Head of Academic Events

Job Purpose:

The Head of Academic Events leads the strategy, planning and execution of MBZUAI’s academic events portfolio within the Office of Student and Postdoctoral Affairs (OSPA). The role is accountable for translating institutional priorities into well-governed, high-quality events delivered on schedule and within budget, while managing risk and achieving agreed outcomes. The portfolio includes Commencement and other major academic events that OSPA leads or in which it has a significant delivery or stakeholder role, including events delivered by within the OSPA portfolio.

The Head owns OSPA’s annual academic events calendar and directs the full lifecycle of events delivered by the function, from concept development and detailed planning through live delivery and post-event evaluation. The role also establishes delivery standards and provides proportionate support for events led by OSPA teams and academic departments. It sets priorities and success measures, exercises delegated authority over event scope and expenditure, and represents OSPA in institutional forums where priorities, resources and cross-functional responsibilities are agreed.

Key Responsibilities:

Portfolio Strategy and Governance

• Lead the development and management of OSPA’s annual academic events calendar, aligned with MBZUAI and OSPA priorities.
• Define the scope, scale and success measures for each event and secure endorsement through the appropriate governance route.
• Establish and maintain the frameworks, standards, templates and processes for planning and delivering academic events.
• Balance priorities across the portfolio when resources, timing or institutional capacity are constrained.

Delivery Leadership

• Hold overall accountability for the delivery of Commencement, IOAI and the wider academic events program, including quality, schedule, cost and outcomes.
• Set the direction for major events delivered by the function and delegate detailed planning and delivery to the Associate Head. Provide proportionate support to OSPA teams and academic departments for events in which OSPA has an agreed role, based on priority, complexity, risk and available resources.
• Maintain the portfolio risk register, determine mitigation actions and escalate material risks through OSPA governance and leadership channels.

Financial and Commercial Management

• Manage the delegated academic events budget, including forecasting, allocation across events and in-year reallocation.
• Review and approve event budgets prepared by the Associate Head and remain accountable for the portfolio’s overall financial position.
• Lead procurement and supplier selection for event services, approve contract terms within delegated authority, and manage supplier performance.
• Report the budget position, forecasts and value for money to OSPA leadership and through institutional financial reporting channels.

Institutional Representation and Stakeholder Leadership

• Serve as an OSPA representative for academic events with relevant internal and external stakeholders.
• Resolve questions of scope, resourcing and accountability with partner functions, escalating matters that exceed the role’s authority or cannot be resolved at this level.
• Represent MBZUAI with government entities, sponsors, visiting delegations and international partners on academic event matters.

People Leadership

• Manage and develop Associate Head, Academic Events & Engagement, including setting objectives, delegating delivery authority, reviewing performance and supporting professional development.
• Assemble and lead extended delivery teams for major events, including contracted, casual and seconded staff.
• Build capability across the function in event design, stakeholder management, budget control and delivery.

Other Duties

• Contribute to university-wide programs, including orientation, wellbeing initiatives, global observances, leadership development, and personal growth activities.
• Perform all other duties as reasonably directed by the line manager that are commensurate with these functional objectives.

Qualifications and Criteria:

• Bachelor’s degree in event management, communications, public relations, higher education administration, business or a related field.
• A master’s degree or postgraduate qualification in a related discipline is preferred.

Essential:

• At least 8 years of progressive experience in event leadership, including senior accountability for a portfolio, budget, people, delivery, vendor management and outcomes.
• Demonstrated ownership of a portfolio of large-scale, high-profile events, with accountability beyond individual event delivery.
• Experience in a university, research institute or comparable academic environment.
• Proven experience delivering events involving heads of state, ministers, senior dignitaries or comparable VIP protocol requirements.
• Proven experience managing and developing direct reports and holding teams accountable for delivery.
• Experience exercising delegated budget authority, including portfolio-level forecasting, allocation and in-year management.
• Demonstrated ability to influence peers, agree cross-functional responsibilities and secure delivery from teams outside the role’s direct reporting line.
• Experience leading procurement, contracting and supplier performance management.
• Sound judgment under pressure in live delivery environments, including incident and contingency management.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

Preferred:

• Experience delivering academic ceremonies, graduation events or international academic competitions.
• Experience working in the UAE or wider GCC region, with an understanding of regional institutional and protocol requirements.
• Proficiency in Arabic.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) or equivalent certification