IT APPLICATIONS LEAD

Duncan & Ross Consulting; Dubai; On-site; AED 300,000 - 480,000; Full time

Job summary

Duncan & Ross Consulting in Dubai seeks a Senior IT Applications Lead to own the enterprise applications and software delivery landscape for an industrial group. You will improve SDLC practices, strengthen release quality, and align applications with business and industrial operations.

The role requires hands-on leadership, with mandatory Industry 4.0 / smart manufacturing integration experience, and the ability to drive modernization across complex systems and vendors.

Qualifications

• Significant senior-level experience leading enterprise applications and software delivery.
• Proven track record improving SDLC practices and release management.
• Mandatory experience in Industry 4.0, smart manufacturing, or industrial IT/OT integration.

Responsibilities

• Lead the enterprise applications function and ownership of architecture, delivery, support, and lifecycle management.
• Assess the existing application portfolio, identify gaps, and define a modernisation roadmap.
• Improve SDLC practices, requirements management, solution design, testing, and production support.
• Establish consistent engineering standards, delivery metrics, quality controls, and release governance.
• Drive Industry 4.0 initiatives, connecting business systems with production and operations.
• Report on portfolio health, delivery performance, risks, costs, and transformation progress to senior leadership.

Skills

Enterprise apps leadership

SDLC improvement

Industry 4.0 integration

Stakeholder management

Vendor management

Hands-on delivery

Job description

Role Overview

We are seeking a senior IT Applications Lead to take ownership of the enterprise applications and software delivery landscape for a confidential large UAE-based industrial group.

Working closely with the SVP of Technology & AI, this leader will improve application delivery, strengthen software development lifecycle (SDLC) practices, enhance release quality, and align enterprise applications with business and industrial operations.

The ideal candidate combines enterprise applications leadership with practical experience in Industry 4.0, smart manufacturing, and industrial IT/OT integration. The role requires someone who can improve the way applications are designed, developed, integrated, deployed, and supported.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the enterprise applications function and establish clear ownership of application architecture, delivery, support, and lifecycle management.
• Assess the existing application portfolio, identify duplication and capability gaps, and define a prioritised modernisation roadmap.
• Improve SDLC practices, including requirements management, solution design, coding standards, testing, release management, change control, and production support.
• Establish consistent engineering standards, delivery metrics, quality controls, and release governance.
• Improve software development productivity, delivery predictability, application reliability, and maintainability.
• Identify and implement appropriate AI-assisted software development practices, including developer productivity tools, code assistance, automated testing, and documentation support.
• Lead integration across enterprise applications, operational systems, data platforms, and industrial technologies.
• Drive Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing application initiatives, connecting business systems with production and operational environments.
• Work closely with plant operations, engineering, OT, cybersecurity, data, infrastructure, and business teams to ensure applications support industrial requirements.
• Manage application vendors, implementation partners, software licensing, support contracts, service levels, and delivery performance.
• Strengthen internal application delivery capabilities, team structures, technical ownership, and knowledge transfer.
• Report on application portfolio health, delivery performance, risks, costs, technical debt, and transformation progress to senior leadership.

Required Experience and Skills

• Significant senior-level experience leading enterprise applications, software engineering, application development, or technology delivery functions.
• Strong understanding of end-to-end enterprise application ownership and the software development lifecycle.
• Proven experience improving software delivery practices, engineering quality, testing, release management, and application support.
• Mandatory experience in Industry 4.0, smart manufacturing, or industrial IT/OT integration.
• Experience integrating enterprise applications with manufacturing, plant, operational, or industrial systems.
• Strong stakeholder management skills across business, technology, engineering, and operations.
• Experience managing application portfolios, vendors, delivery teams, technical risks, and modernisation initiatives.
• Ability to work hands-on and deliver practical improvements within a short interim assignment.

Preferred Experience

• ERP, MES, manufacturing execution, supply chain, quality management, asset management, or other industrial enterprise applications.
• Application modernisation, API and systems integration, cloud-enabled applications, and reduction of technical debt.
• AI-assisted software development, automated testing, code quality tools, and engineering productivity improvement.
• Experience rebuilding internal software delivery capabilities or transitioning work from external service providers.

Assignment Details

• Location: Dubai, UAE.
• Work arrangement: Fully onsite.
• Contract: Initial 3 months, with potential extension.
• Programme: Approximately 18 months.
• Availability: Able to start within the next few weeks.

Important Screening Criteria

Candidates must demonstrate both enterprise application/software delivery leadership and relevant industrial technology experience. General ERP implementation experience without meaningful Industry 4.0, smart manufacturing, or industrial IT/OT integration exposure may not be sufficient.

Vertical:

Technology