PA to Head of Secondary – Immediate Start

Job Overview

The Arbor School seeks a motivated, proactive and supportive individual for an exciting opportunity of Personal Assistant to the Head of Secondary. The successful candidate will play a key role in fulfilling the school’s ecological and sustainability vision, through their actions whilst supporting the Head of Secondary in all administrative, clerical and secretarial tasks. This is a multi-faceted role requiring a person who is capable, diligent and enthusiastic.

Enough For All, Forever 

The Arbor School opened in 2018 with a very different vision of what education could and should be – experiential, authentic and inspired by the natural beauty, human ingenuity, and profound ecological and social challenges of the Arabian Peninsula.  

The cultivation of a learning community uniquely committed to understanding and restoring the health of ecological and human communities as interconnected parts of a whole requires equal parts optimism, ambition, and humility. A fundamental belief in the inherit goodness of people and their capacity to act with empathy and compassion underscores the sense of hope that is fundamental to learning for a sustainable future. The resilience and determination to tackle challenges that have grown to global proportion is essential to finding sustainable solutions and orchestrating the social changes needed to grow them to scale. The realisation that comes from recognising that we are all students – never a master – drives our commitment to ignite a lifelong love of learning.  

Recognising the interconnected nature of the cognitive, affective and participative domains, and their roles in shaping learning, we are pursuing a holistic approach to teaching and learning, designed to prepare learners:  

• to understand the interconnected concepts of sustainability, individual and collective well-being, and environmental and social justice; 
• to find purpose, meaning and joy in their interactions with the natural world and with each other, and to seek to understand people who are different to themselves; and 
• to experience a sense of accomplishment and self-efficacy through their actions at home, in school and in the wider world. 
  
  

THE ARBOR PROMISE 

At Arbor, we are part of a community that is inclusive, fun-loving, and active. Colleagues enjoy authentic friendships with one another and positive, trusting relationships with school leaders who genuinely care about wellbeing. We work together as a team in the truest sense of the word. Our community is resilient in the face of challenge, calm and steady during times of change, and creative and flexible when solving problems. Individuals bring their passions and interests to enrich the school and understand the shared expectation to do so. Together, we are committed to meeting agreed deadlines, communicating proactively with an assumption of positive intent, and sharing a collective passion for providing an education of the highest quality for our students.

Job Summary

The Arbor School seeks an experienced and highly organised individual for an exciting opportunity within our unique school. The successful applicant will work closely with the Head of Secondary as their Personal Assistant, while also playing a key role in the day-to-day administrative and operational management of the Secondary School.

In addition to providing high-level PA support -including managing confidential matters, correspondence, and scheduling - the postholder will support the smooth running of Secondary School operations. This includes coordinating administrative processes, liaising with staff and stakeholders, supporting communication and organisation across the department, and ensuring that systems and procedures are implemented efficiently.

The role requires someone who can manage a wide range of responsibilities with professionalism, discretion, and initiative, ensuring the effective functioning of both the Head of Secondary’s office and the broader administrative needs of the Secondary School.

Required Candidate Profile

• Fluent or native-level English language skills
• Bachelor’s Degree or Diploma in Business Administration or a related field
• Minimum of two years’ experience working in school administration or a similar setting
• Strong office and administrative experience, with the ability to manage multiple priorities
• Advanced MS Office skills
• Proficiency in Canva for visual design and communications
• Experience using school systems such as SIMS and Zenda, and the ability to quickly learn new platforms
  
  

Remuneration: A competitive tax-free compensation package will be provided in accordance with School's policy and UAE labour law regulations.

Application: To apply for this position, please complete the application on TES and upload:

• An up-to-date CV with a recent photograph to be included.
• A letter of application, no longer than two pages in length, which outlines your commitment and and suitability for the Arbor School.
  
  

The Arbor School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all the students in our care and expects all applicants to share this commitment. We hold ourselves to a high standard of effective, safer recruiting practices with specific attention to child protection. All appointments are subject to CV and qualification checks, interview, identity checks, criminal record checks, and successful references.

All appointments are subject to the approval of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority and the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation.