Manager – Skills & Competency Framework

EDGE; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 240,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

EDGE Group in Abu Dhabi is seeking a Manager – Skills & Competency Framework to lead the design and enterprise-wide implementation of a comprehensive skills architecture across a technology-driven organization.

You will partner with senior leaders and subject matter experts to identify essential skills, build proficiency models, and embed frameworks across the employee lifecycle, enabling workforce readiness and strategic capability development.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related discipline.
• Master's degree in Engineering, Organizational Development, Business, Management, or related field is highly preferred.
• 10-15+ years of experience in organizational effectiveness, workforce capability, skills architecture, competency frameworks, or management consulting.
• Proven track record of designing and implementing competency frameworks from inception to execution.
• Experience developing technical and functional competency frameworks within engineering, manufacturing, industrial, technology, defence, or similarly complex environments.
• Strong understanding of skills taxonomies, proficiency frameworks, capability assessments, and competency modelling.
• Experience engaging senior executives, technical leaders, and subject matter experts across multiple business functions.
• Prior experience with leading consulting firms such as McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Strategy&, Deloitte, PwC, EY, or KPMG would be highly advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end design, development, and implementation of an enterprise-wide skills and competency framework.
• Create competency architectures, skills taxonomies, proficiency models, and competency matrices across functions and job families.
• Partner with business leaders and technical subject matter experts to identify critical skills and capabilities required today and in the future.
• Develop robust technical competency frameworks for engineering, technician, and specialist roles.
• Establish proficiency standards, career progression pathways, and competency-based development models.
• Design skills assessment methodologies, scoring frameworks, and evidence-based evaluation processes.
• Conduct organizational skills gap analyses and provide insights to support workforce planning and capability building.
• Collaborate with Talent Acquisition, Learning & Development, HR Business Partners, and Workforce Planning teams to embed competency frameworks across the employee lifecycle.
• Benchmark against leading engineering, technology, industrial, and defence organizations to ensure best-in-class practices.
• Drive governance, continuous improvement, and integration of competency data into HR systems and workforce analytics platforms.

Skills

Competency Framework Design

Engineering & Industrial Capability

Organizational Effectiveness

Workforce Capability Planning

Skills Gap Analysis

Assessment Methodology Design

Data & Workforce Analytics

Stakeholder Management

Change & Project Management

Strategic Problem Solving

Executive-Level Communication

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related discipline

Master's Degree in Engineering, Organizational Development, Business, Management, or related field

Job description

EDGE Group is one of the world's leading advanced technology and defence groups, headquartered in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Established in 2019, EDGE develops innovative solutions across defence, aerospace, cyber, space, autonomous systems, advanced manufacturing, and emerging technologies. With more than 35 entities operating across multiple business clusters, EDGE is driving technological innovation, building sovereign capabilities, and positioning the UAE as a global hub for future industries. The group brings together advanced research, engineering excellence, digital transformation, and industrial capabilities to address complex challenges and shape the industries of tomorrow.

Are you passionate about building world-class capability frameworks that shape the future workforce? We are seeking an experienced Manager – Skills & Competency Framework to lead the design and implementation of a comprehensive enterprise-wide skills and competency architecture across a complex, technology-driven organization.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end design, development, and implementation of an enterprise-wide skills and competency framework.
• Create competency architectures, skills taxonomies, proficiency models, and competency matrices across functions and job families.
• Partner with business leaders and technical subject matter experts to identify critical skills and capabilities required today and in the future.
• Develop robust technical competency frameworks for engineering, technician, and specialist roles.
• Establish proficiency standards, career progression pathways, and competency-based development models.
• Design skills assessment methodologies, scoring frameworks, and evidence-based evaluation processes.
• Conduct organizational skills gap analyses and provide insights to support workforce planning and capability building.
• Collaborate with Talent Acquisition, Learning & Development, HR Business Partners, and Workforce Planning teams to embed competency frameworks across the employee lifecycle.
• Benchmark against leading engineering, technology, industrial, and defence organizations to ensure best-in‑class practices.
• Drive governance, continuous improvement, and integration of competency data into HR systems and workforce analytics platforms.

What We're Looking For:

Education

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Master's Degree in Engineering, Organizational Development, Business, Management, or a related field is highly preferred.

Experience

• 10-15+ years of experience in organizational effectiveness, workforce capability, skills architecture, competency frameworks, or management consulting.
• Proven track record of designing and implementing competency frameworks from inception to execution.
• Experience developing technical and functional competency frameworks within engineering, manufacturing, industrial, technology, defence, or similarly complex environments.
• Strong understanding of skills taxonomies, proficiency frameworks, capability assessments, and competency modelling.
• Experience engaging senior executives, technical leaders, and subject matter experts across multiple business functions.
• Prior experience with leading consulting firms such as McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Strategy&, Deloitte, PwC, EY, or KPMG would be highly advantageous.

Key Skills

• Competency Framework Design
• Engineering & Industrial Capability Assessment
• Organizational Effectiveness
• Workforce Capability Planning
• Skills Gap Analysis
• Assessment Methodology Design
• Data & Workforce Analytics
• Stakeholder Management
• Change & Project Management
• Strategic Problem Solving
• Executive-Level Communication

Why Join Us?

This role offers the opportunity to influence how capability is defined, assessed, and developed across a large-scale, highly technical organization. You will play a pivotal role in shaping future workforce readiness, enabling business growth, and building a sustainable pipeline of technical excellence.