KAUST Job Postings
Kent I. clawson
Greetings all from the sunny west coast (of Saudi Arabia ;-),
Well it is that time again. After some recent restructuring, we are looking to steal the best and the brightest away from our peer institutions, or anyone else that they may know. The HSE office at KAUST is currently looking for a Hazardous Materials Specialist (3157BR), Safety Specialist (3173BR), and Industrial Hygienist (3078BR).
For those who don’t know, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) was established in 2009 with the goal to become a leader in the world of academic research. The joy of all of that high price gasoline that you have been buying (which costs us 0.46/ gallon) has set this place up like no other We have recently heard that the KAUST endowment ranks as the 3rd largest endowment in the world (http://www.nonprofitcollegesonline.com/wealthiest-universities-in-the-world/).
Now I know what is going through your mind, “what kind of a person would drag his family to the middle of Saudi Arabia?” Well the answer, initially, is a slightly adventurous one. As far as life in Saudi Arabia, the first thing that will cross many minds is the concern for personal safety, which I think is a concern from all expats, and as the father of 4 I can say that it is does not need to be a concern. Since it kept coming up a while back I prepared a blog post about this topic http://www.clawsonchaos.com/2012/08/heck-yeah-its-safe.html
Remember that KAUST is NOT Saudi Arabia. Classes are Co-Ed, women drive on campus, wear whatever they want, and maintain key positions throughout campus. When you go off campus, Jeddah is the major metro area to the south and is much more relaxed than the parts of Saudi that make news. Women are asked to wear the abaya, but westerns are given wide latitude. My wife wears a long skirt, sleeved shirt, and no head scarf. My oldest daughter wears jeans and T-shirts when we go to the orthodontist. We have never had any trouble and according to my Saudi colleagues, it is not the concern that it is in Riyadh.
For us it was the chance for my family to see the world and meet people from other cultures. Because of this experience one daughter has decided she wants to become a diplomat, another currently wants to be an international school teacher, the 3rd wants to be an architect (but stay in the US ;-), and my son just wants to be 8 and not worry about much else ;-) For school, this year the future diplomat attended a Model United Nations (MUN) function in in Geneva, Switzerland and will be going to Budapest in the fall.
The oldest 2 and I have completed our PADI Dive Certification and have been on a number of dives. We have been to a couple of different shipwrecks, and a couple of weeks ago we even saw a shark and an octopus (not at the same time ;-)
The benefits are very generous including money for a trip back home (or wherever you want to go) each year, retirement benefit is matched up to 10% of your salary with immediate vesting plus another 10% (no matching required) that has a 3 service year (any year with 1000 hours) vesting (so 20% of your salary plus your 10%, not to shabby) and no income tax. Additionally the location lends itself to travel to a number of places on this side of the world. KAUST has one of the two movie theaters in the country and we generally get the major movies a couple weeks after they are released and it costs about $1.33 USD :-) There is often an option available for your spouse to work if they are interested, though they may not be directly related to previous experience. My wife is the school librarian at about $16/ hour (tax free J) which works out perfect for us.
Feel free to take a look at some of our pictures that we have taken during our 2 year stay. https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0BzqvvP0TXYY3cnctc3VVWFIxcnM&usp=drive_web
So all this to say, come on over and have an experience you will never forget.
More information can be found at http://www.kaust.edu.sa/live-work-amenities-careers.html. The postings are as follows:
- Hazardous Materials Specialist, Req #3157BR
- Safety Specialist, Req #3173BR
- Industrial Hygienist, Req #3078BR
As usual don’t hesitate to contact me (kent.c...@kaust.edu.sa) or Jerry (jerry....@kaust.edu.sa) if you have questions. Additionally my wife and kids are always willing to talk to anyone who is considering the move, if your spouse or kids have questions. This isn’t a move to make lightly, but it is definitely a move to make.
Best wishes,
Kent
Kent I Clawson, MS, CHMM
Hazardous Materials Specialist
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
Health, Safety & Environment
Al Jazri (Bldg 4), Area 3, Level 2, Rm 2280-WS05
KAUST, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
Office: +966 012-808-2105
“Nothing great will ever be achieved without great men, and men are great only if they are determined to be so.” –Charles de Gaulle
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