Job Description

Roles & Responsibilities

Position: Director, Office of Faculty Affairs (OFA) Classification: Director Level Reports To: Vice President for Academic Affairs About The American International University American International University (AIU) is a private institution in Kuwait, founded in 2019, offering undergraduate programs in Engineering, Architecture and Design, Business Administration, Arts and Sciences, and Education, delivered in English on the American model of higher education. AIU serves a community of over 3,000 students and is executing the RISE Strategy 2.0, a five-year institutional transformation anchored in research development, WSCUC international accreditation, student success, and community engagement. Faculty excellence is one of AIU's greatest strategic assets and an essential enabler of every pillar of the RISE Strategy. Outstanding teaching, meaningful scholarship, effective service, academic leadership, and institutional innovation all depend upon attracting, supporting, developing, recognising, and retaining exceptional faculty. The Director of the Office of Faculty Affairs is responsible for creating an institutional environment in which faculty thrive throughout their academic careers, strengthening academic excellence, shared governance, leadership development, and institutional effectiveness while supporting AIU's ambitions for WSCUC accreditation and long-term academic distinction. For more information, visit: www.aiu.edu.kw Department Profile The Office of Faculty Affairs (OFA) is AIU's institutional hub for faculty success, academic engagement, academic career development, shared governance, and institutional faculty excellence. Operating under the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Office serves all Schools, the Foundation Programme, and future graduate programmes, working collaboratively with more than 120 full-time faculty together with adjunct, visiting, and future clinical faculty. The Office is established as one of AIU's strategic academic support units under the RISE Strategy, with the Director serving as its founding leader responsible for developing the Office's policies, programmes, partnerships, operational culture, and long-term strategic direction. Working collaboratively with Human Resources, Deans, Department Chairs, the Centre for Teaching & Learning, the Office of Graduate Studies, the Office of Research and Scholarly Activity, the Registrar, Quality Assurance, Student Affairs, Library Services, and other institutional units, the Director ensures that faculty-related academic matters are coordinated consistently across the University while maintaining a clear distinction from Human Resources' employment responsibilities. The Office complements but does not replace the responsibilities of Human Resources. Human Resources remains responsible for employment administration, contracts, payroll, benefits, immigration, and employee relations, while the Office of Faculty Affairs provides academic leadership, coordination, guidance, and support on matters relating to faculty success, academic development, governance, academic progression, recognition, and institutional effectiveness. The Office carries four interconnected institutional mandates: 1. Faculty Success & Engagement Building an academic environment in which faculty are supported throughout every stage of their academic careers through mentoring, engagement, recognition, wellbeing, professional growth, leadership development, and institutional support. 2. Academic Career Development & Recognition Supporting promotion, academic rank progression, leadership development, succession planning, recognition, awards, and continuous academic growth. 3. Academic Policies & Shared Governance Promoting transparent governance, institutional consistency, academic integrity, faculty participation in decision-making, and continuous policy development. 4. Institutional Excellence & Faculty Effectiveness Supporting institutional effectiveness, accreditation, academic quality, faculty engagement, strategic planning, and cross-functional collaboration in support of AIU's long-term academic mission. Scope of Work The Director of the Office of Faculty Affairs provides strategic and operational leadership across six interconnected institutional domains that collectively support faculty excellence, institutional effectiveness, academic quality, and shared governance. The Director serves as the University's principal academic administrator for faculty affairs, providing leadership in the development and implementation of faculty-related academic policies, career development initiatives, governance structures, recognition programmes, academic support services, and institutional planning. The Director is simultaneously a strategic advisor, policy leader, governance specialist, faculty advocate, organisational developer, and institutional partner. This is not a role focused on employment administration; rather, it is a leadership position responsible for creating an institutional environment in which faculty are supported, recognised, developed, and empowered to contribute fully to AIU's academic mission. The Director operates primarily as a strategic leader, advisor, facilitator, and institutional partner, working collaboratively with Human Resources and other University offices rather than duplicating their operational responsibilities. This position requires a leader capable of building relationships across the institution, promoting collaboration, supporting faculty success, and ensuring that faculty-related academic processes are fair, transparent, consistent, and aligned with AIU's strategic priorities. Key Responsibilities 1. Faculty Success and Academic Engagement Develop a comprehensive institutional strategy supporting faculty success throughout the academic career lifecycle. Establish and coordinate faculty mentoring programmes for new, early-career, international, and newly promoted faculty. Coordinate faculty orientation and academic transition activities in collaboration with Human Resources and the Centre for Teaching & Learning. Promote interdisciplinary collaboration among faculty across schools. Develop programmes supporting faculty engagement and institutional belonging. Coordinate faculty networking events, retreats, academic forums, and engagement initiatives. Support faculty wellbeing through collaboration with relevant institutional offices. Facilitate communication between Academic Affairs and faculty. Serve as an accessible resource for faculty seeking guidance on academic policies and procedures. Promote an inclusive, respectful, and collaborative academic culture. Coordinate faculty recognition and appreciation initiatives. Support retention of high-performing faculty through engagement initiatives. Develop institutional faculty engagement and satisfaction surveys.

