Technology Strategy & Partnerships

James Douglas Middle East; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 540,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

James Douglas Middle East is seeking an experienced Technology Strategy & Partnerships professional to identify, evaluate and deploy technologies across mining and industrial operations, and to build strategic partnerships that support growth.

This consulting-style role sits at the intersection of technology, strategy, partnerships and industrial transformation, working with internal teams, technology companies, startups and partners to translate technology into measurable business outcomes.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in technology or industrial consulting, digital transformation or tech strategy.
• Experience in mining, metals, oil & gas or heavy industry preferred.
• Proven ability to develop and manage technology partnerships and ecosystem relationships.
• Solid understanding of industrial operations and technology evaluation.
• Exposure to AI, automation, IoT, data platforms and related technologies.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage strategic partnerships across group businesses and external partners.
• Evaluate potential partners and technology companies from technical, commercial and strategic angles.
• Support structuring and negotiation of partnership agreements and deals, increasing ownership over time.
• Identify and evaluate emerging technologies and translate challenges into viable use cases.
• Create business cases and proposals, and present recommendations to senior management.

Skills

Technology strategy

Partnership management

Commercial negotiations

Stakeholder management

Industrial sector knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Technology

Job description

About the job Technology Strategy & Partnerships

Our client is a global mining company securing the critical minerals behind the energy transition, including copper, cobalt, nickel, tin, and rare earths; they invest in and operate premium mining assets.

They are seeking an experienced Technology Strategy & Partnerships professional to identify, evaluate and deploy technologies across their mining and industrial operations, and to build the strategic partnerships that support the group's growth.

This is a new, consulting-style role sitting at the intersection of technology, strategy, partnerships and industrial transformation. The successful candidate will work with internal teams, operating businesses, technology companies, startups and strategic partners to identify opportunities and translate technology into measurable business outcomes.

The role is predominantly commercial (around 60–70%), underpinned by a solid understanding of industrial technology (around 30–40%). No coding is required, but the candidate must understand how industrial operations and plants work and which technologies apply to them.

This is a hands‑on role. The client is looking for someone who can work within an organisation and drive initiatives through to delivery, not only advise on them. It is also a growth role, with the successful candidate taking increasing ownership of partnerships, negotiations and deals over time.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Partnerships & Growth

• Develop and manage strategic partnerships across the group's businesses, including with mining companies, UAE‑based technology and research organisations, global technology players such as Microsoft and Google, startups and OEMs.
• Evaluate potential partners and technology companies from a technical, commercial and strategic perspective.
• Support the structuring and negotiation of partnership agreements, joint ventures and commercial deals, including defining contract KPIs, taking greater ownership of negotiations over time.
• Identify and evaluate emerging technologies across AI, automation, industrial software, IoT, robotics, data platforms and other digital technologies.
• Work with operational teams to identify business challenges and translate them into technology use cases and implementation opportunities.
• Support technology initiatives from initial concept and pilot through implementation and scale‑up.

3. Strategy, Proposals & Executive Communication

• Develop business cases, technology strategies, partnership models and proposals for prospective and existing clients, as well as for internal management.
• Prepare and deliver presentations and recommendations to senior management, executive leadership and external stakeholders.

4. M&A Support

• Help identify and assess potential M&A, joint venture and investment opportunities.
• Support senior leadership with analysis and preparation on transactions; execution of transactions is led by senior leadership.

Key Qualifications

• 8+ years' experience in technology or industrial consulting, digital transformation, technology strategy, corporate innovation, or technology project/programme management within industrial sectors.
• Industry experience in mining (preferred), metals, oil & gas, or heavy industry such as chemicals and process manufacturing.
• Demonstrated experience in developing and managing technology partnerships, vendors or ecosystem relationships. (Essential)
• Solid understanding of industrial operations and technology, with the ability to assess new products, platforms and technology companies.
• Exposure to AI, automation, industrial software, IoT, robotics or data platforms.
• Strong commercial judgement, structured problem‑solving and stakeholder‑management skills.
• Understanding of joint ventures, M&A transactions and deal negotiation is advantageous but not essential.
• Proven ability to navigate complex organisations and drive initiatives through to delivery.
• Excellent communication, presentation and relationship‑building skills, with the ability to work effectively with both technical teams and senior executives.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Technology.