Founding Head of Operations - Real Estate Portfolio

About the role

Athar, a legacy business evolving from a family office with more than three decades of history, is looking for a Founding Head of Operations to join its founding team. The company owns an active, revenue-generating portfolio of commercial, residential and industrial assets ranging from newly built to needing major renovation, with a short-term focus on immediate asset value creation and a longer-term view of expanding the property management portfolio.

You will partner with the Founder and CEO to structure the company's future, ensuring efficient operations, management and maintenance of the portfolio, and directing team members on proactive tenant relations and maintenance requests. You will also advise the CEO on asset value protection, divestment, acquisition and potential development.

Key responsibilities

• Own the execution and reporting on assets under management.
• Direct leasing strategy, pricing and renewals.
• Monitor maintenance schedules and ensure AMCs are followed.
• Act as the link between departments and coordinate across functions.
• Collect and oversee monthly and quarterly financial and operational reports, presenting accurate analysis to the CEO.
• Create and maintain annual operating budgets for the real estate team, maximising ROI.
• Assess short-term revenue growth opportunities and long-term investments such as acquisitions or new subsidiaries.
• Review SOPs annually or when regulations change, and ensure regulatory and financial compliance with local and federal authorities.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Real Estate, Business Administration or a related field; professional certification is an advantage.
• Minimum 10 years of UAE experience in real estate, property management or adjacent fields.
• Minimum 5 years in a management or executive position with accountability over a portfolio.
• Fluency in English is a must; Arabic is an advantage.
• Valid UAE driving licence.

Required skills

• Property management, including increasing annual revenue and occupancy rates, controlling operating costs, improving retention and reducing delinquency.
• Experience building a lean founding team into a corporate organisation, creating departments, subsidiaries and working with VCs and start-ups in the UAE is a plus.