Head of Investment - Real Estate

Ghobash Group; Dubai; On-site; AED 300,000 - 500,000; Full time

Job summary

Ghobash Group is seeking an experienced real estate investment professional in Dubai. This full-time role involves building a pipeline of investment opportunities across the UAE and requires 8-12 years of relevant experience.

The ideal candidate will possess a bachelor’s degree in a quantitative field and demonstrate advanced skills in financial modeling and communication. Knowledge of UAE regulatory frameworks and networks is a plus.

Qualifications

• 8–12 years of relevant real estate investment experience, ideally in UAE or GCC.
• Hands-on experience across various product types including acquisitions and JVs.
• Experience within a family group or owner‑operator context preferred.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain a proprietary pipeline of investment opportunities.
• Lead the evaluation and structuring of opportunities.
• Drive direct asset acquisitions across segments.

Skills

Real estate financial modelling

Advanced Excel

Written communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Finance, Real Estate, Engineering, Economics

Postgraduate qualification (CFA, MRICS, MBA)

Tools

Argus

MRI

Yardi

Power BI

Job description

Responsibilities

• Deal origination: Build and maintain a proprietary pipeline of investment opportunities across the UAE market working through broker networks developer relationships family office channels off‑market introductions and direct seller engagement.
• Opportunity assessment and structuring: Lead the evaluation of inbound and originated opportunities including commercial logic capital structure payment terms partnership architecture and risk allocation between equity debt and partner contributions.
• Equity acquisitions and dispositions: Drive direct asset acquisitions and disposals across residential commercial and industrial segments including bid strategy offer structuring negotiation and execution through to closing.
• Joint ventures and co‑investment: Originate and structure JV opportunities with developers landowners and capital partners including term sheet negotiation governance design waterfall mechanics and partner due diligence.
• Land and development opportunities: Identify and underwrite land acquisitions and development opportunities including site assessment feasibility analysis payment structuring with master developers and selection of development partners.
• Core income acquisitions: Source and execute stabilised income‑producing acquisitions including yield‑on‑cost analysis lease covenant assessment exit pricing and integration into the standing portfolio.
• Underwriting and financial analysis: Lead asset‑level underwriting on every transaction including DCF IRR equity multiple yield on cost NOI bridges debt sizing DSCR capex scenarios lease‑up assumptions exit scenarios and stress cases.
• Due diligence execution: Manage technical legal commercial financial and tax due diligence streams working with internal teams and external advisors through to deal close.
• Investment Committee submissions: Author and present institutional‑grade investment memos approval papers and Board materials that present recommendations clearly and withstand senior scrutiny.
• Negotiation and execution: Lead commercial negotiations on price payment terms conditions precedent representations and warranties and post‑closing arrangements in coordination with legal counsel.
• Portfolio strategy contribution: Contribute to capital allocation strategy portfolio construction and recycling decisions including identification of disposal candidates and reinvestment priorities.
• Market intelligence: Maintain a structured evidence base on UAE sub‑markets including pricing yields absorption supply pipeline transaction comparables and regulatory developments.

Qualifications

• Minimum: Bachelors degree in Finance Real Estate Engineering Economics or a related quantitative discipline.
• Desired: Postgraduate qualification (CFA MRICS MBA or equivalent) is a plus but not a substitute for hands‑on experience.

Experience

• Minimum: 8–12 years of relevant real estate investment experience; UAE or GCC market experience strongly preferred. Established or rapidly developing network across brokers developers advisors and capital partners.
• Desired: Real estate private equity developer investment team family office real estate or institutional asset manager with principal mandate. Experience across multiple product types (acquisitions JVs land/development stabilised income) and within a family group or owner‑operator context preferred.

Skills & Abilities

• Minimum: Real estate financial modelling (DCF IRR equity multiple JV waterfall NOI bridges DSCR sensitivity analysis); Advanced Excel; executive‑ready written communication and investment memo authoring.
• Desired: Argus MRI Yardi or Power BI; debt structuring and lender engagement; familiarity with UAE title and regulatory frameworks (DLD RERA ADREC Oqood Ejari).

Remote Work

No

Employment Type

Full‑time