Senior IT Project Manager, Capital Projects & Transactions

About the role

Cognita, a global independent education group with 90 schools in 21 countries, is looking for a Senior IT Project Manager based in Dubai. The role ensures technology is ready when a new school opens, a campus expands or a site's ownership changes. It covers capital projects (new builds, expansions and refurbishments) and corporate transactions (acquisitions, divestments and separations), working with Development & Property, Corporate Development, the Technology Centres of Excellence, schools and delivery partners. It is a coordination and delivery role, not a hands-on technical one.

Key responsibilities

• Coordinate technology delivery for school builds, expansions and refurbishments, from scoping through installation, testing and handover
• Work with developers, designers, construction partners and school stakeholders to identify requirements, costs, dependencies and milestones early
• Coordinate applications, infrastructure, network, wireless, connectivity, security and end-user technology, and define scope and responsibility with contractors
• Plan implementation of core business systems (admissions and CRM, website, parent portal, payments, student information, finance and HR)
• Provide cost estimates, benchmarks and value-engineering input for capital and ongoing run costs
• Support acquisition due diligence and post-acquisition integration of systems, data, identity, connectivity and security, and plan technology separation for divestments
• Plan day-one and exit-day readiness so schools and staff face minimal disruption
• Translate needs into requirements and acceptance criteria, coordinate design reviews, procurement, installation, configuration and testing
• Move new or acquired sites into operational support with IT Service Management and the Technology CoEs, including hypercare and service desk onboarding
• Maintain governance, project plans, budgets, KPIs, change control and reporting, and manage suppliers and consultants

Required profile

• Project leadership, planning, governance, commercial control and risk management across complex technology environments
• Stakeholder management, communication and influencing across IT, property, construction and business teams
• Ability to manage multiple interdependent workstreams, suppliers, budgets and milestones
• Experience delivering technology workstreams in capital projects such as school builds, expansions or refurbishments
• Experience supporting technology due diligence, integration or separation for acquisitions and divestments
• Experience managing multiple technology disciplines and third-party delivery partners in multi-site environments
• Ability to travel internationally frequently and meet entry requirements of supported locations

Required skills

• A recognised project management qualification such as PRINCE2, PMP or AgilePM
• A relevant professional qualification in project management, technology or a related discipline

Working arrangements: typically four days a week in the office in Dubai, with frequent international travel and flexibility across time zones. Applications close on 1 November; early applications are encouraged.