Strategic Government Program Lead – Public Safety & Identity Tech

IDEMIA Group; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 420,000 - 560,000; Full time

Job summary

IDEMIA in Abu Dhabi is seeking an experienced Program Manager to own end-to-end government customer programmes across the UAE and Middle East within the Justice & Public Safety business line. You will be the primary contact for the customer, oversee programme delivery, financial performance and contractual commitments.

The role requires 8+ years in programme management, strong governance, risk management and executive reporting, and fluency in Arabic and English (French a plus).

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Engineering, Information Technology or a related technical discipline
• Minimum 8 years of programme or complex project management experience, ideally within technology, systems integration, biometrics, security, public safety or a related environment
• Proven experience managing complex programmes directly with government or public-sector customers is essential within the Middle East
• Strong programme-management fundamentals, including risk management, governance, KPI dashboards, milestones and executive reporting
• Fluent Arabic and English are essential; French is an advantage
• PMP, PRINCE2 or Agile certification is welcome but not essential
• Based in Abu Dhabi, with regular presence at customer sites (typically 2–3 days per week), and willingness to travel approximately 20–30% across the Middle East depending client requirements

Responsibilities

• Act as the customer’s primary management point of contact, building trusted relationships, gathering feedback and driving customer satisfaction and continuous improvement
• Lead and align cross-functional teams across engineering, supply chain, purchasing, legal, finance, sales, partners and suppliers to deliver agreed scope, schedule, cost and quality
• Plan and govern programme execution using IDEMIA’s Programme Management System, including tollgates, governance reviews, KPI monitoring and management reporting
• Own programme financial performance, including revenue and cost forecasting, margin tracking, invoicing accuracy, cash-flow milestones and financial risk management
• Identify, assess and manage programme risks and dependencies; define mitigation plans and escalade where additional support or decisions are required
• Ensure contractual compliance throughout the lifecycle of the programme, including amendments, claims, obligations, delivers, and change control
• Lead change-request activity for assigned programmes, working with Sales and internal teams to shape scope, prepare commercial and financial offers, and support pricing and negotiation
• Contribute to pre-sales activities and programme transition where required, ensuring commitments are realistic, commercially sound and operationally deliverable
• Provide clear, concise programme reporting to senior management, highlighting progress, financial performance, key decisions, risks and required actions
• Support account growth by identifying delivery-led opportunities, customer needs and areas where additional services or solutions can create value

Skills

Programme management

Governance

Risk management

Stakeholder management

KPI dashboards

Executive reporting

Arabic & English fluency

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Engineering/IT or related technical discipline

Job description

IDEMIA in Abu Dhabi is seeking an experienced Program Manager to own end-to-end government customer programmes across the UAE and Middle East within the Justice & Public Safety business line. You will be the primary contact for the customer, oversee programme delivery, financial performance and contractual commitments.

The role requires 8+ years in programme management, strong governance, risk management and executive reporting, and fluency in Arabic and English (French a plus).