to the Center Director of NYUAD Wireless Center.

The Research Center Administrator will manage the operations of the NYUAD Wireless Research Center and provide administrative coordination and support to the Center Director, Co-PIs, Researchers, Postdocs, Students, and other members of the Center. In particular, the person in this position will be responsible for handling the day-to-day operations of the Research Center, with different tasks related to the Center’s administration, organization, financial, and communication processes. The type of activities will vary with an emphasis on general administrative support in order to ensure the Center’s continuous and smooth operations. A high degree of initiative, independence of action, and ability to achieve results without explicit guidance are expected, as is the ability to work quickly and efficiently, particularly during busy times.

Key Responsibilities: 

Administration & Operations

• Provide short and long-range planning and implementation, and management of day-to-day operations of the Research Center
• Provide administrative support to the Center Director, Co-PIs, researchers, post-docs, student assistants, undergraduate research fellows, and other NYU collaborators (NYU New York)
• Work effectively with NYUAD administrative units (such as the Finance department, the Post-Award Team Department, the Student Assistantship Department, HR, the Web Team, Public Affairs, and other NYUAD affiliates) to ensure timely and effective responses to inquiries, deadlines, and interdepartmental concerns regarding the Research Center
• Manage and coordinate the NYUAD Wireless space assignment and seating arrangements
• Assist with new collaboration opportunities
• Provide onsite support for both internal and external colleagues
• Compile and assist with the Center Annual Report for the Research Institute as well as other reports
• Organize and manage the center research tracker that is constantly updated with all research outcomes
• Handle RI activities and highlights
• Submit Tamkeen monthly reports
• Manage and ensure ongoing supplies
• Manage room reservations
• Welcome Research Center’s guests
• Handle the Handshake application process for students
• Advertise and carry out recruiting process of student assistants and student researchers as needed by the Center Director
• Oversee hiring plans and staffing process
• Coordinate onboarding process for center researchers and postdoctoral associates
• Provide IT assistance and IT onboarding for center researchers and postdoctoral associates
• Provide walkthroughs and general assistance to new hires
• Issue External Engagement Forms for External Professional Services
• Coordinate the Center’s calendar
• Provide support for Center-related travel and catering

Budgeting & Financial Management

• Manage the daily financial operations of the Center, including budgeting and reporting (budget projections, expenditure) for multiple chartfields to make sure that the Center’s operations and the associated expenses run smoothly
• Maintain and manage Center financial activities, and updates on finance policy; preparation of expense reimbursements; payments to vendors and individuals; quick invoice payments; payment forms; student payments; transfer journal requests; vendor registration; CBE; ePro data entry and PO follow up
• Provide projections and budget expenditures to the Center Director
• Support all high financial processes and approvals on behalf of the Center up to the level of $3K
• Manage Center’s procurement, P-Card, and transactions reconciliation
• Provide summer salaries projections and coordinate the payment of summer salaries, including all follow-ups
• Supervise and coordinate the requests and payment of external engagements

Communications & Outreach Support

• Maintain and manage Center internal and external communications and announcements; Center emails with external and internal colleagues; dynamic distribution lists; and write meeting notes and actions with follow-up accordingly
• Collaborate with the Web Team on the website design
• Manage the day-to-day updates of the NYUAD Wireless website
• Manage NYUAD Wireless Social Media Accounts (Linkedin, Twitter etc) and develop social media campaigns (content creation, design)
• Coordinate the purchase and distribution of NYUAD marketing material
• Develop posters, banners, and fliers
• Develop newsletters, features, media summaries, etc.
• Support the outreach to NYUAD Community in collaboration with Public Affairs via different newsletters, intranet platforms, and email communications
• Work with Public Affairs on identifying and developing stories, etc.

Events Organization

• Lead, manage and provide operational support, including planning and execution of high-quality events, conferences, seminars, webinars, panels, informal gatherings, competitions, and other university-related activities for the leadership, faculty, staff, and students
• Manage all aspects of event coordination, from request intake, venue bookings, catering, AV production, branding, and onsite support
• Manage support staff, i.e., Serco, ADNH, AV, and other service providers, to ensure services requested are delivered in a timely and efficient manner, with the desired quality
• Optimize and oversee branding activities and marketing materials for these events
• Provide outreach and promotion services for events within the NYUAD community and beyond

Required Education: 

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field

Preferred Education: 

• Master’s degree in a related field

Required Experience: 

• 3+ years of high-level administrative experience
• Experience in a university setting dealing with senior leadership, faculty, students, researchers, and local research administration professionals
• Experience in project management including resource planning, financial management, change management, and motivating team initiatives
• Superior written and oral communication skills in English
• Strong organizational skills
• Ability to work autonomously and multi-task effectively in a start-up environment including instances where policies and procedures require further development
• An ability to prioritize and handle multiple processes and requests on tight deadlines with attention to detail
• Professional maturity and judgment consistent with leadership-support responsibilities, including exceptional discretion, confident communications skills, and a capacity for a resourceful initiative in a team context
• A capacity to work collegially and flexibly in a dynamic setting characterized by a complex organizational structure comprising New York University in Abu Dhabi and other New York University campuses
• An understanding of finance and budgeting and the ability to assess data for statistical reports
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc.)
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion, including sensitive data such as salaries

Preferred Experience: 

• 2+ years of experience in the administration of a research center or a similar academic unit
• Experience with NYUAD procedures and operations, e.g., NYUAD Intranet and various application processes (External Engagement, Student Assistantship, Journal Entry, IT onboarding)
• Experience in using NYUAD university platforms (Concur, Oracle BI, E-Pro, Quick Invoice, Citi Manager, Handshake, Space Reservation Booking)
• Experience in event organization (planning and execution of high-quality events, such as conferences, seminars and other university-related activities for the leadership, faculty, staff and students)
• Experience with event coordination from request intake, venue bookings, catering, AV production, branding and onsite support
• Knowledge of social media platforms (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram) and their application in a business or organizational context
• Skill in managing and updating website content using platforms such as WordPress, and creating/distributing newsletters via tools like Direct Mail
• Knowledge of basic graphic design principles and familiarity with design tools such as Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, Canva, or similar platforms
• Strong computer skills, including knowledge of database usage, management, and setup

About NYUAD

NYU Abu Dhabi is a degree-granting research university with a fully integrated liberal arts and science undergraduate program in the Arts, Sciences, Social Sciences, Humanities, and Engineering. NYU Abu Dhabi, NYU New York, and NYU Shanghai, form the backbone of NYU’s global network university, an interconnected network of portal campuses and academic centers across six continents that enable seamless international mobility of students and faculty in their pursuit of academic and scholarly activity. This global university represents a transformative shift in higher education, one in which the intellectual and creative endeavors of academia are shaped and examined through an international and multicultural perspective. As a major intellectual hub at the crossroads of the Arab world, NYUAD serves as a center for scholarly thought, advanced research, knowledge creation, and sharing, through its academic, research, and creative activities.