Director - Project Delivery

Since its inception in 2000, our client has emerged as a prominent and fast-growing retail group serving markets across the Middle East. The organization partners with world-class fashion and lifestyle brands, delivering globally inspired products and experiences to discerning consumers throughout the GCC. Guided by a vision to become a leading regional gateway for international retailers, the company has successfully built a broad portfolio across diverse consumer categories. Its collaborative approach with global brand partners, combined with extensive market expertise and a customer-first mindset, has enabled sustained growth and ongoing expansion across the region. Today, our client remains well-positioned to capitalize on emerging opportunities within the dynamic Middle Eastern retail market.

Responsibilities:

• Define, develop, and lead the company-wide project management strategy, ensuring all assigned project delivery activities support and advance the organization's strategic plan and business goals.
• Lead as an ultimate escalation point for resource constraints, delivery challenges, and project risks, providing executive-level support to resolve critical issues and maintain delivery momentum.
• Oversee and ensure rigorous management of project budgets, including monitoring actual costs versus budgets, approving financial reports, and driving cost optimization to safeguard financial performance.
• Lead the governance of project change requests, ensuring timely communication of schedule and budget impacts. Drive proactive risk identification, assessment, and mitigation across all projects to minimize business disruption.
• Provide oversight and strategic direction on contractor mitigation plans, procurement strategies, resource allocation, and acceleration programs to ensure projects meet agreed timelines and quality standards.
• Collaborate closely with the Procurement and Contracts Department to ensure all necessary requirements are identified and addressed promptly, facilitating informed and efficient decision-making.
• Cultivate and sustain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including senior clients and commercial teams, enhancing collaboration and addressing escalations effectively.
• Collaborate with sector heads, technical teams, and commercial functions to align project execution with broader organizational objectives, ensuring seamless integration and delivery of complex technical assignments
• Champion the implementation of standardized, compliant project management processes and quality controls across all projects. Ensure adherence to statutory, regulatory, and company standards, including safety and engineering norms.
• Guide the development and dissemination of critical project documentation, training materials, and user manuals to enable effective project handover and operational readiness.
• Oversee the consolidation and analysis of project data and performance reports to inform executive decision-making and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Establish clear roles, responsibilities, and authority levels across the project team, ensuring all members have a shared understanding of their accountabilities and reporting relationships to drive effective collaboration and execution.
• Delegate tasks and decision-making authority appropriately across the team, promoting ownership and accountability while maintaining oversight to ensure alignment with project objectives and organizational standards.
• Lead critical strategic initiatives by coordinating cross-functional teams and managing regulatory compliance and stakeholder engagement to ensure alignment with organizational goals.
• Stay up to date with industry trends, emerging technologies, and global best practices in project management and real estate development. Apply relevant insights and develop opportunities to enhance delivery methods, ensure competitiveness, and drive innovation across projects.

Requirements:

• Must have project delivery experience managing large-scale, complex developments, including 8+ years in a senior leadership role. 
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Civil Engineering, Architectural Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Experience in managing the full project lifecycle - from initiation and planning through execution, monitoring, handover, and close- out.
• Min of 15–20+ years experience, including 8+ years of experience in a senior leadership/project lead role - managing large-scale/ multi-disciplinary projects and teams. 5+ years of experience with a developer - preferable.
• Understanding of industry-specific delivery standards and technologies, statutory, regulatory, and quality compliance requirements relevant to project delivery.
• Familiar with UAE Building Codes, Environmental regulations, and Dubai construction laws