Description:
We are looking for an experienced Project Director to lead a major digital transformation programme within the financial services and capital-markets sector in Dubai.
This is a senior delivery role with responsibility for a portfolio of complex, interdependent initiatives spanning areas such as securities trading, listing, clearing and settlement, market data and related capital-markets services.
The Project Director will work closely with C-level executives and senior business and technology leaders, providing overall direction and accountability for delivery.
The Role
The Project Director will have end-to-end responsibility for a set of Projects, from mobilisation through delivery and handover. The role requires someone who can operate comfortably at executive level while maintaining a very detailed view of delivery on the ground.
Key responsibilities include:
- Own the overall delivery of a portfolio of complex digital transformation initiatives, including scope, priorities, milestones, budget and outcomes.
- Provide leadership across multidisciplinary business, technology and delivery teams, including external partners and suppliers.
- Work directly with C-level executives and senior stakeholders to manage priorities, dependencies and key decisions.
- Establish clear programme governance, executive reporting and escalation, ensuring issues are addressed quickly and at the appropriate level.
- Maintain oversight of programme finances, resources, commercial commitments, major risks and supplier performance.
- Lead steering committees and other senior governance forums, presenting progress, decisions and areas requiring executive intervention.
- Hold delivery teams and partners accountable for agreed commitments, addressing underperformance and putting recovery plans in place where required.
- Manage significant programme changes and their impact across scope, cost, timelines and business outcomes.
- Ensure an orderly transition into operation, including business readiness, handover and closure.
Experience & Profile
We are looking for an established senior delivery professional with 10–15+ years' experience, including significant responsibility for large-scale digital transformation.
The successful candidate should bring:
- Previous experience as a Project Director, Programme Director, Senior Programme Manager or in a comparable senior delivery role.
- Strong experience delivering complex transformation within financial services and/or capital markets.
- Good understanding of capital-markets environments; experience across trading, listing, clearing and settlement or market-data platforms would be particularly relevant.
- A track record of working directly with C-level and executive stakeholders.
- Experience leading large, multidisciplinary teams across business, technology, vendors and consulting partners.
- Strong commercial judgement, including experience managing significant budgets, suppliers and contractual commitments.
- Experience working within large international organisations and complex governance environments.
- Excellent written and spoken English, with the ability to communicate clearly at executive and Board level.