Strategic Projects & Governance Manager

About the role

Black Pearl Consult is looking for a Strategic Projects & Governance Manager in the UAE. The role brings structure to a complex transformation programme by coordinating multiple projects and stakeholders, tracking progress and delivering clear reporting. It suits someone with consulting or advisory experience who has handled varied engagements and combines analytical skills with hands-on change implementation.

Key responsibilities

• Maintain an integrated programme plan covering projects, milestones, approvals and dependencies.
• Work with Finance to consolidate budgets, monitor expenditure and track approved changes and cost allocations.
• Prepare executive presentations, steering committee reports, decision papers and progress updates.
• Coordinate governance meetings and keep action, decision and approval records.
• Identify risks to timelines, budgets and compliance and coordinate mitigation plans.
• Support negotiations and manage interfaces with suppliers, advisers and strategic partners.
• Work with business functions, IT and Procurement to evaluate, pilot and implement digital solutions.
• Identify and implement process improvements across workstreams, and support vendor sourcing, evaluation and contracting.
• Identify programme resource needs and coordinate recruitment or sourcing of required capabilities.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business Administration, Economics, Finance or a closely related discipline.
• Minimum eight years of relevant experience with a bachelor's degree, or six years with a master's degree; a master's in Management, Engineering Management or Business Administration is preferred.
• Consulting or advisory firm experience and exposure to varied projects and complex programmes is preferred.
• Experience managing or supporting large capital programmes.

Required skills

• Integrated planning, budgeting, risk management and executive reporting.
• Understanding of capital project development, including feasibility, approvals, procurement and financial close.
• Experience coordinating commercial interfaces, external partners and multidisciplinary teams.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint and programme management platforms.