Senior Specialist, Transformation

ADNOC (Abu Dhabi National Oil Company); United Arab Emirates; On-site; AED 440,000 - 588,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent oil and gas corporation in the United Arab Emirates is seeking a leader to drive transformation initiatives, ensuring alignment with business goals. The ideal candidate will manage key projects, analyze data for insights, and foster communications across teams. Strong experience in change management and stakeholders' engagement is essential. This role offers the opportunity to influence strategic direction and operational excellence within the organization.

Qualifications

• Strong analytical skills to extract actionable insights from data.
• Experience in leading transformation projects within an organization.
• Proven ability to manage relationships with stakeholders at various levels.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic transformation initiatives to meet business needs.
• Manage project interdependencies and reassess resources for project delivery.
• Develop communication strategies for the Upstream Director's office.

Job description

JOB PURPOSE

Scope, define and lead transformation projects adhering to and managing time- and cost constraints in addition to quality standards in response to the needs of the internal Upstream customer/functions and the business. Ensure the delivery of the Directorate’s vision whilst providing oversight into key project initiatives and workstreams to meet Management’s expectations. This involves understanding what transformations the business aims to achieve, managing project interdependencies, managing resources to deliver projects, assessing risks, monitoring progress, delivering end results and reviewing best practices as well as sharing lessons learned.

Actively support the Vice President, Transformation and Business Support, in driving the transformation program and ensuring that ADNOC Upstream has the organization and attitudes necessary to prosper in a highly competitive, fast-moving, performance‑oriented commercial environment.

Manage and promote strategic projects/meetings, stakeholder management processes (business planning, Upstream OPCOs, Upstream Asset Management) as well as regular interaction with the Upstream Executive Directors Office.

Must display a progressive mindset and a high level of proactiveness and agility to ensure, drive and support successful implementation of change management across Upstream.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Transformation Programs

• Design, incubate and lead implementation of key strategic transformation initiatives in line with Upstream Directorate’s vision, Corporate Strategy and current and future business needs.
• Initiate, optimise and oversee Upstream’s business transformation and productivity initiatives in a manner that systematically improves the Directorate's operational execution. Lead large‑scale change management initiatives across the Directorate and advise the relevant ADNOC groups on best practice methodology, covering systems and processes that require substantial re‑engineering. Provide guidance and consultation over all aspects of these identified business transformation projects.
• Recommend and sponsor enhancements to the current practices and work processes aiming at identification of gaps and issues. Develop a framework to document process results and successes.
• Define the strategic fit of all priority projects. Ensure alignment of activities against objectives and Upstream Directorate’s mandate.
• Plan and manage the delivery of various transformation initiatives ensuring availability of resources and competency enablers to allow for a nimble, agile and efficient project delivery process. Proactively steer initiatives, projects and teams to deliver against agreed objectives.
• Manage and enhance the reputation and brand image of Upstream and ADNOC as a whole through effective internal and external strategic relationships (e.g. Upstream consultants, strategy consultants, investment banks).
• Promote a performance‑driven culture through stakeholder management, new frameworks and a robust corporate management system.
• Provide strategic and commercial support to key investment projects and support the delivery of high‑impact Upstream Directorate priorities that address critical subject matters of strategic and tactical importance.
• Proactively guide program development for the Upstream initiatives from ideation and incubation to monitoring implementation.
• Be a proud ambassador to drive the change management agenda in Upstream and ensure success and cross‑departmental support for the new direction.

Communication & Relationship Building

• Manage the development and delivery of strategic, accurate and effective communication into and out of the Upstream Director’s office.
• Build collaboration networks across functional teams to leverage their expertise and synergize business units and operations to achieve improvement in business processes.
• Collaborate with and work closely with functional peers, as well as consultants, business and government leaders in and outside the Directorate.

Leadership

• Provide effective and visible leadership and integrated strategic direction to the Division in the areas of Corporate Governance, Operations, People, Values and HSE and Integrity in order to deliver the Division’s strategic objectives.

Budgets and Operational Plans

• Actively support the Vice President, Transformation and Business Support, in the development and monitoring of the Division’s business plans and optimal annual budget, in line with ADNOC’s objectives and work programs, whilst ensuring quality and reality checks are in place.
• Control expenditure against the approved Division’s budget on a regular basis; investigate and reconcile any significant variances to ensure effective performance and cost control.

Performance Management

• Actively support the Vice President, Transformation and Business Support in properly cascading and implementing the Function’s Performance Objectives into the Division and to introduce monitoring mechanisms to assess progress and promote a performance‑driven culture.

Data Driven Insights:

• Analyze data sets to extract actionable insights and provide strategic recommendations.
• Develop and present executive‑level reports and presentations to facilitate the decision‑making process within Upstream.