Strategic Partnerships Lead (Contract)

Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism; Dubai; On-site; AED 257,000 - 331,000; Full time

Job summary

A governmental agency in Dubai is seeking a professional to manage strategic partnerships that drive SME growth and innovation. The role involves identifying partnership opportunities, negotiating agreements, and ensuring alignment with program goals. Ideal candidates will have 8–12 years of experience in business development and demonstrated success in the SME sector. The position offers a chance to engage with influential stakeholders and contribute to the national economic policy.

Qualifications

• 8–12 years in strategic partnerships, business development, or ecosystem building.
• Demonstrated experience in structuring and managing partnerships in the SME, innovation, or startup space.
• Track record of successful MOU/funding agreement negotiation and execution.
• Strong familiarity with public-private collaboration models in the GCC or global context.

Responsibilities

• Identify and evaluate partnership opportunities with VCs, corporates, incubators.
• Negotiate and execute MOUs, funding agreements, and delivery frameworks.
• Represent Dubai SME in economic councils, steering committees, and ecosystem forums.
• Ensure partner readiness and alignment with program goals, KPIs, and implementation frameworks.

Job description

Responsible for securing, structuring, and managing high-impact partnerships that enable Dubai SME’s strategic programs. The role drives co-delivery, co-funding, and long-term collaboration with ecosystem players including VCs, corporates, accelerators, incubators, and government entities. Working across all five strategic pillars, this role ensures partnerships translate into measurable outcomes that accelerate SME growth, innovation, and investment.

Core Responsibilities

1. Ecosystem Partnerships & Alliances

• Identify and evaluate partnership opportunities with VCs, corporates, incubators, multilateral entities, and regulators
• Design partnership models aligned with key pillars and initiatives
• Negotiate and execute MOUs, funding agreements, and delivery frameworks
• Manage end-to-end relationship lifecycle, including onboarding, activation, and renewal

2. Co-Funding & Resource Mobilization

• Secure direct cash contributions, in-kind services, or shared platform investments from strategic partners
• Structure co-investment vehicles or joint delivery models in collaboration with public and private stakeholders
• Track and report co-funding metrics, financial leverage ratios, and partner ROI

3. Stakeholder Engagement & Policy Alignment

• Represent Dubai SME in economic councils, steering committees, and ecosystem forums
• Coordinate with regulators and government agencies to align partnership activities with national economic policy
• Contribute to ecosystem development papers, SME policy inputs, and cross-sector strategy notes

4. Program Enablement & Delivery Support

• Ensure partner readiness and alignment with program goals, KPIs, and implementation frameworks
• Monitor partner compliance with agreed deliverables and facilitate issue resolution
• Drive cross-sector knowledge exchange through workshops, events, and joint publications

Desired Experience

• 8–12 years in strategic partnerships, business development, or ecosystem building
• Demonstrated experience in structuring and managing partnerships in the SME, innovation, or startup space
• Track record of successful MOU/funding agreement negotiation and execution
• Strong familiarity with public-private collaboration models in the GCC or global context