Lead Expert – Early Childhood Education

About the role

The Lead Expert – Child Journey provides senior technical and strategic advice to the Director of the Child Journey Department while taking full ownership of assigned projects, initiatives and programs. This role combines subject‑matter expertise with hands‑on management responsibility across multiple service areas.

Key responsibilities

• Advise the Department Director on early childhood education, child development, wellbeing, safeguarding, inclusion, family engagement, registration, health, nutrition and community support.
• Manage projects from concept through implementation, evaluation and completion, ensuring scope, deliverables, timelines, quality and risks are controlled.
• Translate strategic priorities and research findings into practical policies, programs, frameworks and implementation plans.
• Coordinate activities across the Department’s five sections and other organisational units, leading multidisciplinary teams, consultants and external partners.
• Develop project plans, schedules, action trackers, performance indicators, risk registers and progress reports; monitor delivery and implement corrective actions.
• Review proposals, policies, plans and reports, providing evidence‑based technical and managerial advice.
• Conduct research and benchmarking of local, regional and international early childhood practices.
• Prepare executive reports, briefing papers, presentations, policy papers and decision‑support documents.

Required profile

• Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Development, Psychology, Special Education, Social Work, Educational Leadership, Public Policy, Project Management or related field; doctoral degree is an advantage.
• Minimum 10 years of relevant professional experience, including at least 5 years in a senior advisory, project‑management or policy‑development role.
• Experience developing and implementing early childhood policies, programs, frameworks or service‑improvement initiatives.
• UAE or GCC government‑sector experience preferred; experience in nursery or early childhood organisations highly desirable.
• Full professional proficiency in English; professional proficiency in Arabic strongly preferred.

Required skills

• Strategic and technical advisory capability.
• Project and programme management, including risk and stakeholder management.
• Leadership and professional influence across multidisciplinary teams.
• Analytical thinking, problem‑solving and sound judgement.