Operations Director Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Position: Operations Director (Contract)
Duration: Mid May 2025 to End of Jan 2026
Location: Based in Dubai office until October; must be able to go onsite from October/November to January
Role Overview
Lead the seamless delivery of a world-class festival, overseeing full operations lifecycle and ensuring a successful event.
About Us
[Insert company description]
Why You Should Join Us
- Lead the full operations lifecycle for one of the region's most anticipated events.
- Coordinate high-level leadership between teams, government stakeholders, and global vendors.
- Make a significant impact on guest experience, public safety, and event success.
About the Role
As Operations Director (Contract, Liwa)
Key Responsibilities
- Lead operational planning from pitch to post-event debrief.
- Manage government and stakeholder liaison, including day-to-day coordination with clients, authorities, vendors, and regulatory bodies.
- Manage teams and contractors, including recruitment, training, and management across key functional areas.
- Oversee live event delivery, including security, HSE, toilets, guest services, ticketing, crowd management, and vendor logistics.
- Run the MOC, overseeing main operations during the event and acting as the decision-making hub for operational control.
- Manage budgets and procurement, including forecasting and leading procurement cycles focused on value and efficiency.
- Implement HSE and risk protocols, collaborating to ensure safety compliance and emergency readiness.
- Produce event reports and learnings to feed into future projects and improve internal processes.
About You
- Senior operations leader with 10+ years of experience managing large-scale outdoor public events.
- Detail-oriented planner skilled in developing systems, workflows, and scalable event plans.
- Confident negotiator and communicator capable of managing multiple stakeholders and aligning diverse partners.
- Resilient under pressure, capable of leading live operations in remote and high-pressure environments.
- Collaborative leader known for motivating teams, managing complexity, and leading by example.
What You Need to Apply
- Minimum 10 years of event operations experience.
- Experience with festivals, mass participation events, or citywide activations.
- Proven ability to manage large teams, vendors, and logistics.
- Experience working in the Middle East.
- Advanced stakeholder management skills.
- Fluent in written and spoken English; Arabic highly desirable.
- Valid UAE driving license.
- Strong budgeting and procurement capabilities.