Job Description

Contract Duration:

12 months - renewal upon mutual agreement

Role Purpose

This role provides leadership across multiple verticals--including startup incubation, ecosystem partnerships, capital mobilization, and organizational performance--ensuring measurable impact on entrepreneurship, SME growth, and national economic outcomes.

Acting as both a strategic operator and ecosystem enabler, the Director drives delivery excellence, ensures KPI alignment, and fosters a culture of innovation, accountability, and founder-centric support.

Core Responsibilities

Strategy Execution & Governance

Translate Dubai SME's 3-5 year strategy into annual execution plans, OKRs, and milestone tracking. Lead governance and execution of flagship initiatives and KPIs.

Program & Portfolio Oversight

Design, launch, and manage founder-facing programs (incubators, accelerators, grants, venture builders). Oversee SME performance metrics, including exports, funding raised, and job creation. Drive timely execution and reporting of strategic and service-enhancement projects. Ensure quality in founder support tools, mentorship frameworks, and advisory systems.

Ecosystem & Partnerships

Build strategic alliances with venture capital firms, corporates, free zones, and universities. Secure external funding, in-kind resources, and co-delivery partnerships. Represent Dubai SME in economic councils, policy forums, and investment boards. Provide policy input to strengthen SME regulations and ecosystem enablers. Lead SME ecosystem events, demo days, investment forums, and collaborative platforms.

Operational & Performance Leadership

Ensure sound financial management, risk mitigation, and regulatory compliance. Standardize delivery frameworks, dashboards, and performance reporting.

People & Culture

Lead senior leaders across Programs, Ecosystem Development, Growth Platforms, and Marketing. Champion an agile, founder-first culture rooted in accountability and speed. Promote collaboration, talent development, and knowledge transfer.

Qualifications

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Innovation, Finance, or Entrepreneurship (required). Master's degree in Business, Innovation, Finance, or Entrepreneurship (preferred). Professional certifications (e.g., PMP, CFA, VC & Private Equity, Digital Transformation) are an advantage.

Experience

10-15 years of experience in venture capital, accelerators, venture studios, or government SME programs. Prior experience in the UAE or GCC within the SME, entrepreneurship, or venture ecosystem (mandatory). Proven track record managing P&L, funds, or incubator programs with AED 10-15M+ budgets. Closed or advised on at least five early-stage investment rounds. Experience in emerging market ecosystems is an advantage.

Technical Skills

Strategic execution, KPI governance, and ecosystem development. Strong financial modeling and program management capabilities. Proficiency in CRM platforms and analytics tools.

Leadership Competencies

Visionary leadership with agility, influence, and execution ownership. Strong founder empathy and stakeholder management. Exposure to public policy, regulatory frameworks, and multi-stakeholder governance (preferred).
Job Type: Contract
Contract length: 12 months

Pay: AED45,000.00 - AED60,000.00 per month