Project Lead

Talent BluePrint; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 400,000 - 600,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading investment organization in Abu Dhabi seeks an experienced Project Lead to drive strategic initiatives focused on global growth and a year-round investment ecosystem. The ideal candidate will possess 15-20 years of experience in investment promotion with a strong record of cross-border project management. Responsibilities include designing actionable projects, managing stakeholder relationships, and fostering community engagement. This role offers a unique opportunity to create impact in a dynamic environment.

Qualifications

• 15-20+ years of experience in investment promotion or economic development.
• Proven track record in managing cross-border initiatives at senior levels.
• Exceptional communication and project management skills.

Responsibilities

• Design and manage special projects aligned with multi-year strategy.
• Support global market expansion with regional roadshows.
• Develop investor engagement mechanisms to strengthen community.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Project management

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Job description

Position: Project Lead

Duration: February 2026 - December 2026

Location: Abu Dhabi (Candidates based in UAE will be preferred)

Role Purpose

The Special Projects Lead is responsible for designing, managing, and executing high-impact strategic initiatives that accelerate global growth, positioning, and outcomes of a flagship investment forum.

This role drives cross-functional projects across government entities, financial centres, global stakeholders, and investor communities — ensuring the platform evolves into a year-round, deal-centric, globally recognised investment ecosystem aligned with a long-term vision.

The Special Projects Lead acts as a strategic operator, problem-solver, and ecosystem orchestrator, translating long-term vision into tangible deliverables, measurable impact, and sustained global influence.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Programme Design & Execution

• Translate the forum’s multi-year strategy into actionable special projects, pilots, and workstreams aligned with core pillars such as:

  • Enhancing value proposition, deal platforms, sector tracks, digital platforms, global editions, roadshows, community-building, and impact reporting.

• Lead development of new formats including investor briefings, closed-door roundtables, C‑suite engagements, site visits, and thematic tracks.

• Build frameworks that support transition into a year‑round global investor ecosystem.

2. Global Expansion & Market Activation

• Support expansion into priority global markets (e.g., London, Shanghai, Singapore, New York, Tokyo) by designing and overseeing regional roadshows and dual‑hub editions.

• Coordinate with embassies, ministries, overseas offices, and external partners to deliver high-quality international activations.

3. Ecosystem & Community Building

• Develop and manage alumni networks, investor roundtables, ambassador/champion programmes, and year‑round investor touchpoints.

• Work with digital teams to launch and evolve a Digital Hub — including matchmaking, content libraries, deal‑flow dashboards, and membership models.

• Build investor engagement mechanisms that strengthen community retention and grow follow‑on deal flow.

4. Strategic Content, Research & Thought Leadership

• Commission white papers, investment outlook reports, and sector insights in partnership with think tanks and academic institutions.

• Lead development of metrics frameworks, annual impact reports, dashboards, and investor‑outcome tracking.

• Maintain thought‑leadership positioning across priority sectors such as energy transition, advanced manufacturing, fintech, health & life sciences, climate, and ESG.

5. Stakeholder Management & Partnerships

• Collaborate with government entities, free zones, innovation hubs, and industrial clusters to curate high‑value opportunity pipelines for programming.

• Build and manage strategic partnerships with global institutions, corporates, investors, and ecosystem enablers.

6. Operational Excellence & Risk Management

• Ensure flawless execution of special projects, maintaining a global reputation for high‑calibre, investor‑centric delivery.

• Identify and mitigate risks including investor fatigue, geographic relevance, deal‑flow weakness, and programme repetition.

• Maintain stringent quality across speakers, sessions, delegates, logistics, and partner experiences.

Key Deliverables

• Digital investment platform launch and annual enhancements
• Annual Investment Outlook Report
• Annual Impact Report with defined performance metrics
• Alumni Network & Ambassador Programme
• Deal‑platform execution framework
• Quarterly investor roundtables and community events
• Sector councils and thematic tracks
• Global roadshows and dual‑hub editions
• Opportunity pipeline curation and matchmaking systems

Success Metrics (KPIs)

1. Deal Flow & Outcomes

• Number and value of investment leads generated
• Volume of MoUs, partnerships, and follow‑on investor engagements
• Contribution to non‑oil sector growth and foreign direct investment targets

2. Community & Engagement

• Growth and retention of the investor community
• Digital platform usage and match‑success rates
• Participation in year‑round investor activities

3. Brand & Global Positioning

• Quality and reach of media coverage
• Brand recognition in priority markets
• Thought‑leadership output and international visibility

4. Operational Excellence

• On‑time delivery of strategic projects
• Stakeholder satisfaction (investors, partners, government)
• Risk mitigation and consistency of quality across editions

Qualifications & Experience

Essential

• 15–20+ years’ experience in investment promotion, strategic communications, global events, economic development, consulting, or large‑scale programme management.
• Proven track record running cross‑border initiatives, investor engagement programmes, or special projects at senior level.
• Strong stakeholder management across government, private sector, and global markets.
• Experience building investor communities, ecosystems, or strategic partnerships.
• Exceptional communication, project management, and analytical skills.

Preferred

• Experience with investment forums, financial centres, sovereign or institutional investors, or global roadshows.
• Understanding of economic diversification priorities and global investor landscapes.
• Ability to design frameworks, dashboards, reports, and structured programmes.

Personal Attributes

• Highly strategic, detail‑oriented, and execution‑driven
• Comfortable operating independently in ambiguous environments
• Strong diplomatic judgement and stakeholder sensitivity
• Global mindset with cross‑cultural fluency
• Ability to move fast, challenge status quo, and deliver under pressure
• Innovative, resourceful, and aligned with the ambition of building a world‑class global investment platform