Chief of Staff / Director of Operations

Ember Lifestyle Travel LLC; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

ember Lifestyle - Luxury Travel & Experiential Design in Abu Dhabi seeks a Chief of Staff to partner with the CEO on people, process and governance across the business. You will shape operations, design scalable practices and mentor leaders to sustain excellence as ember grows.

With 8+ years in senior operations and a strong UAE regulatory understanding, you will drive AI-enabled decisions, coordinate cross-functional teams, and help unlock revenue opportunities while maintaining a warm,

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in senior operations or general management.
• Strong background in luxury travel, hospitality, private client services, or high-end experiential environments.
• Proven ability to manage complex, multi-functional operations with discretion.
• Solid understanding of UAE business and regulatory environment.
• Proficiency with AI tools to improve operational efficiency and decision-making.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct line management and mentorship to maintain a high-performing organisation.
• Oversee company-wide operational workflows with clear governance and accountability.
• Improve financial, legal, HR and administrative processes with controls.
• Lead tech direction to digitise workflows and adopt AI for decisions.
• Support business development through operational planning and pricing structures.

Skills

Leadership exp

Luxury travel

Complex operations

UAE regulatory know-how

AI tools

Job description

Location: Abu Dhabi
Company: ember Lifestyle - Luxury Travel & Experiential Design

About ember

ember is a luxury experiential studio shaping the future of travel, lifestyle and guest experience. We are the Middle East's first luxury experiential brand, endorsed by Forbes Travel Guide. From transformative journeys for ultra-high- net-worth individuals and families to high-impact experiences for governments and global corporations. We design journeys, worlds and moments people remember forever.

The Opportunity

This role sits at the very centre of how ember runs.

As Chief of Staff, you will be the person ember's leadership relies on to champion people management, lead internal operational workflows, and ease the day-to-day operational load of the CEO.

This role is central to the business and is designed to build a high-performing organisation, strengthen operational foundations, and ensure excellence, efficiency and consistency across all functions.

You will focus on team alignment, process design, governance, execution quality and outcomes, ensuring that people, systems and partners operate cohesively in support of ember's growth and service standards. In addition to driving internal organisation and operational leadership, you will play a meaningful part in supporting business development and revenue growth initiatives.

This demands someone equally comfortable designing governance and process as they are mentoring a team member through a difficult moment. Structure and warmth are not in tension here; they are both expected, in equal measure, all of the time.

What You'll Do

People Management
Provide direct line management and mentorship, supporting leadership in maintaining a high-performing, structured and accountable organisation. Oversee the operational aspects of recruitment, onboarding, contracts and performance management, including performance improvement plans and talent development. Ensure internal policies and procedures are implemented consistently and professionally, and foster a culture of ownership, discretion and service excellence.

Operational Leadership
Oversee and continuously improve company-wide operational workflows, ensuring clarity, efficiency and accountability across departments. Establish and maintain robust operational frameworks, SOPs and governance structures aligned with ember's brand and scale. Act as a central integrator across teams, ensuring smooth coordination and execution, and ensure operational readiness and service excellence across all client engagements and projects. Identify operational and commercial risks and implement mitigation strategies.

People Improvement
Ensure that financial, legal, HR and administrative processes function efficiently, compliantly and in line with leadership expectations. Monitor outcomes, risks and performance indicators, addressing gaps proactively, and implement approval structures, reporting mechanisms and internal controls to support decision-making. Ensure documentation discipline, accuracy and operational transparency.

Technology Direction & Innovation
Spearhead the evaluation, adoption and integration of technology platforms to streamline internal operations and elevate the client experience. Partner with leadership to digitise workflows, optimise the company's technology stack, and drive data-driven decision-making across departments, including the confident use of AI tools to support faster, smarter operational decisions. Lead digital transformation initiatives, ensuring scalable, secure and future-proof systems tailored to high-end experiential services. Champion a culture of continuous digital innovation and automation to maximise operational efficiency and drive new product releases.

Revenue Enablement
Support business development initiatives through operational planning, pricing structures and execution readiness. Ensure operational capabilities align with growth ambitions and new opportunities, and collaborate with leadership to improve efficiency, margins and scalability. Contribute to the refinement of service offerings, partnerships and commercial processes.

Who You Are

You bring 8+ years of experience in senior operations, general management, or a similar leadership capacity, with a strong background in luxury travel, hospitality, private client services or high-end experiential environments.

You are demonstrably able to manage complex, multi-functional operations with discretion and precision, and you bring a solid understanding of the UAE business and regulatory environment.

You are comfortable working with AI tools and platforms, and you know how to put them to work in service of sharper decisions and smoother operations, rather than treating them as an afterthought.

You are exceptionally organised and calm under pressure, with the judgement to know when to step in and when to let a team find its own way. You understand that in this world, the difference between good and extraordinary often comes down to the discipline behind the scenes — and you are the person who builds it.

What You'll Need

• 8+ years of experience in senior operations, general management, or similar leadership roles.
• Strong background in luxury travel, hospitality, private client services, or high-end experiential environments.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex, multi-functional operations with discretion and precision.
• Solid understanding of the UAE business and regulatory environment.
• Proficiency in AI tools and platforms, with the ability to apply them to improve operational efficiency and decision-making