Director - Strategy & Transformation

beOnd; Dubai; On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

A premium leisure airline in Dubai seeks an experienced Director of Strategy & Transformation to lead strategic initiatives and drive transformational projects. The Director will oversee the PMO, ensuring alignment with investor KPIs while fostering a culture of data-driven decision-making. Ideal candidates will have over 10 years of experience in strategy development, particularly in the aviation sector, and exceptional leadership skills.

Qualifications

• A minimum of 10 years of experience in strategy or transformation projects, preferably in aviation.
• Demonstrated success in leading transformative initiatives with measurable outcomes.
• Familiarity with project management methodologies.

Responsibilities

• Lead the centralized PMO, ensuring cross-functional transparency.
• Oversee AOC enablement and compliance for new regions.
• Develop operating procedures and frameworks for the Maldives operation.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Project management

Analytical abilities

Communication

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration or related field

Job description

Beond is seeking an experienced Director of Strategy & Transformation to lead strategic initiatives as we grow the world's first premium leisure airline. This role involves driving transformational projects, collaborating with leadership and teams to enhance growth and operational excellence.

The Director will head beOnd's global Program Management Office (PMO), overseeing enterprise-wide strategy execution, transformation, and integration across the airline's AOCs, ensuring alignment with investor KPIs and operational readiness. With executive visibility and authority, the Director will establish structures that support intelligent scaling while balancing transformation ambitions and disciplined execution.

Key Responsibilities

• Establish and Lead a Centralized PMO
• Develop a centralised PMO that reports directly to the CEO, ensuring cross-functional transparency
• Implement a governance framework to facilitate project evaluation and reporting
• Create an environment where execution is driven by data
• Oversee AOC Enablement in New Regions
• Ensure alignment of regulatory and commercial readiness strategies
• Guarantee that AOC launches are timely and meet compliance standards
• Advance Process Maturity in the Maldives Operation
• Evaluate the operational maturity of the Maldives AOC
• Develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) and documentation frameworks
• Utilize the Maldives operation as a benchmark for policy standardization
• Convert Investor KPIs into Actionable Programs
• Work with the Finance team to formulate action plans based on KPIs
• Create a performance dashboard to monitor impact metrics
• Ensure accountability with structured follow-up processes
• Promote Cross-Functional Cost Optimization
• Conduct total cost of ownership (TCO) assessments to identify and mitigate cost inefficiencies
• Collaborate with various departments to pinpoint savings opportunities that enhance performance
• Develop tools aimed at achieving sustainable efficiency improvements
  
  

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Strategy, or a similar discipline;
• A minimum of 10 years of experience in strategy formulation, transformation projects, or management consulting, within the aviation or travel sector
• Program and portfolio management expertise (PMI, PRINCE2, MSP, or equivalent)
• Experience with multiple AOCs is advantageous, as well as expertise in scaling operations
• Demonstrated success in leading transformative initiatives and achieving measurable outcomes
• Excellent analytical and strategic thinking abilities, with a talent for converting insights into actionable strategies
• Outstanding communication and interpersonal capabilities, with a background in engaging and influencing senior executives
• Strong leadership qualities, with the ability to inspire and motivate teams across different functions
• Familiarity with project management methodologies and tools
• Readiness to travel as necessary to facilitate the execution of strategic initiatives