Chief Operations Officer (COO)

Nathan & Nathan Human Resources; Dubai; On-site; AED 700,000 - 1,400,000; Full time

Job summary

Nathan & Nathan Human Resources seeks a seasoned Chief Operating Officer to lead operations for a growing property development portfolio in Dubai. The role partners with the CEO to translate strategy into actionable plans, build high‑performing teams, and oversee projects from feasibility to handover.

Ideal candidates have 15+ years in property development, 10+ years in UAE/GCC, and strong governance, commercial judgment, and multi‑project leadership capabilities.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in property development or related sectors.
• 10+ years in UAE/GCC with significant UAE development exposure.
• Senior leadership experience with an established property developer.
• Experience managing multiple developments across full lifecycle.
• Strong knowledge of UAE regulations, approvals, procurement, contractor management.
• Strong commercial/financial understanding including feasibility, budgets, cash flow.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day operations and implement growth strategy.
• Oversee full development lifecycle: feasibility, design, approvals, procurement, construction, handover.
• Ensure projects meet budgets, timelines, quality standards and commercial objectives.
• Establish operational policies, governance, project controls and reporting.
• Manage development teams, consultants and contractors with clear accountability.
• Oversee regulatory approvals and UAE development compliance.
• Collaborate with finance on budgets, cash flow, cost control and profitability.
• Coordinate delivery with sales, marketing and customer handover activities.
• Identify and mitigate operational, commercial and project risks.
• Recruit and develop teams and establish scalable processes for portfolio growth.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Operational excellence

Stakeholder management

Full project lifecycle management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Architecture/Construction Management/Property/Business/Finance

MBA or related postgraduate qualification

Job description

Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Location: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Property Development / Real Estate
Reporting to: CEO

Role Overview

We are seeking an experienced COO to lead operations and oversee a growing property development portfolio. Working closely with the CEO, the successful candidate will translate business strategy into operational plans, build high-performing teams, and oversee projects from feasibility and acquisition through construction, completion and handover.

This is a developer-side leadership role requiring strong UAE property development experience, commercial judgement and the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day operations and implement the business's growth strategy.
• Oversee the full development lifecycle, including feasibility, design, approvals, procurement, construction and handover.
• Ensure projects meet approved budgets, timelines, quality standards and commercial objectives.
• Establish operational policies, governance frameworks, project controls and executive reporting.
• Manage development teams, consultants and contractors, ensuring clear accountability and performance.
• Oversee regulatory approvals and compliance with UAE development requirements.
• Work with finance on project budgets, cash flow, cost control and profitability.
• Coordinate development delivery with sales, marketing and customer handover activities.
• Identify and mitigate operational, commercial and project risks.
• Recruit and develop teams and establish scalable processes to support portfolio growth.

Experience & Qualifications

• Ideally 15+ years of experience in property development or related sectors, including 10+ years in the UAE/GCC with significant direct UAE development exposure.
• Proven senior leadership experience with an established property developer.
• Demonstrated success managing multiple developments across the full project lifecycle.
• Strong knowledge of UAE regulations, authority approvals, procurement and contractor management.
• Strong commercial and financial understanding, including development feasibility, budgets and cash flow.
• Experience establishing governance, reporting systems and multidisciplinary teams.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Architecture, Construction Management, Property, Business, Finance or a related discipline preferred.
• An MBA, relevant postgraduate qualification or professional accreditation would be advantageous.

Key Competencies

Strategic leadership, operational execution, commercial acumen, stakeholder management, team development and decisive problem-solving. The successful candidate will be comfortable working at board level while remaining closely involved in project delivery.