Senior Vice President of Guest Experience (Major UAE Hospitality & Leisure Client)

Aventus; Abu Dhabi Emirate; On-site; AED 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Senior Vice President of Guest Experience to revolutionize visitor interactions across a diverse portfolio of leisure and cultural destinations. This pivotal role involves crafting and executing a comprehensive guest experience strategy, driving customer-first innovations, and ensuring operational excellence. The ideal candidate will possess a strong background in tourism and hospitality, with a proven track record in leading large-scale transformations. This is an exciting opportunity to shape the future of destination management and create unforgettable experiences for visitors.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in senior leadership within tourism or hospitality.
• Experience in leading customer experience transformation.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a Guest Experience Strategy.
• Lead initiatives to enhance community engagement and inclusivity.

Skills

Leadership in Customer Experience

Strategic Planning

Stakeholder Engagement

Operational Excellence

Crisis Management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Tourism or Hospitality Management

CXPA accreditation

Job description

Senior Vice President of Guest Experience (Major UAE Hospitality & Leisure Client)

Aventus Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates

What We’re Looking For

We are seeking an accomplished senior leader to take on a pivotal role driving guest experience excellence across a portfolio of high-profile leisure, cultural, and tourism destinations. The successful candidate will spearhead the transformation of customer experience across multiple touchpoints, ensuring that every visitor engagement is seamless, memorable, and aligned with world-class standards.

We are looking for a strategic, innovative leader with a proven ability to lead experience-driven transformation within dynamic, customer-facing environments. You’ll be passionate about elevating the guest journey across diverse operational settings—ranging from theme parks and entertainment venues to mobility and placemaking initiatives.

Role Summary

The Senior Vice President (SVP) of Guest Experience is responsible for shaping and delivering exceptional guest experiences across a diverse portfolio of high-profile destinations, including island developments, theme parks, cultural institutions, and entertainment venues. The role also incorporates strategic oversight of Community Experience, Mobility, and Placemaking, ensuring an integrated, inclusive, and sustainable approach to destination management.

This position plays a pivotal role in positioning the organisation as a global leader in leisure, tourism, and community engagement by delivering seamless, memorable, and transformative experiences. The SVP is tasked with driving the Guest Experience Strategy to deliver world-class standards across the entire guest journey.

The ideal candidate is a forward-thinking innovator who champions customer-first decision-making, embraces next-generation omni-channel technologies, and thrives in autonomous environments. A key success factor will be the ability to challenge and align stakeholders while inspiring a culture of service excellence and the consistent creation of unforgettable moments.

Key Responsibilities

Guest Experience Strategy

• Develop and implement a destination-wide Guest Experience Strategy aligned with broader business goals and brand vision.
• Champion guest-centric innovations to boost satisfaction, loyalty, and advocacy.
• Define and manage performance indicators, including Net Promoter Score (NPS), satisfaction metrics, and return visitation.
• Ensure consistency and excellence in guest experiences across multiple destinations and assets, including hospitality, attractions, and services.
• Integrate guest experience initiatives across all leisure and cultural assets.

Community Engagement

• Design initiatives that engage local communities, promote inclusivity, and reflect the region’s unique cultural heritage.
• Partner with local stakeholders to promote trust and community alignment with destination goals.

Mobility & Access

• Develop and implement seamless, sustainable mobility solutions across all destinations.
• Collaborate with transport partners to enhance connectivity, convenience, and accessibility.
• Integrate smart transport technologies, including shuttle services, smart parking, and ride-sharing.

Placemaking and Design

• Lead development of public spaces that are functional, welcoming, and iconic.
• Oversee placemaking strategies to encourage interaction and cultural discovery.
• Work with planners and designers to create integrated, guest-focused environments.
• Lead the adoption of emerging technologies—such as AI, AR, and IoT—to enhance personalisation and engagement.
• Partner with digital teams to create seamless experiences across the visitor journey.
• Introduce innovative solutions that improve mobility and community integration.

Operational Excellence

• Collaborate with operations to implement service standards that drive exceptional experiences at every touchpoint.
• Monitor and improve guest-facing service delivery in line with performance metrics.

Sustainability

• Embed sustainability across guest experience and community initiatives in support of broader environmental goals.
• Promote green mobility and responsible tourism to minimise environmental impact.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Align internal and external stakeholders across leadership, operational, and government entities.
• Build strategic partnerships to enhance the destination offering and visitor experience.
• Inspire and manage cross-functional teams across guest experience, mobility, and placemaking.
• Foster a high-performance culture focused on innovation, collaboration, and service excellence.

Crisis Management

• Lead guest and community issue resolution to protect brand reputation.
• Proactively identify and address potential challenges in operations and service delivery.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Tourism, Hospitality Management, or a related discipline (essential)
• Professional membership and CXPA accreditation (desirable)

Experience

• 7+ years in a senior leadership role within tourism, hospitality, or aviation
• At least 5 years leading large-scale customer experience transformation programmes
• Strategy development and business planning experience (desirable)

Core Skills

• Proven success operating in fast-paced, customer-centric environments
• Strong written communication and process documentation abilities
• Deep knowledge of contact centre operations and customer service delivery
• Insight into regional trends and industry best practice
• Inspirational leadership, with a talent for aligning teams around a shared vision
• Awareness of external factors such as legislation, customer behaviour, and competitive trends

Behavioural Competencies Candidates should lead with a spirit of collaboration, positivity, and excellence—demonstrating values such as :

• Creating smiles through service and innovation
• Sharing knowledge and developing others
• Delivering consistently high standards
• Fostering cross-functional teamwork
• Building partnerships internally and externally
• Leading with purpose and nurturing talent

This is a high-impact leadership opportunity for someone who thrives on creating extraordinary experiences and shaping the future of destination management.

As always, we welcome applicants of diverse backgrounds and actively foster inclusive working environments.

Apply if this sounds like you!

Seniority level

Executive

Employment type

Full-time

Job function

Customer Service

Hospitality and Entertainment Providers

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President Experience • Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates