"President"

AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BAHRAIN

The American University of Bahrain (AUBH) invites nominations and applications for the position of President. This is a rare opportunity to lead Bahrain’s first comprehensive American-style, co-educational university into its next phase of growth, innovation, and regional leadership.

Founded in 2019, AUBH is part of the Elm Education Fund, a portfolio company of Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company, Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund. AUBH offers U.S.-accredited programs across four colleges: Business & Management, Engineering & Computing, Media & Design, and Arts & Sciences. The University earned U.S. regional accreditation from WSCUC in March 2023, affirming its commitment to global academic standards. Instruction is in English, and the 75,000-square-meter purpose-built campus accommodates up to 3,500 students. AUBH currently enrolls approximately 1,000 students across undergraduate and graduate programs.

AUBH continues to expand its undergraduate and graduate offerings and has established strategic partnerships with MIT’s MISTI and VMS programs, Investcorp, the Bahrain Space Agency, CISCO, and others—advancing research, innovation, and industry relevance.

The University seeks a globally minded, strategic President to lead the institution into its next chapter. Key priorities include:

• Growing enrollment locally and internationally, including defining the potential to grow student enrollments from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)
• Raising AUBH’s visibility and reputation across the Gulf region and beyond
• Expanding graduate programs aligned with market and workforce needs
• Deepening industry partnerships to enhance student employability and applied learning
• Ensuring long-term financial sustainability
• Continuing to support and enable the high-performing leadership team and collaborative institutional culture.

Ideal candidates will bring:

• An earned doctorate and senior academic or professional distinction
• At least 10 years of higher education leadership, ideally with international experience
• Experience with U.S. accreditation and governance
• A record of successful enrollment growth and institutional positioning
• Strong financial and strategic planning skills
• Fluency in English and cultural agility.

AUBH offers a competitive, tax-advantaged compensation package and the opportunity to shape a pioneering institution in one of the Gulf’s most dynamic and welcoming environments.

More information: https://aubh.edu.bh

To Apply: Please submit CV and letter of interest to: PresidentAUBH@kornferry.com

KORN FERRY

Raed Sater | Suellen Tomlinson | Anurag Tawakley