Director – Group Project Management Office (Secondment to Client)

Director – Group Project Management Office

General Summary

A UAE-based company in heavy industries (e.g., mining, manufacturing, steel) is looking for a Director, Group Project Management Office (GPMO), a role instrumental to the success of the organization’s most critical strategic projects and transformation programs. This leadership role is responsible for establishing and managing the GPMO function, championing PMO processes and frameworks, and ensuring transparency and communication with the company’s top leadership.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Lead the GPMO function

• Runs GPMO like a well-oiled machine by providing strategic direction and supporting team with resolutions and resources (e.g., access to top leadership, external expertise, departmental budget)

• Defines pipeline of programs under GPMO scope and GPMO support model (end-to-end PMO or reporting and tactical support)

Lead project management initiatives

• Oversees development of a consolidated roadmap (e.g., timelines, value impact, implementation milestones) covering all programs in the GPMO scope to enable a master view of strategic programs

• Establishes a robust monitoring system for all programs in the GPMO scope, ensuring relevant information is effectively communicated to key stakeholders (e.g., Board, GCEO, Executive Committee, Corporate Communications)

• Coaches BU/ functional teams to develop end-to-end program roadmap (e.g., timelines, value impact, implementation milestones)

• Oversees tracking and publishing of reports for stakeholders (e.g., the Group CEO, Board), highlighting progress, risks, impacts, and decision points

• Pressure-tests the robustness of initiative design and implementation planning of initiatives for programs, with the support of relevant stakeholders (e.g., functional secondees, senior specialists)

• Oversees delivery of tactical support (e.g., project NPV analysis, business case, scenario planning, market assessment, financial modeling, high-quality presentations and dashboards) to relevant stakeholders on a need-basis (e.g., where capabilities are missing or capacity is lacking)

• Escalates and assists in eliminating potential risks and issues

• Identifies and highlights the need for relevant functional secondees to support the project’s initiative design, planning, and execution. With guidance from senior leaders, ensure that BU/ functional teams recognize and execute opportunities for cross-functional synergies throughout the program lifecycle

• Encourages Workstream teams to aim for full potential and efficient delivery by enriching the idea pipeline and stress-testing the confidence level of initiatives supported by relevant stakeholders (e.g., functional secondees, domain experts). Establishes the ‘rules of engagement’ by defining cadence (e.g., forums, reporting), performance tracking architecture (e.g., stage gates), and decision rights (e.g., approvals, change requests)

• Prioritize programs for change management interventions and support relevant teams to design and execute change communication initiatives

Foster team development

• Mentors and manages professional development of reports (i.e. Managers and Analysts) by identifying members’ strengths and areas of improvement. Provides performance feedback on functional secondees to respective functional chiefs, where relevant

• Surfaces potential talent gaps in the team to the VP and supports HR on hiring process to ensure talent acquisition and onboarding needs are met

Knowledge, Skills and/ or Abilities required

• 12+ years of total experience, including 5-7 years in management consulting or leading transformation programs

• Robust strategic thinking in guiding the organization toward workable strategies and solutions

• Advanced consulting toolkit in driving data-backed insights, developing business cases, conducting scenario planning, and devising financial models

• Excellent written and verbal communication with the ability to present clearly and persuasively to stakeholders

• Advanced skills in project management and planning, with proven experience in short and long-range program planning, tracking project progress, and managing complex projects with broad impact within time and budget constraints

• Demonstrated ability to select and implement project management methods, tools, and metrics, with a strong focus on project planning, analyzing diverse project scopes, and understanding the cost impact on organizational objectives

• Broad knowledge of initiatives typically undertaken in the steel and cement industry and keen awareness of their impact on the organization

• Strong command of English; fluency in Arabic is an advantage

Behavioural Competencies

• Exceptional ability to build and nurture relationships with a diverse array of stakeholders. Strong organizational awareness – knows how to read organizational dynamics at the senior levels and navigate stakeholders

• Strong problem-solving skills with demonstrated ability to identify risks, brainstorm mitigation actions, and track their execution

• Comfortable working in dynamic, fast-paced, and ambiguous environments with ever-changing situations

• Excellent organizational skills and time management

• Demonstrated capability to operate as a self-starter and take initiative without direct instruction

• Proven ability to coach, facilitate, and influence people at all levels

• Cultural fluency and solid understanding of the UAE business landscape

Minimum education qualification

• B.A./B.S. (engineering-related field preferred)

• Master’s degree in Business, Engineering, or a related field (MBA/ PhD is a plus)

Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE