Director - Strategic Projects (B2B)

Established in 2004, Dubai Holding is a global investment company with investments in more than 34 countries and a combined workforce of nearly 45,000 individuals. In line with the vision of Dubai’s leadership and economic diversification strategy, Dubai Holding companies have nurtured sectors, irrevocably transforming Dubai’s socio-economic landscape and positioning Dubai as a diversified, globally integrated economy.

Dubai Holding is committed to the diversification of Dubai’s non-oil economy. Our portfolio, valued at over AED 284+ billion, spans 10 sectors, including real estate, hospitality, leisure & entertainment, ICT, design, education, media, retail, manufacturing & logistics, and science.

For the Good of Tomorrow

Dubai Holding is looking to hire a Director - Strategic Projects (B2B) at the corporate office. The role holder will be responsible to drive the operational excellence and efficiency transformation across the organization's business functions including Development, Contracts and Control, Procurement, Supply Chain, Land Bank Management, and Shared Services. The incumbent will oversee the full lifecycle of strategic programmes from opportunity identification and use case development through to implementation and value realisation, ensuring all initiatives are directly linked to the organisation’s commercial priorities, operational imperatives, and long-term strategic vision. Moreover, the role plays a pivotal role in driving data informed decision making and sustainable business transformation.

If you are ready to embark on a dynamic journey where your talents are valued, and your contributions make a real impact, we would like to hear from you.

Key Accountabilities:

Strategic business analysis & opportunity identification

• Lead enterprise-wide diagnostic assessments to identify transformation and AI-enabled opportunities across all relevant business functions, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities and market realities.
• Drive the identification, prioritisation, and validation of high-impact use cases focusing on cost optimisation, risk mitigation, operational agility, and commercial impact.
• Partner with external AI technology partner and internal technology teams to design, pilot, and scale AI use cases that optimise asset performance, improve operational efficiency, and enhance decision-making speed and accuracy.
• Prepare business cases and value realisation frameworks that align with Dubai Holding's strategic imperatives. This also includes advising leadership and management to shape investment decisions and transformation roadmaps that reflect regulatory landscapes, ESG considerations, and evolving market demands.
• Champion industry benchmarking initiatives and establish performance excellence standards in alignment with group strategic objectives.

Programme delivery & management

• Design, mobilise, and steer multiple concurrent transformation programmes, ensuring delivery to agreed timelines, budgets, and quality standards.
• Establish and manage governance structures, performance frameworks, and metrics to track programme health, value delivery, and stakeholder satisfaction.
• Oversee cross-functional teams within complex, matrixed environments, building cohesion across business, technology, finance, and operations functions within a complex, matrixed environment.
• Champion the adoption of best-in-class project management methodologies and change management practices to maximize business adoption and benefit realisation.

Stakeholder Engagement & Change Management

• Act as the organizational ambassador for transformation, articulating vision with authority for both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Lead executive briefings, stakeholder workshops, and steering committees, translating complex challenges into actionable plans and fostering alignment around business priorities.
• Build enduring trust by transparently linking transformation performance to tangible business KPIs and operational outcomes.
• Drive organizational readiness and upskilling, supporting the business through periods of significant change and capability uplift.

Data-Enabled Business Solutions

• Leverage the enterprise data platform, 3rd party AI technical team, to analyze business data and identify opportunities for improvement projects within or across business verticals.
• Embed real estate-specific performance metrics (e.g., yield optimization, occupancy rates, land value appreciation, lifecycle cost) into transformation initiatives to directly link outcomes to P&L and asset value.
• Collaborate with technology, analytics, and operations teams to ensure business requirements are translated into scalable, sustainable, and compliant solutions.
• Promote pragmatic technology adoption, balancing innovation with operational practicality and the business’s risk appetite.
• Champion the adoption of best-in-class project management methodologies and change management practices to maximize business adoption and benefit realisation.

Who we are looking for:

• Minimum 12-15 years in business transformation, strategic programme management, large-scale operations, or management consulting in operations/process optimisation, with at least 3 years in senior leadership
• Proven experience in real estate development, land bank management, shared services, infrastructure, or construction, with strong commercial and operational acumen
• Track record in AI-enabled, data-driven transformation delivering measurable commercial, operational, and financial outcomes preferred
• Skilled in leading multi-disciplinary teams, managing complex, matrixed environments, and engaging C-suite, boards, and external partners

Education / Professional Certifications:

Minimum:

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Real Estate, Engineering, Economics, or a related discipline.

Preferred:

• Master’s degree (MBA, MSc in Real Estate, Strategy, or Data Analytics) from a recognized institution.

Technical Competencies:

• Demonstrated success in delivering large-scale transformation across real estate, land management, logistics, and/or shared services
• Deep understanding of operational and commercial levers across the full project lifecycle in complex, multi-disciplinary organizations.
• Exceptional communicator with a record of influencing C-suite stakeholders and cross-functional teams in high-stakes environments
• Proficiency with enterprise platforms such as Oracle Fusion, Salesforce, Palantir Foundry, ArcGIS, Oracle P6, Oracle Unifier, Oracle Aconex, ServiceNow, and Maximo is preferred but not essential
• Proven experience in driving organizational change, embedding new ways of working, and fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration

Behavioral Competencies:

• Taking and Sustaining
• Strategic Thinking
• Delivering Excellence
• Positive leadership

As much as we would be delighted to entertain all applicants, due to the high volumes of applications, only successful applicants will be contacted within 14 business days.

This job description is not all inclusive. Dubai Holding reserves the right to amend this job description at any time. Dubai Holding is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment.