Employee Relations Specialist

CATEGORY Non Faculty Vacancies
College Departments
Department Human Resources Department
Job Purpose

To serve as the primary HR partner and point of contact for designated colleges and departments at the University of Sharjah, ensuring the seamless delivery of employee lifecycle services, time and attendance management, and benefits administration. This role focuses on maintaining high operational quality, enforcing policy compliance, and fostering positive employee relations to support the strategic objectives of the Human Resources Department and the University.

Main accountabilities & expectations HR Advisory and Employee Relations Support

• Serve as the main liaison for academic and non-academic staff within designated colleges/departments; communicate effectively across internal and external stakeholders to resolve HR queries and provide clear guidance.

• Ensure all staff members understand and adhere to the University of Sharjah’s HR policies, standards, and guidelines, providing advisory support whenever necessary.

• Support the mobilization, orientation, and integration of new hires in close coordination with the Talent Acquisition and Talent Management teams.

• Facilitate the training and coaching of new team members on internal HR processes to ensure a seamless understanding of their tasks and responsibilities.

Lifecycle and Contract Management

• Monitor and track employees approaching the end of their probationary periods, ensuring line managers complete performance evaluations and status confirmations on time.

• Manage the end-to-end contract renewal process, including gathering line managers' decisions, compiling performance appraisals, issuing renewal letters, and executing updates in the ERP system.

• Process all personnel changes, transfers, and profile updates (e.g., job title changes, marital status updates, educational degree upgrades) within the ERP system.

• Facilitate the online and manual end-of-service clearance processes for academic and non-academic staff, coordinating with relevant colleges and departments to ensure timely closure.

Time, Attendance, and Absence Management

• Manage and process all categories of leave (e.g., annual, maternity, unpaid, compensation, escort, and sick leaves); validate "return from leave" requests against the attendance system for accurate reconciliation.

• Oversee the daily administration of the attendance system, including new user registration, fingerprint troubleshooting/rescans, shift adjustments, scheduling, and logging learning days.

• Analyze professional staff attendance records monthly, report violations (tardiness, early departures, absenteeism), and apply disciplinary actions in strict compliance with the UoS Disciplinary Code.

• Evaluate and process Business Mission requests via the online HR application, verifying compliance with UoS entitlements and regulations.

Compensation, Benefits, and Documentation

• Administer employee benefits, allowances, and rewards on ERP system, including promotions, annual tickets, special allowances, annual increments, transportation allowances, overtime, and health insurance.

• Prepare, verify, and issue accurate salary certificates ("To Whom It May Concern") and other official HR documentation in a timely manner.

Quality Assurance, Reporting, and Governance

• Actively participate in the HR quality assurance framework by conducting thorough peer reviews of team deliverables before final submission or issuance.

• Generate timely, accurate reports, statistical summaries, and analyses related to the Employee Relations Unit's operational metrics.

• Maintain strict confidentiality and security protocols regarding all employee personal, professional, and financial data.

• Support the Head of Employee Engagement by gathering data, tracking action plans, and preparing progress reports to ensure the section's KPIs are met successfully.

Continuous Improvement and Strategic Contribution

• Contribute to the development and execution of the department’s operational plans in alignment with institutional goals and UoS's overarching strategic objectives.

• Proactively propose improvements and input to streamline workflows, enhance standard operating procedures (SOPs), and implement HR best practices.

• Act as a collaborative and reliable project team member on departmental initiatives, ensuring all assigned tasks are delivered accurately and on schedule.

• Establish clear professional goals in consultation with the line manager and provide cross-functional support to the team as required to maintain a controlled, consistent work environment.

Execute additional professional duties and departmental initiatives as assigned by the Line Manager, ensuring high-quality delivery within established timelines.

Required Skills

• Fluency in written and spoken Arabic and English, with a proven ability to draft professional business correspondence, formal letters, and official HR documents in both languages.

• Excellent working knowledge of personal computer applications with an emphasis on MS Office applications such as Excel, Word, and Teams.

• Practical knowledge of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) or Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS) for data processing and transaction management.

• Strong attention to detail with the ability to conduct meticulous quality control and peer reviews of HR deliverables before final submission.

• Proven capability to organize, prioritize, and multitask under pressure to meet strict payroll, contract renewal, and reporting deadlines.

Desirable Requirements

• Minimum of bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Human Resources or a relevant discipline.

• A professional Human Resources certification (such as CIPD, SHRM) or a Master’s degree in a relevant field.

• 6-8 years of UAE experience in a similar role, preferably in higher education institutions.

• Priority is to UAE Nationals.

Job Location University of Sharjah (Main)
Job Criteria Gender , Male, Female,
Qualifications Bachelor's degree/higher diploma
Relevant Experience 6
Living In UAE Open for all
Nationality , All,