Operations Manager

NADIA; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 250,000 - 350,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading recruitment agency is seeking a highly qualified IT project management professional in Abu Dhabi. Candidates should have 10–15 years of experience, strong leadership capabilities, and a proven track record in defense or government sectors. The role involves managing multi-million-dollar IT projects and overseeing service delivery in regulated environments. Proven expertise in PPM methodologies is essential.

Qualifications

• 10–15 years of experience in IT project management.
• Strong leadership and management skills.
• Expertise in defense and government-regulated environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end delivery in defense/government-regulated environments.
• Oversee service desk and vendor ecosystem management.
• Deliver multi-million-dollar IT projects with strict accountability.

Skills

Defense-sector mastery

Financial & operational governance

PMO leadership

Vendor management expertise

Crisis and resilience leadership

Strong communication skills

Results-driven leadership

Education

PMP or PRINCE2 Practitioner

ITIL Managing Professional

MBA or Executive MBA

Job description

About the Company

We are seeking a highly qualified professional with 10–15 years of proven experience in delivering mission-critical operations and managing large-scale IT projects for the related government sectors/Defense industry.

About the Role

The candidate must demonstrate a strong track record in managed services and implementation programs, covering both technical and business solution domains. In addition to technical depth, the candidate must possess outstanding leadership capabilities with the ability to manage and inspire teams of Project Managers and Service Delivery Managers, coordinate effectively across Procurement, Finance, Sales, and Pre-Sales, and harmonize diverse functions into a unified, high-performing operation. This role requires a strategic operator and leader who combines operational resilience with people leadership to drive efficiency, transformation, and value creation while ensuring compliance with frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Operations & Service Delivery: End-to-end delivery leadership in defense/government-regulated environments, Proven ability to run secure, resilient operations with high confidentiality.
• Managed Services: Hands-on experience in service desk, outsourcing, vendor ecosystem management, and SLA/OLA enforcement, ITIL and service governance leadership.
• Implementation Programs: Delivery of multi-million-dollar IT projects within, covering ERP, healthcare, and defense-specific solutions, PMO methodologies (PRINCE2, PMP, Agile) with strict accountability on timelines, budget, and quality.
• Infrastructure & Security: Strong background in infrastructure refresh, data center management, and network/security systems.
• Business Solutions & Industry-Specific Systems: ERP (SAP/Oracle), healthcare security systems, and other defense-related digital platforms, Integration of security and business applications into operational environments.
• Operational Methodologies & Risk/Cost Control: Apply structured operation methodologies to handle client challenges with agility and discipline, Proven ability to manage contracts and control risks, ensuring project and contract costs stay aligned with agreed P&L targets. Able to deliver executive-level periodic reporting, showcasing operational KPIs, financial control, and program performance, drive continuous improvement to enhance team efficiency, provide high service quality, and competitiveness, Support and update existing contracts as part of business allocation and growth strategy.

Team Leadership & Cross-Functional Coordination

• Proven ability to lead and mentor teams of Project Managers, Service Delivery Managers, and technical experts.
• Skilled at orchestrating and harmonizing collaboration across Procurement, Finance, Sales, and Pre-Sales departments.
• Capable of building a high-morale, teamwork-driven environment, ensuring alignment of business objectives with operational delivery.
• Demonstrated success in managing multi-vendor and cross-department initiatives in complex ecosystems.

Qualifications

• Mandatory: PMP or PRINCE2 Practitioner; ITIL Managing Professional.
• Preferred: PgMP, Lean Six Sigma (Black/Green Belt), COBIT, CISSP/CISM.
• Academic background in Computer Science, Information Systems, or Engineering. MBA or Executive MBA preferred.

Required Skills

• Defense-sector mastery with proven delivery track record.
• Financial & operational governance across OPEX/CAPEX.
• PMO leadership with risk control and executive reporting.
• Vendor and outsourcing management expertise.
• Innovation driver — embedding automation, AI, and digital transformation into delivery.
• Customer success orientation — ensuring renewals, upselling, and long-term trust.
• Crisis and resilience leadership (BCM/DR frameworks).
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement with leadership, OEMs, and global partners.
• Team builder with ability to sustain motivation, collaboration, and unity across diverse departments.
• Results-driven leader who ensures risk-free contract execution, cost control, P&L alignment, and KPI-based reporting.