Director of Strategy (UAE)

About the role

The confidential entity in Abu Dhabi is seeking a high‑performing Director of Strategy to lead its long‑term strategic planning, institutional performance, and priority‑setting activities. Reporting directly to senior leadership, you will translate vision into actionable plans, measurable objectives, and executable initiatives.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the development and implementation of the entity’s long‑term strategy, annual plans, and institutional priorities.
• Convert leadership direction into concrete objectives, initiatives, delivery plans, and performance measures.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on strategic priorities, emerging opportunities, and critical decisions.
• Own an integrated planning cycle that aligns strategy, operations, finance, and resources.
• Drive strategic reviews, diagnostics, and structured problem‑solving for complex organizational challenges.
• Produce business cases, decision papers, and executive briefings to shape leadership decisions.
• Define, track, and report KPIs, milestones, and strategic outcomes, surfacing risks and dependencies.
• Orchestrate cross‑functional initiatives across departments and external stakeholders.
• Prioritize projects and resources based on strategic impact, feasibility, and leadership direction.
• Build planning, performance‑management, and problem‑solving capability across the organization.
• Lead, coach, and develop a high‑performing strategy and planning team.

Required profile

• UAE national with a Khulasat Al Qaid (mandatory).
• Bachelor’s degree in strategy, business administration, economics, public policy, finance, engineering, or a related discipline; MBA or master’s degree preferred.
• 10‑12+ years of relevant experience in strategy, planning, transformation, performance management, or organizational development.
• Experience advising senior executives and translating leadership priorities into practical, measurable plans.
• Proven track record of leading complex strategic initiatives across multiple functions.
• Experience managing and developing professional teams.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; Arabic proficiency highly desirable.
• Passion for contributing to the UAE’s institutional development and long‑term priorities.

Required skills