Desired Candidate Profile

Minimum Qualifications:

Education

• Earned doctoral degree (PhD or equivalent) from an accredited institution.
• Academic qualifications suitable for appointment to an academic rank at Assistant Professor or above. Associate Professor or Professor preferred.

Experience

• Minimum seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in higher education administration, including at least three (3) years in academic leadership.
• Demonstrated experience supporting faculty affairs, academic governance, promotion, faculty development, or academic administration within a university environment.
• Experience developing and implementing faculty-related academic policies and procedures.
• Experience supporting faculty promotion, academic rank, faculty evaluation, mentoring, or academic career development.
• Human Resources, and senior administrators.
• Demonstrated experience supporting accreditation, institutional effectiveness, or quality assurance initiatives.
• Experience preparing reports, policy papers, committee documentation, and institutional analyses.
• Experience working in a multicultural higher education environment; GCC experience is desirable.

Technical and Professional Knowledge

• Comprehensive understanding of faculty affairs administration in higher education.
• Knowledge of academic governance principles and shared governance models.
• Knowledge of faculty promotion, academic rank, faculty evaluation, mentoring, and academic career development.
• Knowledge of higher education regulations, accreditation requirements, and institutional quality assurance.
• Understanding of faculty workload models and academic staffing principles.
• Knowledge of faculty lifecycle management from an academic perspective.
• Familiarity with faculty information systems and institutional reporting.
• Knowledge of WSCUC accreditation standards and their relationship to faculty qualifications, governance, institutional effectiveness, and academic quality.
• Understanding of higher education policy development and institutional governance.
• Familiarity with American-model higher education systems is highly desirable.

Skills, Competencies and Personal Attributes

• Demonstrated ability to establish trust and credibility with faculty, academic leaders, and senior administrators.
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and relationship-building skills.
• Strong diplomacy and conflict resolution skills.
• Ability to manage confidential and sensitive faculty matters with discretion and professionalism.
• Excellent organisational, analytical, and project management abilities.
• Ability to facilitate collaboration across multiple academic and administrative units.
• Commitment to shared governance, transparency, fairness, and collegiality.
• Ability to balance institutional priorities with faculty interests.
• Excellent written communication skills, including policy writing and report preparation.
• Strategic thinking with the ability to translate institutional priorities into practical initiatives.
• Commitment to continuous improvement and evidence-based decision-making.
• Cultural awareness and ability to work effectively within an international university environment.
• High ethical standards, sound judgement, and professional integrity.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience serving as Director of Faculty Affairs, Associate Dean, Dean, or other senior academic leadership position.
• Experience establishing or significantly enhancing a Faculty Affairs Office or equivalent academic support unit.
• Experience supporting faculty promotion, academic rank assignment, mentoring programmes, or academic leadership development.
• Experience working within an American-model university.
• Experience contributing to institutional or programme accreditation processes, including WSCUC or comparable accreditation frameworks.
• Familiarity with higher education in the Gulf region and Private Universities Council (PUC) requirements.
• Demonstrated leadership in faculty engagement, recognition, or wellbeing initiatives.
• Evidence of scholarly achievement and active engagement in higher education leadership.