HR Administrator

Job description / Role

About the Company:
A University of innovation and academic excellence, based in Bahrain Bay. With a legacy dating back over 200 years, they offer undergraduate programs in Engineering, Science, and Business, building on decades of MBA teaching in the region. Now expanding into research and innovation, their mission is rooted in creating real-world impact through meaningful learning.

This role is central to supporting the setup and day-to-day HR operations of a new campus in Bahrain. Working closely with HR colleagues based in the UK, the position involves coordinating administrative processes, supporting employee engagement, and helping to build a strong, collaborative work culture.

It offers a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience within an international academic setting and contribute to a high-impact project. The ideal candidate will be highly organised, proactive, and capable of managing multiple tasks while handling sensitive information with professionalism and confidentiality. Strong communication and interpersonal skills are essential, as well as the ability to work effectively in a cross-cultural, fast-paced environment.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Provide high-level administrative support to facilitate the successful delivery of Strategic HR initiatives, projects and policy development.
• Assist in the recruitment process, including job postings, scheduling interviews, contract creation, coordinating immigrations, and onboarding new staff.
• Manage employee records and ensure the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is up to date.
• Act as a point of contact for internal and external stakeholders, addressing queries and providing information as needed.
• Develop an excellent working knowledge of the HR/Payroll system. Handle data for new staff and changes to existing staff details to ensure staff are paid the correct salary on the correct date; or conversely that leavers details are process timeously to ensure no overpayments are made.
• Ensure all HR activities comply with university policies and local labour laws. Handle confidential and sensitive information with discretion.
• Ensure that filing and record keeping systems are kept up-to-date and are regularly reviewed to ensure efficiency and accuracy. Undertake data analysis and produce high quality accurate management information in an easy-to-understand format in order to support effective decision making.
• Organise and support meetings and events, including scheduling, preparing agendas, taking minutes, and following up on action items.
• Arrange national and international travel for staff, including booking flights, accommodations, and transportation.
• Identify opportunities to streamline processes and improve efficiency within the HR department.

• Diploma or Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.

Skills
• Experience in HR administration in Bahrain in a fast-paced and multi-national environment.
• Proven ability to manage HR processes, and maintain accurate records.
• Experience in coordinating with multiple stakeholders across different time zones and ensuring compliance with local regulations and organisational policies.
• Experience of working within Higher Education.
• Good organisational skills, attention to detail, and multi-tasking ability.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Build rapport and establish positive relationships with staff and stakeholders.
• Communicate information clearly in both verbal and written forms in English and Arabic.
• Problem-solving skills and ability to make sound judgments in complex situations.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information with discretion.
• IT skills including general competence with Microsoft Office suite and experience of using HR and Finance systems.

About the Company

Propel Consult delivers a service in step with the needs of both our client companies and candidates. Our ability to add value to all levels of recruitment stems from our wholehearted belief in providing a professional service to both parties.

We have built relationships with many leading indigenous and mulitnational organisations throughout the Middle East and internationally in countries such as UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt and many more.

Concentrating our resources has created 5 distinct specialist divisions:

• Banking & Finance
• Human Resources
• Oil & Gas
• Construction
• Architecture & Engineering