Assistant Project & Programme Director (Delivery) - Real Estate

About the role

A major development organisation in Abu Dhabi is looking for an experienced Assistant Project & Programme Director to lead the strategic planning, management and delivery of major project packages and portfolios. The role works closely with internal teams, consultants, contractors and key stakeholders, with a preference for someone with a programme management background.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of allocated projects in line with programme objectives, budgets and development requirements.
• Develop and implement project delivery strategies, including early works opportunities and value engineering.
• Manage external consultants and ensure delivery against contractual, programme, quality and commercial requirements.
• Provide leadership to Senior Project Managers and Project Managers.
• Coordinate project controls, programme management, change control, claims and commercial matters.
• Lead project risk management and ensure mitigation strategies are applied.
• Work with procurement, design, stakeholder management and other functions, and oversee quality control across design, mock-ups, construction and final delivery.
• Monitor project performance and take corrective action where projects underperform.
• Manage project changes, conflicts and commercial issues through governance processes, and report progress, risks and key issues to senior management.
• Oversee handover, commissioning, training and the defect liability period, and capture lessons learned.

Required profile

• Extensive experience on major development, real estate, infrastructure or construction projects worth over 1 billion dirhams.
• Strong experience managing consultants, contractors and multidisciplinary project teams.
• Leadership experience at Associate Director / Director equivalent level.
• Experience delivering complex projects from design through construction and handover.
• Experience in large-scale development or client-side environments.

Required skills

• Project controls, procurement and commercial management
• Risk and change management
• Stakeholder management and communication
• Strategic delivery mindset