Director - Transformation and PMO Governance

We are looking to hire a Director – Transformation and PMO Governance who will be responsible for leading large-scale, multi-million-dollar transformation initiatives focused on digital modernization, automation, and operational excellence across departments for our client a leading semi government organization in Dubai, UAE.

This position will be a long term annually renewable contract with minimum duration of 12 months.

This role requires a strategic leader who can define and deliver a unified transformation agenda, establish governance frameworks, and ensure measurable outcomes in alignment with the organisations vision for digital innovation and citizen-centric service delivery. The ideal candidate brings over 15 years of progressive experience in managing enterprise-scale technology and process transformation programs, with deep expertise in digital strategy, automation, IT modernization, and PMO governance.

Key responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership & Transformation

• Lead the design and execution of organization-wide transformation programs aimed at enhancing digital services, technology, efficiency, and transparency.
• Define strategic roadmaps for digitization, automation, and modernization of legacy systems.
• Partner with senior stakeholders / C-suite to align transformation initiatives with digital and operational excellence strategies.
• Establish an enterprise transformation office (ETO) to drive cross-departmental integration and collaboration.

Program & Portfolio Management

• Oversee a portfolio of digital transformation programs valued at multi-million dollars, ensuring delivery within defined scope, timelines, and budgets.
• Develop and enforce PMO governance frameworks, policies, and methodologies in line with international best practices (PMI, PRINCE2, MSP, Agile).
• Ensure consistent reporting, performance tracking, and benefits realization across all transformation projects.
• Drive automation initiatives using emerging technologies (AI, RPA, Data Analytics) to streamline operations and enhance citizen service delivery.

Operational Excellence & Innovation

• Implement lean process improvement frameworks to enhance operational performance and service efficiency across public sector functions.
• Promote a culture of innovation and continuous improvement through the adoption of agile and design-thinking methodologies.
• Identify and remove systemic inefficiencies, driving measurable impact in cost optimization and service quality.

Financial & Resource Management

• Manage transformation budgets exceeding USD 50M+, ensuring effective utilization, transparency, and fiscal accountability.
• Lead vendor management, technology partnerships, and procurement strategies to ensure value-driven outcomes.
• Drive the realization of tangible business and citizen benefits from transformation investments.

Stakeholder & Change Management

• Engage and influence senior leaders across ministries, agencies, and public enterprises to drive adoption of transformation programs.
• Lead organization-wide change management initiatives, ensuring readiness, communication, and training to support digital transformation.
• Build strong relationships with external partners, technology vendors, and strategic advisors.

Knowledge, Skills & Experience:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering, Information Technology, Business Administration, or related discipline.
• 15+ years of experience leading large-scale transformation programs, preferably within the government or public sector.
• Proven experience delivering digital modernization, automation, or enterprise IT transformation initiatives with budgets exceeding USD 50M+.
• Deep understanding of government processes, governance frameworks, and digital service delivery models.
• Strong background in PMO leadership, portfolio management, and cross-functional program delivery.
• Familiarity with emerging technologies such as AI, RPA, Cloud, Data Analytics, and Smart Infrastructure.
• Relevant certifications such as PMP, PgMP, PRINCE2, MSP, Agile or Lean Six Sigma are highly preferred.

Key Competencies

• Strategic vision and policy alignment
• Digital transformation and modernization expertise
• Strong leadership and stakeholder management
• Governance and performance measurement
• Operational excellence and continuous improvement
• Financial and contract management
• Change management and communication

Availability:

• Preference will be given to candidates available immediately or a maximum 30 days after accepting the offer.

We are looking for a candidate who will be able to work onsite in United Arab Emirates. Please apply with your resume and remember to provide us with your contact details.

We will review your job application within 7 working days. Should your profile fit the requirements of the role a consultant from Edari will be in touch with you to get a deeper understanding of your profile, to discuss the role in more detail and potential next steps