Job Purpose

The Senior Quality Assurance Specialist (SQA) is responsible for coordinating and administering quality assurance and compliance components for MBZUAI programs and services. The role involves ensuring that the University and all programs meet the established quality standards and regulatory requirements. This involves careful inspection and enforcement of quality standards and regulations. The SQA will design and manage research and evaluation projects, administer the university’s improvment research, and analyze data collected via multiple evaluation channels. The SQA willsupport the quality assurance process to ensure the integrity and accuracy of information delivered and make recommendations, disseminate the research, and coordinate the continuous improvement plans based on the standards. The SQA will support the development of relevant accreditation and licensing bodies documentation.

Key Responsibilities:

1. 1- Quality Assurance Leadership:
   • Collaborate with department heads to implement Quality Assurance (QA) standards that align with accreditation and regulatory requirements.
   • Support the development and ongoing monitoring of the university’s quality assurance framework, ensuring alignment with institutional goals and regulatory requirements.
   • Collaborate with departments to ensure that all university projects are aligned with Higher Education (HE) QA standards, and QA activities are aligned with the university’s strategic goals, such as enhancing student experience and operational efficiency.
   • Conduct thorough reviews of academic programs and institutional services to ensure full compliance with regulatory standards and accreditation requirements and identify and address any areas of discrepancies or gaps or continuous improvement as needed.
   • Support the Head of IEQA in coordinating and organizing external inspections to verify and maintain high standards of quality in programs and services.
   • Compile comprehensive post-inspection reports detailing regulatory outcomes and actionable recommendations for improvement.
   • Act as the primary point of contact for quality-related issues in cross-departmental projects, ensuring that all systems meet the educational standards.
   • Conduct in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and other qualitative research activities as needed to answer evaluation questions.
2. 2- Risk Assessment and Regulatory Compliance:
   • Develop risk mitigation strategies to prevent quality issues impacting MBZUAI’s accreditation status or regulatory compliance.
   • Conduct audits and reviews to assess compliance with established quality standards, focusing on areas critical to accreditation and regulatory adherence.
   • Collaborate with the Legal, compliance, and Audit teams to address any non-compliance issues, ensuring that they are resolved before they impact accreditation or result in regulatory penalties.
   • Support the Institutional Effectiveness (IE) Specialist in developing policies and procedures for handling quality-related incidents, ensuring they align with university risk management plans and external reporting requirements.
3. 3- Stakeholder Engagement:
   • Regularly communicate with internal stakeholders (faculty, administration, IT) to understand their QA expectations and ensure alignment with academic and operational goals.
   • Provide detailed QA reports to the MBZUAI leadership, highlighting compliance with regulatory standards and related potential areas for improvement.
   • Translate technical QA results into requirements and expectations suitable for non-technical audiences and stakeholders.
   • Ensure that all stakeholders are informed about QA timelines and milestones and their impact on academic programs and operations.
   • Coordinate with IT, administrative staff, and other departments to ensure that QA requirements meet the needs of academic programs and institutional accreditation standards.
   • Facilitate workshops and training sessions on quality standards and procedures, emphasizing their importance in meeting external accreditation and regulatory requirements.
   • Liaise with relevant team members across the university when managing relationships with external vendors and consultants, ensuring their contributions align with regulatory requirements.
4. 4- Internal Quality Assurance Support:
   • Oversee data quality and management in current data collection methods, including appropriate storage and data management protocols.
   • Support benchmarking studies to compare the University with other leading institutions/universities.
   • Collaborate with multiple department teams to ensure all projects adhere to best practices, are ethically conducted, and deliver high-quality, fit-for-purpose research.
   • Support in preparing the submission of MoE, CAA, ADEK, and ADEO applications and other materials conducted by MBZUAI as required.
   • Support qualitative evaluation and research project design to answer program and policy questions, collaborating closely with the teams to ensure they meet the regulatory requirements. – Support the IEQA team in interpreting and summarizing research and evaluations, collecting results for program, government, and funder audiences.

Academic
Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in related fields such as Quality Assurance, Business, Public Policy, Research Methods, or Education. A Master’s degree in the relevant fields above will be preferred.

Professional
Experience

• 8 – 10 years of office work experience, preferably not including internships and fellowships.
• Experience with impact and/or performance evaluation concepts and survey research.
• Experience leading and evaluating projects in the HE sector.
• Experience working in HE Institutions. Experience in consulting with regulators and licensing accreditors and developing and reviewing relevant documentation.