Head of Transformation

Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company; Dubai; On-site; AED 550,000 - 735,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading insurance provider in Dubai seeks a Head of Transformation to oversee end-to-end transformation delivery across the MEA region. The ideal candidate will have 12–15+ years of experience in transformation and corporate strategy, particularly in regulated environments like healthcare or insurance. Responsibilities include managing a transformation roadmap, driving program execution, and leading change management initiatives. Strong communication skills and a background in Agile methodologies are essential. Competitive compensation and growth opportunities provided.

Qualifications

• 12–15+ years of experience in transformation leadership and corporate strategy.
• Experience in highly regulated environments, preferably in healthcare or insurance.
• Proven track record of successful enterprise transformation.

Responsibilities

• Lead the transformation roadmap and manage enterprise-wide initiatives.
• Drive program execution excellence across cross-functional teams.
• Champion change management and build transformation capability within teams.

Skills

Transformation leadership

Program delivery

Change management

Agile methodologies

Stakeholder management

Risk management

Data analytics

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field

MBA or Master's preferred

Tools

Lean Six Sigma

Agile frameworks

Job description

JOB DESCRIPTION SUMMARY

The Head of Transformation is accountable for end-to-end transformation delivery across Cigna Healthcare Middle East & Africa, spanning operating model redesign, technology and data modernization, regulatory readiness, and execution discipline. This role operates in a highly regulated, fast-scaling environment, market buildouts, complex government integrations. This role requires a senior transformation leader with the confidence and credibility to operate at executive level, challenge peers, and make difficult prioritization decisions in high-stakes environments. The role blends transformation strategy, Agile SAFe leadership, change management, and disciplined program delivery to embed modern ways of working and unlock measurable value. You will stand up and lead the Transformation Office, orchestrate cross‑functional initiatives across all value streams, and ensure outcomes are tracked and realized. The ideal candidate is a hands‑on transformation leader and trusted advisor to senior executives—comfortable with ambiguity, skilled at mobilizing teams, and relentless about execution, learning cycles, and business results. The role reports to the MEA CEO and serves as a core member of the MEA leadership team, with a mandate to challenge delivery assumptions, re‑prioritize initiatives, and elevate risks where outcomes are compromised.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Transformation Leadership & Operating Model Define, own, and continuously re‑prioritize the MEA transformation roadmap, with explicit accountability for sequencing initiatives based on regulatory urgency, value at risk, and delivery capacity. Hold authority to recommend stopping, pausing, or re‑scoping initiatives that do not deliver measurable outcomes or jeopardize regulatory or operational stability. Evolve and lead the Transformation Office (TO) including Lean Portfolio Management, ensuring value streams are defined, funded, and sequenced. Oversee execution of enterprise initiatives, impacting MEA value streams. Institutionalize agile and product‑led operating models across MEA, ensuring adoption translates into faster time‑to‑market, improved delivery predictability, and measurable flow improvements. Partner with the business and support functions, to align operating model changes, budget cycles, workforce plans, vendor strategies, and benefit realization.
2. Program & Initiative Delivery (Execution Excellence Own the delivery of a multi‑year enterprise transformation portfolio, including but not limited to digital distribution, customer self‑service, claims and medical cost transformation, provider network enablement, and core platform modernization. Accountable for delivery outcomes across a matrixed environment, including dependencies on Operations, Technology, Finance, Markets, and third‑party vendors. Drive cross‑functional collaboration and dependencies management (Scrum of Scrums, ART Sync), ensuring blockers are escalated and resolved quickly. Institutionalize benefits realization, tracking both leading indicators (adoption, and lagging outcomes.
3. Change Management & Culture Champion agile and customer‑centric mindsets; coach executives and teams on lean / agile, product ownership, and hypothesis‑driven delivery. Design and execute change plans (communications, stakeholder mapping, training, role clarity, incentives) using proven frameworks. Build on transformation capability by developing delivery talent (RTEs, Scrum Masters, Product Owners, PMs, BAs) and shaping Communities of Practice.
4. Data, Technology & Process Modernization Advance data and analytics foundations (data quality, governance, BI / self‑service, AI / ML use cases) to improve business outcomes. Lead process re‑engineering and automation (Lean, Six Sigma, workflow digitization, RPA). Partner with Technology while retaining outcome accountability for platform modernization, data foundations, integration simplification, and automation that materially reduce operational risk, cost‑to‑serve, and regulatory exposure. Act as a senior counterpart to Technology leadership to challenge delivery plans, vendor dependencies, and sequencing decisions.
5. Benefits Realization & Value Tracking Own benefits realization end‑to‑end, with explicit linkage between initiatives and financial, operational, and regulatory outcomes; ensure benefits are auditable, tracked, and reflected in business performance.
6. Risk, Compliance & Regulatory Alignment Ensure all transformation initiatives are fully aligned with MEA regulatory requirements, with clear ownership of remediation plans, delivery milestones, and executive escalation where risks emerge. Proactively manage risk (operational, technology, data, third‑party) via robust controls, testing, and audit readiness.
7. Executive Reporting & Stakeholder Management Provide clear, decision‑oriented executive reporting to the CEO and leadership team, including delivery risks, trade‑offs, and recommendations. Serve as a thought partner to the CEO and leadership team, shaping priorities, investment decisions, and enterprise cadence.

SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE NEEDED

• Bachelor’s degree required; MBA / Master’s preferred.
• 12–15+ years of experience in transformation leadership, program delivery, or corporate strategy; insurance or financial services experience strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience leading transformation at scale in regulated, multi‑market environments; experience in healthcare, insurance, or adjacent regulated industries strongly preferred.
• Proven enterprise transformation track record, including Agile SAFe adoption across business and technology.
• Relevant certifications: SAFe (SPC or RTE preferred), Prosci / ADKAR, Lean Six Sigma (Green / Black Belt), PMP / PgMP (or equivalent).
• Demonstrated business impact delivering quantifiable results (e.g., medical cost containment, loss ratio improvement, cost‑to‑serve reduction, cycle time reduction, digital adoption).
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving capability; fluent in data‑led decision making and benefits realization.
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder engagement with the ability to influence at C‑suite level and across geographies.
• Comfort with ambiguity and ability to pivot based on evidence and market dynamics.
• Regional experience in MEA regulatory / market environments is an advantage.

PERSONAL COMPETENCIES

• Global mindset with cultural sensitivity and inclusion.
• Customer‑centric & outcomes‑focused, grounded in empathy and evidence.
• Innovative, pragmatic, and forward‑looking, balancing speed and risk.
• Leadership presence that inspires trust, accountability, and high performance.
• Excellent synthesis skills—able to translate complexity into clarity.
• Open, concise communicator with strong written and verbal skills.

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