Data and AI Specialist – IT Applications

American University of Sharjah is hiring a Data and AI Specialist – IT Applications within its ICT and IT Security area in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. This Data and AI Specialist – IT Applications role is a senior specialist position for experienced data professionals looking for technology jobs in Sharjah at a leading regional university. The vacancy is hiring now, and you can apply online through the official university employment link at the end of this post. Among current Gulf jobs in data and artificial intelligence, university roles like this one offer a rare combination: a modern data platform, real institutional datasets, and the chance to build AI tools that staff and students actually use.

About the Role

The Data and AI Specialist will be responsible for how the university turns its data into decisions and services. A major part of the role is building and maintaining Power BI reports and dashboards that leaders and departments rely on, including the data models, DAX measures and Power Query work that sit underneath them. Alongside reporting, you will design and run the university’s data warehouse and data platform, handling ingestion, ETL and ELT pipelines, and dimensional modelling.

Integration is a key theme. The university runs core systems such as Banner for student information and Oracle Fusion, and this role connects those systems into the data platform using SQL and integration tools so information flows reliably between them. On top of that foundation, you will develop AI solutions: large language model powered tools and agentic applications, retrieval-augmented generation over institutional data, chatbots, workflow automation and REST API integrations that bring AI into everyday university processes.

The role also carries responsibility for trust and safety. You will put data governance and security into practice, defining data definitions and ownership, maintaining audit trails, applying row-level security and careful handling of personal information, and enforcing least-privilege access. Responsible-AI guardrails and production monitoring form part of the work, as does supporting the full delivery cycle, from requirements and version control to deployment pipelines, documentation and user training.

Key Responsibilities

– Build and maintain Power BI reports and dashboards, including data models, DAX measures and Power Query transformations
– Design, build and operate the university’s data warehouse, data platform and pipelines, covering ingestion, ETL/ELT processes, dimensional modelling and SQL development
– Integrate data from core institutional systems such as Banner and Oracle Fusion into the central platform
– Develop AI solutions, including LLM-powered and agentic tools, retrieval-augmented generation over institutional data, chatbots, workflow automation and REST API integrations
– Implement data governance and security controls, including data definitions, ownership, audit trails, row-level security, responsible handling of personal data and least-privilege access, together with responsible-AI guardrails and production monitoring
– Support the complete delivery cycle, from gathering requirements through Git-based version control, deployment pipelines and change processes
– Write clear technical and executive documentation, and train and support end users so new tools and dashboards are adopted successfully

Requirements and Qualifications

– A bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Computer Engineering, Management Information Systems or a similar field is required
– A minimum of five years of experience in data analytics, business intelligence and AI or automation development is required
– Strong skills in SQL and Oracle environments are expected
– Experience with Microsoft Azure and Microsoft Fabric is expected as part of the platform skill set
– A relevant master’s degree is preferred
– Cloud, data or AI certifications are preferred
– The university notes that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted, and applicants who do not meet the requirements will not be shortlisted

This role suits an experienced data professional who has already spent several years delivering analytics and BI work and has moved into applied AI, rather than someone at the start of their career. It will fit candidates who are comfortable owning a data platform end to end — pipelines, governance, dashboards and AI applications — and who enjoy working with non-technical stakeholders in an academic environment. If your background combines data engineering depth with practical Power BI and Azure experience, this position is closely aligned with your profile.

About the Company

American University of Sharjah, commonly known as AUS, is a well-established private university in Sharjah’s University City, founded in 1997. It offers American-style education across colleges of engineering, business, architecture and design, and arts and sciences, and attracts students and faculty from across the region and beyond. The university has been investing in digital transformation, and this role sits within its ICT and IT Security function, which supports the systems and data the whole institution depends on.

Working in Sharjah

Sharjah is the UAE’s cultural capital and a major education hub, home to University City, where several universities and research institutions are based together. Technology and professional jobs in Sharjah offer a slightly quieter pace than neighbouring Dubai while remaining within easy reach of it, and many professionals appreciate the city’s family-friendly character and cultural life. English is the working language in universities and most professional settings, the workforce is international, and salaries in the UAE are generally free of income tax, which continues to draw skilled specialists to Gulf jobs in education and technology.

Salary and Benefits

American University of Sharjah has not published a salary for this Data and AI Specialist – IT Applications position on its official employment page. The compensation and benefits package will be confirmed by the university during the hiring process, and shortlisted candidates can discuss full details directly with the university’s human resources team.

How to Apply

To apply for this Data and AI Specialist – IT Applications vacancy, use the official American University of Sharjah employment link below. It opens the university’s own listing, where you can follow the application instructions and submit your application directly to AUS. Given the five-year experience requirement, applicants should ensure their CV clearly evidences their data, BI and AI delivery experience.

Apply here (official employer page): https://www.aus.edu/employment/data-and-ai-specialist-it-applications-ict-and-it-security

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