Director - Project Delivery

WhiteCrow Research; Dubai; On-site; AED 420,000 - 660,000; Full time

Job summary

WhiteCrow Research seeks a Director - Project Delivery in the UAE/Dubai region to lead the company-wide project management strategy and governance. You will drive delivery momentum, oversee budgets, and align with regulatory and safety standards across large-scale developments.

With 8+ years in senior leadership and a background in civil/architectural engineering, you will collaborate with sector heads, clients, and contractors to ensure timely, compliant delivery and ongoing improvement across

Qualifications

• Must have project delivery experience managing large-scale, complex developments.
• 8+ years in a senior leadership role in project delivery.
• 5+ years working with developers preferred; UAE building context knowledge an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Define and lead the company-wide project management strategy and governance.
• Escalate and resolve resource constraints, risks, and budget issues at senior levels.
• Oversee budgets, financial reporting, and cost optimization across projects.
• Ensure compliance with statutory/regulatory standards and safety norms.
• Collaborate with procurement, contracts, and stakeholders to enable delivery.
• Champion standardized PM processes and effective handover of projects.

Skills

Project management

Leadership

Budgeting

Education

BEng or MEng in Civil/Architectural Engineering

Job description

Job Description:

About WhiteCrow

We are global talent research, insight, and sourcing specialists with offices in the UK, USA, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Dubai, and India. Our international reach has helped us to understand and penetrate specialist markets at a global level. In addition to this, our service is also extended to complement our client’s in-house talent acquisition teams.

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 - Project Delivery, you will be responsible for...

• Defining, developing, and leading the company-wide project management strategy, ensuring all assigned project delivery activities support and advance the organization's strategic plan and business goals.
• Leading as an ultimate escalation point for resource constraints, delivery challenges, and project risks, providing executive-level support to resolve critical issues and maintain delivery momentum.
• Overseeing and ensuring rigorous management of project budgets, including monitoring actual costs versus budgets, approving financial reports, and driving cost optimization to safeguard financial performance.
• Leading the governance of project change requests, ensuring timely communication of schedule and budget impacts. Driving proactive risk identification, assessment, and mitigation across all projects to minimize business disruption.
• Providing oversight and strategic direction on contractor mitigation plans, procurement strategies, resource allocation, and acceleration programs to ensure projects meet agreed timelines and quality standards.
• Collaborating closely with the Procurement and Contracts Department to ensure all necessary requirements are identified and addressed promptly, facilitating informed and efficient decision-making.
• Cultivating and sustaining strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including senior clients and commercial teams, enhancing collaboration and addressing escalations effectively.
• Collaborating with sector heads, technical teams, and commercial functions to align project execution with broader organizational objectives, ensuring seamless integration and delivery of complex technical assignments
• Championing the implementation of standardized, compliant project management processes and quality controls across all projects. Ensuring adherence to statutory, regulatory, and company standards, including safety and engineering norms.
• Guiding the development and dissemination of critical project documentation, training materials, and user manuals to enable effective project handover and operational readiness.
• Overseeing the consolidation and analysis of project data and performance reports to inform executive decision-making and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Establishing clear roles, responsibilities, and authority levels across the project team, ensuring all members have a shared understanding of their accountabilities and reporting relationships to drive effective collaboration and execution.
• Delegating tasks and decision-making authority appropriately across the team, promoting ownership and accountability while maintaining oversight to ensure alignment with project objectives and organizational standards.
• Leading critical strategic initiatives by coordinating cross-functional teams and managing regulatory compliance and stakeholder engagement to ensure alignment with organizational goals.
• Staying up to date with industry trends, emerging technologies, and global best practices in project management and real estate development. Applying relevant insights and develop opportunities to enhance delivery methods, ensure competitiveness, and drive innovation across projects.

What you already have...

• Must have project delivery experience managing large-scale, complex developments, including 8+ years in a senior leadership role.
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Civil Engineering, Architectural Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Experience in managing the full project lifecycle - from initiation and planning through execution, monitoring, handover, and close- out.
• Min of 15–20+ years experience, including 8+ years of experience in a senior leadership/project lead role - managing large-scale/ multi-disciplinary projects and teams. 5+ years of experience with a developer - preferable.
• Understanding of industry-specific delivery standards and technologies, statutory, regulatory, and quality compliance requirements relevant to project delivery.
• Familiar with UAE Building Codes, Environmental regulations, and Dubai construction laws

Requirements: