PROJECT DIRECTOR

Location: Dubai UAE

Contract: 12-month fixed term

Start: Immediate / September 2026

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 1015 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.

A relevant degree is expected. PMP PRINCE2 or equivalent would be useful but is not essential.

Strong UK/European professional experience international programme delivery experience and previous UAE experience would be advantageous.

Application

Please upload CV together with your current location availability/notice period and relevant UAE/capital-markets experience

ONLY CANDIDATES AVAILABLE TO START AT SHORT NOTICE WILL BE CONSIDERED.