Director of Operations

Zayed Sports City; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 300,000 - 400,000; Full time

Job summary

A premier sports venue in Abu Dhabi is looking for an Operations Director to oversee the management of their multi-venue sports precinct. The role demands a highly skilled leader with extensive experience in venue operations, event coordination, and stakeholder engagement. Key responsibilities include optimizing venue utilization, ensuring safety and compliance, and managing budget effectively to support world-class events. The ideal candidate will have at least 10 years of senior leadership experience in relevant fields.

Qualifications

• Over 10 years of senior leadership experience in venue and event operations.
• Strong understanding of UAE regulations regarding safety and event licensing.
• Proficient in workforce planning and performance management.

Responsibilities

• Lead operational management of venues and outdoor sports grounds.
• Ensure high-quality event delivery and outstanding spectator experiences.
• Manage operational budgets and cultivate relationships with stakeholders.

Skills

Leadership

Event Coordination

Safety Management

Budget Management

Stakeholder Engagement

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Sports Management, Business, Event Management

Job description

Job Summary:

Zayed Sports City (ZSC) is Abu Dhabi’s premier multi-venue sports precinct, featuring iconic facilities including the Zayed Sports City Stadium, International Tennis Centre, Ice Rink, Bowling Centre, and Pavilion.

The Operations Director will lead the end-to-end operational management of the precinct’s venues and outdoor sports grounds, ensuring world-class delivery of events and outstanding experiences for athletes, spectators, and partners.

Strategic Contributions include:

• World-Class Venue Delivery: Establish operational standards ensuring pitches, courts, and grounds meet elite competition specifications and enable seamless multi-venue event execution.
• Optimized Venue Utilisation: Develop strategies to maximise use of all sports precinct spaces, both indoor and outdoor, enhancing community engagement and commercial returns.
• Safety Leadership: Foster a culture of safety, ensuring all events and venues uphold best practices in risk management and emergency preparedness.
• Sustainability & Legacy: Promote initiatives that reduce environmental impact and build a sustainable sporting legacy aligned with Abu Dhabi’s strategic goals.
• Talent Development: Build a high-performing operations team through coaching, development, and succession planning.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership

• Provide leadership and direction for all operational functions across Zayed Sports City, aligning venue and event management with the long-term business objectives, community engagement goals, and commercial growth targets. Develop and implement operational strategies that enhance efficiency, customer experience, and sustainability while fostering innovation and continuous improvement across all precinct venues and services..

Venue & Grounds Operations

• Oversee all venue functions, including the management of pitches, sports grounds, courts, and associated fields, ensuring they are prepared and maintained at competition standards for all events, venue security, soft services and logistics, sports hub, ice skating, bowling, stadium and the property portfolio

Event Operations & Coordination

• Lead the planning, coordination, and execution of sporting, entertainment, and community events across venues and outdoor precinct spaces. This includes scheduling, logistics, crowd management, licensing, and vendor coordination.

Safety & Compliance

• Ensure all venues and event operations meet stringent local safety, health, security, and regulatory requirements, including emergency response and crowd control protocols.

Budget & Commercial Oversight

• Manage operational budgets, vendor contracts, and supplier relationships to optimize cost effectiveness and commercial opportunities, maximizing venue utilization and revenue streams.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Cultivate strong working relationships with sports federations, government agencies, sponsors, community groups, and partners to support event success and precinct development.

Continuous Improvement & Innovation

• Drive operational excellence through the implementation of industry best practices, emerging technologies and sustainability initiatives.

Reporting & Analysis

• Monitor and report on operational KPIs including event performance, customer satisfaction, safety incidents, and financial results to inform strategic decisions.

Qualification and Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Sports Management, Business, Event Management, or related discipline; postgraduate qualifications are advantageous.
• At least 10 years senior leadership experience managing venue and event operations within multi-venue sports or entertainment precincts.
• Strong understanding of UAE regulations related to safety, security, and event licensing.
• Expertise managing sports pitches, courts, and outdoor facilities to competition-quality standards.
• Proven ability to coordinate high-profile events involving complex scheduling, logistics, and stakeholder coordination.
• Knowledge of UAE health, safety, and security standards for large-scale sports and entertainment venues.
• Skilled in workforce planning, training, and performance management across diverse operational teams.
• Articulate communicator proficient at engaging a variety of internal and external stakeholders.
• Provides forward-looking strategies that align operations with ZSC’s mission and growth goals.
• Responsive to fast-changing venue demands, event requirements, and stakeholder expectations