Emiratization - Senior Manager – Government Relations and Permits

Khazna Data Centers; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Khazna Data Centers in the United Arab Emirates seeks a Senior Manager – Government Relations and Permits to lead the government relations and permitting function across its projects. You will provide strategic oversight of regulatory approvals, ensure compliance, and build senior-level relationships with government authorities.

You will anticipate and manage regulatory risks, drive timely resolution of complex approvals, and advise project teams and leadership to support successful deliveries.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Law, Engineering, or related field.
• Minimum 12 years of progressive experience in government relations, permitting, regulatory affairs, or authority engagement within the UAE.
• Proven experience engaging UAE government authorities and regulatory bodies.
• Strong knowledge of UAE regulatory frameworks, permitting processes, industry compliance, and applicable standards.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and organizational skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead government relations and permitting activities across projects.
• Build and maintain strategic relationships with government authorities, municipalities, and regulatory bodies.
• Act as the senior point of contact for government and regulatory matters.
• Represent the company in government meetings, regulatory forums, and stakeholder engagements.
• Oversee the end-to-end permitting and regulatory approvals process.
• Ensure timely issuance, renewal, and maintenance of permits, licenses, NOCs, and other regulatory approvals.
• Develop permitting strategies aligned with project milestones and delivery schedules.
• Monitor regulatory dependencies, identify potential delays, and drive timely resolution of approval issues.
• Advise senior leadership on regulatory requirements, developments, risks, and potential business impacts.
• Establish effective governance frameworks for permitting, including ownership, accountability, escalation, and risk management.
• Ensure project activities remain compliant with applicable government and regulatory requirements.
• Coordinate with Engineering, Development, Operations, Legal, Commercial, Finance, contractors, and consultants on regulatory requirements.
• Provide executive reporting on permitting progress, regulatory risks, critical dependencies, and escalations.
• Drive continuous improvement and standardization of government relations and permitting processes across projects.
• Provide guidance, training, and knowledge sharing to junior team members and promote functional best practices.

Skills

Regulatory affairs

Stakeholder management

Project management

Negotiation

Communication

Governance

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Law, or Engineering

Job description

Since 2012, Khaznahas become the leading wholesale data center provider in the Middle East and North Africa, delivering reliable and scalable infrastructure to support the region’s growing digital ecosystem.

As part of our Emiratization initiatives, we are looking for a Senior Manager – Government Relations and Permits to lead the government relations and permitting function. The role will provide strategic oversight of regulatory approvals across projects, ensure compliance with applicable requirements, and build strong senior-level relationships with government authorities. The position will also anticipate and manage regulatory and permitting risks, drive timely resolution of complex approval matters, and provide strategic advice to project teams and senior leadership to support successful project delivery.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Lead government relations and permitting activities across assigned projects.
• Build and maintain strategic relationships with government authorities, municipalities, and regulatory bodies.
• Act as the senior point of contact for government and regulatory matters.
• Represent the company in government meetings, regulatory forums, and stakeholder engagements.
• Oversee the end-to-end permitting and regulatory approvals process.
• Ensure timely issuance, renewal, and maintenance of permits, licenses, NOCs, and other regulatory approvals.
• Develop permitting strategies aligned with project milestones and delivery schedules.
• Monitor regulatory dependencies, identify potential delays, and drive timely resolution of approval issues.
• Advise senior leadership on regulatory requirements, developments, risks, and potential business impacts.
• Establish effective governance frameworks for permitting, including ownership, accountability, escalation, and risk management.
• Ensure project activities remain compliant with applicable government and regulatory requirements.
• Coordinate with Engineering, Development, Operations, Legal, Commercial, Finance, contractors, and consultants on regulatory requirements.
• Provide executive reporting on permitting progress, regulatory risks, critical dependencies, and escalations.
• Drive continuous improvement and standardization of government relations and permitting processes across projects.
• Provide guidance, training, and knowledge sharing to junior team members and promote functional best practices.

QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Law, Engineering, or a related discipline; relevant regulatory, legal, government relations, or project management certification is advantageous.
• Minimum 12 years of progressive experience in government relations, permitting, regulatory affairs, or authority engagement within the UAE.
• Proven experience managing regulatory and permitting requirements for complex projects and engaging with UAE government authorities and regulatory bodies.
• Strong knowledge of UAE regulatory frameworks, permitting processes, industry compliance, and applicable standards.
• Demonstrated ability to negotiate and resolve complex or escalated regulatory matters and advise senior project and business stakeholders.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects and use project management/compliance tracking systems effectively.