Duties & Responsibilities

Duties & Responsibilities

Welcome to the Al Falah University’s Human Resources Unit. AFU offers many opportunities with great employment benefits with a friendly environment. We are strongly committed to enhancing the diversity of our workforce.

The Human Resource unit renders recruiting, issuance of visas, job evaluations, promotions, payroll, and training and development services as per UAE MOHRE rules and regulations.

The Al Falah University’s Human Resource Unit prepares Job Descriptions for all positions and is one of the Unit’s primary focus and responsibility.

For every staff position at Al Falah (AFU) there is a corresponding job description that accurately and fully describes the job. This document provides an understanding of the position’s major responsibilities, details how the responsibilities are accomplished, and identifies the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to perform the job. A copy is on file with Human Resources Department, and shared with employees at the time of hire.

A well written job description not only describes the position’s responsibilities, it supports effective human resources management in a variety of ways. First, it sets the foundation for recruiting, developing and retaining talent and also sets the stage for optimum work performance by clarifying job responsibilities, expected results, and evaluation of the performance.

The job description also is an important component to maintaining an equitable compensation system and ensuring legal compliance with the Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA) in Abu Dhabi / at the Federal level.

The job description document is revisited and updated in line with the yearly performance evaluation cycle.

Each job description at AFU contains sufficient information to describe major responsibilities and essential functions; however, the document does not include every detail of how and what work is performed so that it remains useful even when minor changes occur. AFU staff members or supervisors may write the job description, but the supervisor for each department must finally approve it.

AFU has created “job description templates,” with detailed samples and with some guidance on building the document that can be found in the AFU / HR department.

Below are some Job Description / examples that display AFU’s efficient job description writing system which clearly shows the AFU methodology for writing a clear, easy to understand job description.

AFU University Job Descriptions always:

•  Uses a clear, direct style throughout the description.
•  Avoids the narrative form.
• Keeps sentence structure as simple as possible.
•  Begins each sentence with an action verb, using parallel structure.
•  Uses the present tense.
•  Focuses on essential activities; omit trivial duties and occasional tasks.
•  Is precise and adheres to a logical sequence in defining responsibilities.
•  Avoids vague words like "handle" that do not specify what actions the position actually takes.
•  Uses factual, non-technical language whenever possible.
•  If acronyms are used, spells out the words the first time they are mentioned.
•  Refers to job titles rather than people's names.

The following is an outline of the major sections of the job description, along with AFU’s suggestions for completing them. 

Section 1: Identifying Information

• Administrative information.
• Titles should communicate the purpose of the position - why the job exists
•  (e.g., the title Coordinator, should be used to describe coordinating
• The work of other departments and/or individuals - not just the position's work.

Section 2: Position Purpose

•   Bird's eye view of the overall purpose.
•   Why of the job exists—not “how” the work is accomplished.
•   One or two sentences—not a detailed listing of tasks.
•   Begin with “The position coordinates...”

Section 3: Responsibilities, Supporting Actions, & End Results and Major Responsibility

• Usually a single sentence (don't try to set down every detail).
• Allocate percentage of total time spent on each responsibility area.

Supporting Actions

• Tell how major tasks and functions are accomplished.
• Use brief, to the point sentences.
• Begin each sentence with present tense action verb: and avoid verbs that do not indicate the action involved.

End-Results

• Focus on the outcome of the tasks.
• Include standards for measuring performance, useful in performance evaluations.

Section 4: Decision-Making

Decisions You Are Free To Make 

• Areas that the position primarily impacts or influences.
• Provide specific examples.

Explain Decisions Which Depend On Your Advice 

• Decisions which are escalated to the supervisors
• Recommendations to committees, departments, etc.

Section 5: Dimensions

• Areas for which the position has direct accountability.
• Areas for which the position has indirect accountability.
• Quantitative data.

Section 6: Job Qualifications

• Education and/or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Skills necessary to perform job competently.
• Not incumbent's qualifications.
• Differentiate between what is necessary and what is desirable.

Section 7: Other Information

• Any exceptional or unusual factors affecting the job.
• Exceptional working conditions or erratic schedule requirements.
• Any special processes, protocols, regulations (including workplace safety regulations or, consequences associated with the position.                

AFU recognizes that creating a job description can be a time-consuming process so the Human Resources department has created some generic job descriptions with similar major responsibilities and qualifications for positions at Al Falah. These templates are provided for our staff and supervisors to download and edit to correspond to the specific job-related criteria in their department to facilitate and expedite the recruitment process.

The Al Falah University Human Resources Department will finally review each and every job descriptions and assign an appropriate priority ranking and salary grades as needed.