Governance & Legal Officer Campus

Governance & Legal Officer – Dubai Campus Job Description

Job Posting

Title:

Legal and Governance Officer

Position Title:Legal and Governance Officer

Grade and Salary:Grade 6 (Starting Salary AED ,000 Annually Depending on Experience)

FTE and working pattern:Full Time

Organisation Name:Heriot Watt University (Dubai Campus)

About our School/Directorate and Team:

The Governance, Assurance and Legal Services (GALS) Directorate supports effective and accountable governance, compliance, and institutional safety to enable the delivery of Strategy 2035. Our mission is to drive improvement in legal services, governance, and compliance through high-quality legal advice, monitoring of compliance, and capacity building at the Dubai Campus of Heriot-Watt University.

We are seeking a detail-oriented and proactive Legal and Governance Officer to join our team, with a primary focus on legal documentation, advice, research, and internal stakeholder engagement. This role will also support broader activities within the GALS portfolio.

The GALS Directorate, is responsible for the provision of a range of services to the University as follows:

• Legal Services
  – Custodianship of the legal repository; drafting, reviewing, and supporting the approval of legal documents in line with the University’s governance structure; providing clear and pragmatic legal advice; contract negotiation; and preparing legal updates for senior stakeholders.
• Information Governance
  – Ensuring compliance with local and international data protection laws; developing and implementing related policies and procedures.
• Risk Management
  – Supporting the maintenance of the University’s risk registers and risk management framework; contributing to reporting for University committees and governance groups.
• Internal Review Activities
  – Supporting internal compliance and governance reviews in coordination with the University’s internal audit providers.
• Business Continuity Planning
  – Assisting with the development and communication of business continuity plans and staff/student training.
• Insurance
  – Supporting the management of institutional insurance cover and handling of queries including travel and consular documentation.
• Controls Assurance
  – Supporting development and implementation of a business assurance framework and monitoring the effectiveness of key internal controls.

Summary of Key Duties and Responsibilities (Essential functions and duties):

Inthisrole,youwillprimarilybe responsible for administrative tasks related to legal matters, internal audit, internal stakeholder management, with a particular emphasis on ensuring compliance with the University’s governance structure and delegations, and local Laws and Regulations. You will also be expected to support in the broader areas of services offered by the GALS Directorate from time-to-time.

The role will work closely with theHead of GALS, and other GALS team members at the Dubai Campus. The detailed job description is as follows:

• Assist in drafting, reviewing, and coordinating the approval process for legal agreements, contracts, and Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) related to the Dubai Campus.
• Organise and maintain legal files, contracts, and the legal document repository to ensure accurate and efficient document management.
• Provide timely and pragmatic legal advice under supervision of the Head of GALS, in line with University policy and local regulations to all internal stakeholders.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of governance and legal processes to ensure alignment with University policies and relevant UAE laws and regulations.
• Provide internal guidance on legal and governance issues, business processes, and control effectiveness.
• Stay informed about legal and regulatory developments in the UAE, UK, and other jurisdictions relevant to the University’s operations.
• Working closely with all Professional services directorates across the campus to assist the Head of GALS to conduct quarterly internal reviewsto identify potential risks, recommend mitigation strategies, and track follow-up actions.
• Provide general support for Head of GALS on production of papers for the University Executive, the Court (its governing…