Manager PMO

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

Job summary

A leading airline is seeking a Manager PMO (Product & Hospitality) to enhance guest experience through innovative project management initiatives. The role demands strong leadership and strategic planning skills, overseeing various projects related to hospitality and service delivery. The position requires significant experience in program management within the aviation or luxury hospitality sectors, and successful candidates will manage a team while ensuring project governance aligns with the airline's objectives.

Qualifications

• 7–10 years of experience in program or project management.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with C-level stakeholders.
• Certification in project/program management methodologies preferred (PMP, PRINCE2, Agile).

Responsibilities

• Define and lead the PMO strategy for guest experience initiatives.
• Establish and improve PMO standards and methodologies.
• Monitor project and portfolio performance through KPIs and stakeholder dashboards.

Skills

Project Management

Leadership

Communication

Strategic Planning

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Hospitality Management, Aviation

Master’s degree (preferred)

Tools

Power BI

Smartsheet

Job description

Synopsis

The Manager PMO (Product & Hospitality) is responsible for driving the strategic planning, execution, and governance of key programs and projects that elevate Etihad Airways’ guest experience across both inflight and ground services. This role ensures consistent delivery of high-impact initiatives—spanning product innovation, service design, hospitality enhancements, and customer experience transformation—by establishing and managing robust project portfolio governance frameworks. The role serves as a critical link between senior leadership, product owners, operational stakeholders, and external partners to ensure guest-centric outcomes are delivered efficiently, on time, and within budget.

Accountabilities

• Define and lead the PMO strategy to support all guest experience-related initiatives, including new product rollouts, hospitality upgrades, and service innovation projects.
• Ensure portfolio governance through structured business case evaluation, prioritization frameworks, and executive reporting to align with Etihad’s customer experience objectives.
• Partner closely with Product owners, Technical Operations, Cabin Services, Ground Operations, Marketing, and Brand teams to deliver integrated, cross-functional programs that drive measurable enhancements in guest satisfaction.
• Establish and continuously improve PMO standards, methodologies, and tools—adapting both waterfall and agile approaches depending on the initiative.
• Monitor project and portfolio performance through KPIs, risk assessments, and stakeholder dashboards, ensuring transparency and accountability across all programs.
• Oversee vendor and partner coordination on key programs, ensuring timelines, budgets, and brand standards are upheld.
• Coach and lead a team of project and program managers, fostering a high-performance culture rooted in collaboration and excellence.
• Facilitate change management processes and ensure cross-departmental alignment for smooth implementation of new guest-facing products and services.
  
  

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Hospitality Management, Aviation, or a related field; a Master’s degree is preferred.
• 7–10 years of experience in program or project management, preferably within the aviation, luxury hospitality, or travel sectors.
• Proven track record of managing large-scale customer experience, hospitality, or service delivery programs in a matrixed, multinational environment.
• Certification in project/program management methodologies such as PMP, PRINCE2, or Agile (Scrum, SAFe) is preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with C-level stakeholders and manage cross-functional teams.
• Strong understanding of airline operations, guest experience trends, and hospitality innovation.
• Proficiency in portfolio reporting tools (e.g., Power BI, Smartsheet, or other PPM platforms) is a plus.
  
  

About Etihad Airways

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, was formed in 2003 and quickly went on to become one of the world’s leading airlines. From its home in Abu Dhabi, Etihad flies to passenger and cargo destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and North America. Together with Etihad’s codeshare partners, Etihad’s network offers access to hundreds of international destinations. In recent years, Etihad has received numerous awards for its superior service and products, cargo offering, loyalty programme and more. All this ties into Etihad’s ambitious Journey 2030 strategy. The airline plans to double its fleet size and triple the number of customers over the next six years as it sets out to be the airline everyone wants to fly!

To learn more, visit etihad.com

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