Director of Operations

Confidential; Ras Al Khaimah; On-site; AED 400,000 - 700,000; Full time

Job summary

Confidential in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, is seeking a Director of Operations to join a government-backed organization. This senior leadership role oversees government relations, HR, legal, compliance, licensing, and internal processes to strengthen governance and efficiency.

The successful candidate will build scalable operating frameworks, drive cross-functional collaboration, and ensure UAE regulatory requirements are met while delivering high-performance teams and improved

Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressive operational leadership experience.
• Strong understanding of the UAE regulatory and government landscape.
• Proven ability to manage multiple functions and cross-functional teams.
• Experience building scalable operational frameworks and governance.

Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee core operational functions across the organization.
• Develop and implement operational frameworks, policies, SOPs, and end-to-end processes.
• Drive collaboration between departments and resolve operational challenges.
• Oversee licensing, registry operations, compliance, and governance-related activities.
• Build, lead, and develop high-performing teams.
• Establish KPIs and dashboards to monitor operational effectiveness.
• Identify and mitigate operational risks.
• Manage senior relationships with government entities, regulators, partners, and key stakeholders.

Skills

Operational leadership

Government relations

Cross-functional leadership

Regulatory compliance

Strategy development

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Business Administration, Finance, Law, Public Policy, or related discipline

Job description

We are supporting a confidential search for a Director of Operations to join a growing, government-backed organization based in Ras Al Khaimah.

About the Role

This is a senior leadership position responsible for overseeing and strengthening key operational functions across the organization, including government relations, HR, legal, compliance, licensing/registry operations, and internal processes. The original scope places the role as a key member of the leadership team reporting directly to the CEO. The successful candidate will play a key role in building scalable operational frameworks, improving cross-functional collaboration, strengthening governance, and ensuring the organization operates efficiently and in line with UAE regulatory requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee core operational functions across the organization
• Develop and implement operational frameworks, policies, SOPs, and end-to-end processes
• Drive collaboration between departments and resolve operational challenges
• Manage senior relationships with government entities, regulators, partners, and key stakeholders
• Oversee licensing, registration, compliance, and governance-related activities
• Improve service delivery through process optimization and technology-enabled workflows
• Establish KPIs and performance dashboards to monitor operational effectiveness
• Identify and mitigate operational risks
• Build, lead, and develop high-performing teams

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Law, Public Policy, or a related discipline

Required Skills

• 8+ years of progressive operational leadership experience
• Strong understanding of the UAE regulatory and government landscape
• Proven experience managing multiple functions and cross-functional teams
• Strong senior stakeholder and government relationship management experience
• Experience developing operational frameworks and driving process improvement

Preferred Skills

• Experience within a government entity, free zone, regulatory authority, business setup environment, or similarly complex organization is highly preferred