Director - Operations

WhiteCrow Research; Dubai; On-site; AED 400,000 - 700,000; Full time

Job summary

WhiteCrow Research Pvt. Ltd. is seeking a Director - Operations in Dubai to lead critical strategic initiatives, budget management, and cross-functional coordination across the organization.

You will oversee culture campaigns, employee engagement programs and leadership engagement sessions to drive performance and alignment with business objectives. The role requires a senior PM/leader with UAE experience, strong reporting capabilities, and the ability to liaise with finance and department heads

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering or related field.
• Professional engineering registration and/or PMP/PRINCE2 or equivalent preferred.
• Strong knowledge of infrastructure design, contract administration, project controls and Dubai authority processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead execution and tracking of strategic initiatives aligning with long-term objectives.
• Oversee rollout of corporate culture campaigns and engagement initiatives.
• Develop and implement annual strategy to embed culture values at all levels.
• Manage budgeting process for relevant functions and track OPEX.

Skills

Project management

Stakeholder management

Reporting & analytics

Budgeting & cost control

Education

Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering

PMP/PRINCE2 or equivalent certification

Job description

About our client

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.

As a Director - Operations, you will be responsible for...

• Leading the execution and tracking of key strategic initiatives and milestones across the organization, ensuring alignment with long-term business objectives.
• Overseeing the rollout and continuous monitoring of corporate culture campaigns, ensuring relevance, engagement and alignment with organizational goals.
• Developing and implementing a comprehensive annual strategy to promote and embed corporate culture values across all levels of the organization.
• Driving employee engagement through flagship programs and initiatives, achieving high levels of participation and satisfaction.
• Planning and delivering leadership engagement sessions, ensuring seamless coordination of logistics, impactful agendas and meaningful interactions.
• Curating relevant speakers, team-building activities and structured discussions that foster strategic alignment, collaboration and leadership effectiveness.
• Leading the coordination and delivery of company-wide engagement initiatives, ensuring minimum thresholds for employee participation and satisfaction scores are being met.
• Serving as the primary coordination point for reporting and performance updates across departments, ensuring timely and accurate submission of progress reports and data to senior leadership.
• Collaborating with internal stakeholders to support strategic decision-making through proactive reporting, performance reviews and executive forums.
• Monitoring effectiveness through engagement surveys and adjusting plans based on feedback and data-driven insights.
• Leading the annual budgeting process for relevant functions in collaboration with Finance and managing the department's OPEX budget, ensuring optimal utilization within approved parameters.
• Establishing processes for monthly tracking, quarterly variance reporting and cost optimization to support financial accountability and efficiency.
• Ensuring high standards of operational efficiency through process improvements, stakeholder management and clear internal communication.
• Minimizing escalations by proactively addressing issues and maintaining strong internal coordination.

What you already have...

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering or a closely related engineering discipline from a recognized university.
• Professional engineering registration and/or a recognized project management qualification such as PMP, PRINCE2 or an equivalent certification is preferred.
• Strong knowledge of infrastructure design and construction standards, contract administration, project controls and Dubai authority approval processes.
• Minimum 12 years of progressive experience in infrastructure project delivery, including at least 5 years in a senior project management or leadership capacity.
• Demonstrable experience delivering large-scale roads, utilities and masterdevelopment infrastructure projects through design, procurement, construction, commissioning and handover.
• Substantial UAE experience is preferred, with practical knowledge of Dubai authorities, utility providers, regulatory requirements and stakeholder interfaces.