Job Title : Director - Strategy Management Office

Category : Directore / CEO / GM / Higher Management

United Arab Emirates University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Posted Date : 12/15/2019

Job Description :

Director – Strategy Management Office (SMO)

United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) has launched a Transformation Programme and is looking for Director to form the Strategy Management Office (SMO) which is a key part of the transformation programme, this role is pivotal in helping UAEU deliver on its strategic initiatives and achieve high performance.


About United Arab Emirates University (UAEU)

United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) is a comprehensive, research-intensive university enrolling more than 13,000 students, with more than 900 faculty. The University offers a full range of internationally accredited high-quality graduate and undergraduate programs through its nine Colleges in almost all major disciplines. UAEU is a mature university with significant accomplishments and a clear trajectory for continuous improvement with a goal to be recognized internationally as one of the world’s best universities.


Duties and Responsibilities will include:

Oversee the successful establishment of the Strategy Management Office, project scope and associated budgets in conjunction with other SMO functions, leadership and third party service providers
Define the implementation roadmap in conjunction with the UAEU leadership and strategic initiative owners
Oversee the program execution in conjunction with key stakeholders
Continually proactively identify other areas for operational improvement and help implement initiatives to address these
Review additions/cancellation of projects or expansion/reduction in project scope and report changes to relevant stakeholders for endorsement
Liaise between the committees and executive management of the SMO, and communicate to the various stakeholders on behalf of the management of the Strategy Management Office
Oversee and coordinate the implementation of all strategic initiatives and "Special projects"
Ensure that the projects contribute to the overall strategic objectives
Oversee individual strategic initiative delivery; report on the status of the initiatives, issues and risks
Detail initiative charters, including scope, timeline, activities and deliverables
Oversee and challenge the development and implementation of the initiative to ensure delivery on time and on budget
Lead communication activities with internal stakeholders
Define project interdependencies, stakeholders and risks
Quality assure work of the initiative planning & delivery team
Actively manage cross-team and initiative interdependencies
Ensure resolution and mitigation plans are in place for issues and risks and that action plans are developed and implemented
Ensure all necessary initiative related changes are identified, managed and executed in a timely manner
Assimilate and share best practices in academic transformation

The successful candidate will possess a range of characteristics, skills and experiences including:

Master degree and/or professional certification in program, project, quality, or change management.
Senior Manager, Director, or Vice President with at least 10 years’ experience in in managing organizational change and transformation programs and projects either within a Consulting firm or as part of an in-house corporate team within a Higher Education institution
Domain knowledge or experience in: Academic/Business Transformation, Commercial Acumen and Operational Improvement.
Highly analytical, structured thinker with strong problem solving skills
Proven track record of helping drive accelerated growth in organizations and/or transforming mature organizations into new phases of growth
Integrity, credibility, and communications capacity to work across the university and external stakeholders to build a commitment to, and culture of transformation
Specific skills in this area include interdisciplinary thinking, process analysis and improvement, the ability to mediate various stakeholder groups, business analysis, consulting, and comfort interacting with senior academic and industry leaders.
Experience within the UAE educational framework
Knowledge of academic business models is preferred
Extensive experience in managing interactions with top tier management consulting firms
Exceptional record of coordinating the work of others through example
Experience in budget planning and implementation would be advantageous   

Benefits Offered : As per the UAE law