Cluster Manager – Government Relations

Aldar Education View all jobs

  • Abu Dhabi
  • Permanent
  • Full-time
  • 1 day ago
Job Description:Aldar Education is currently seeking a Cluster Manager - Government Relations for an immediate start in Abu Dhabi to support our growing family of owned and operated schools in the UAE. This is an exciting opportunity to join the highly successful Aldar family of schools and to help shape the future of Abu Dhabi's leading school group.To lead and oversee the Government Relations (GR) operations across a selected cluster in Aldar Education, ensuring full compliance with UAE regulatory requirements, including MOHRE, ICP, ADEK, KHDA, and other relevant authorities.The role is responsible for the end-to-end management of visa processes, labour contracts, employee government services, and regulatory reporting. The Manager will drive operational excellence, ensure timely delivery of services, and lead a high-performing GR function over a certain cluster that supports business continuity, employee experience, and compliance.Since its inception in 2007 with just 250 students, Aldar Education has grown into a highly sought-after education provider, with more than 25 owned and managed premium and super-premium schools and academies- in partnership with some of the world's most prestigious institutions, including Rugby School, King's College Wimbledon, and Cranleigh. The Group now serves over 38,000 students through 5,000 educators from more than 100 nationalities to deliver world-class education across a broad range of curricula and learning pathways from nursery through to K12.At Aldar Education, our impact goes far beyond the classroom: we are proud to contribute to the UAE's vision for a sustainable, knowledge-based economy through premium education. With this in mind, we hire educators and industry professionals who not only embody our values and cultural ethos but also bring a genuine passion for education-qualities central to our mission of shaping the leaders of tomorrow.If you are passionate about excellence and ready to make a meaningful impact, we invite you to apply and be part of our journey.Responsibilities:Main Duties
  • Lead and oversee all Government Relations (GR) operations across specific cluster within Aldar Education, ensuring full compliance with UAE regulations (MOHRE, ICP, ADEK/KHDA)
  • Manage the end-to-end employee lifecycle from a GR perspective, including visas, labour contracts, renewals, and cancellations
  • Ensure timely, accurate, and compliant processing of all government-related transactions, meeting defined SLAs and deadlines
  • Act as the primary escalation point within cluster for complex GR cases, resolving issues efficiently and minimizing operational risk
  • Build and maintain strong working relationships with government authorities to support smooth processing and issue resolution
  • Drive accountability, performance, and delivery within the Cluster GR team, ensuring high standards of execution
  • Partner with HR, school leadership, and HQ teams to ensure GR services effectively support business needs
  • Ensure continuous compliance with UAE labour laws, immigration regulations, and ADEK requirements
  • Support the development and implementation of GR policies, processes, and governance frameworks
  • Oversee GR-related budgeting, cost control, and financial tracking for cluster
Specific Duties
  • Oversee and manage all MOHRE and ICP processes, including job offers, work permits, labour contracts, residence visas, Emirates ID, renewals, and cancellations
  • Monitor and track visa and labour contract expiry dates, ensuring proactive renewals to avoid fines or non-compliance
  • Review and approve all visa applications, documentation, and submissions for accuracy and compliance
  • Ensure coordination of medicals, Emirates ID processing, and onboarding requirements for new employees
  • Develop, implement, and continuously improve GR workflows, SOPs, and tracking systems in line with regulatory requirements
  • Drive automation and digitization of visa workflows to ensure faster processing times, improved data accuracy, and reduced manual intervention, leveraging existing platforms (e.g., Oracle) where applicable
  • Provide guidance, training, and ongoing support to cluster HR teams on GR processes, policies, and regulatory updates
  • Stay up to date with changes in UAE laws, regulations, and government systems, and implement necessary process updates
  • Prepare and review all GR-related reports, including ADEK and visa reporting for respective cluster
  • Lead continuous improvement initiatives, identifying bottlenecks and implementing solutions to enhance speed, scalability, and user experience
  • Manage GR budgets, including forecasting visa costs and monitoring actual spend against budget
  • Review and approve invoices, expense claims, and cost allocations related to GR activities
  • Act as the key liaison between internal stakeholders and government entities, ensuring clear communication and issue resolution
  • Maintain accurate records and documentation across all GR activities, ensuring audit readiness
  • Support employees and their families with government-related services, ensuring a high level of service delivery
  • Lead process tracking, reporting dashboards, and performance monitoring to identify bottlenecks and improve efficiency
  • Ensure strict confidentiality of employee data and sensitive information
  • Perform any additional duties as required to support business operations
Qualifications:Minimum Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, HR, or related field
Minimum Experience
  • 8 years' experience in Government Relations within the UAE
  • Proven experience managing visa, labour contracts, and regulatory compliance
  • Experience within the education sector is highly desirable
Job Specific Knowledge & Skills
  • Strong knowledge of UAE labour law, immigration processes, and ADEK/KHDA requirements
  • Proven leadership and team management capability
  • Ability to build and maintain trusted relationships with government officials, regulators, and internal leadership
  • Strong operational mindset with ability to drive processes and execution
  • Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills
  • High attention to detail with strong follow-up and deadline management
  • Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
  • Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills
  • Excellent communication skills in English; Arabic is highly desirable
  • Proficient in MS Office and relevant government systems
What We Offer:Aldar Education is a family of world-class, child-centered, and innovative schools based in the UAE. We educate students across our group of owned and managed schools and as we grow, so does our need for highly skilled, inspirational, and dedicated school and educational leaders. We offer an attractive remuneration package including a range of benefits. Our future-focused learning model includes both students and staff, so we place a special emphasis on professional development, coaching, and training.Successful candidates will have access to a wide network of professionals and opportunities to both lead and contribute to training others as well as developing themselves.This job description is not all-inclusive. Aldar Education reserves the right to amend this job description at any time. We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment. We are dedicated to our national development strategy and encourage UAE Nationals in their application to our company.Aldar Education is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. Offers of appointment are subject to satisfactory references and police clearance.

Aldar Education