Project Director

Attractive Salary and Benefits

Abu Dhabi, UAE

We are pleased to be working with an established Middle East consultancy, who strive to innovate and offer a rewarding and collaborative work environment. They are looking to hire a Project Director with a proven background in large scale Central Business District projects to work on a major development in Abu Dhabi.

This role is crucial in ensuring the successful design development, project management and delivery of a large-scale Central Business District project. This position requires a combination of industry expertise, project management skills, leadership capabilities, and effective communication to navigate the complexities of these projects and achieve their strategic objectives.

Responsibilities

• Provide visionary leadership and strategic guidance to project teams and stakeholders for the delivery management and coordination of a large-scale Central Business District project.
• Set clear project goals and objectives aligned with the project mission and vision.
• Provide expert-level guidance and technical support to the team, addressing technical challenges, resolving design and delivery issues, and ensuring best practices are followed throughout the design and delivery process.
• Advise at a strategic level at the project conception stage, including providing advice on the different approaches that can be adopted to successfully achieve the project objectives.
• Oversee and assist the delivery and design managers in initiating and preparing the project design scope and Request for Proposals (RFPs) to ensure meeting project objectives and design briefs.
• Initiate and oversee the design consultant procurement process in coordination with the design and procurement departments and provide tender technical support to the team to achieve compliant bids and successful award.
• Lead the establishment of the overall success criteria for the project.
• Help with managing consultants to ensure that they fulfil their contractual obligations to the agreed programme, ensuring that the product produced by the consultants meets project briefs, objectives, budgets, and development criteria.
• Help with Value Engineering optioneering on all projects to ensure the best value is achieved.
• Assist in the preparation of consultant and contractor lists.

• Help with managing and directing multiple contractors and consultants engaged in these high-profile projects at various stages of work.
• Help with managing contracts of all concerned stakeholders.
• Monitor all payments to contractors and consultants ensuring that there are no delays certifying payments by the design and delivery teams or by the Lead consultant or supervision consultants at site.

• Oversee design progress, monitor design timelines for timely completion and budget compliance, report on progress, and to manage the preparation of comprehensive reviews/stage gate presentations for senior management approval.
• Ensure Consultant designs meet relevant regulations and standards.
• Champion the adoption of best practices, emerging technologies, and innovative methodologies to improve project outcomes.
• Ensure Consultant designs meet relevant regulations and standards.
• Ensure that design solutions are optimized for constructability, reliability, cost-effectiveness, timely execution, while aligning with organizational standards.
• Oversee technical design review and approval, ensuring they align with industry standards and organizational objectives.
• Ensure coordination with other project disciplines to ensure seamless integration and efficient design Interfaces.
• Promote sustainable and innovative solutions, such as green buildings, smart systems, and the integration of emerging technologies to improve efficiency and reduce environmental impacts.
• Cultivate and manage relationships with stakeholders, ensuring smooth communication and efficient problem resolution.
• Oversee adherence to safety protocols and ensure designs are compliant with safety standards while promoting a culture of safety within the organization and among project partners.
• Demonstrate exceptional communication skills to effectively address and resolve any issues that arise during the project delivery lifecycle.
• Be actively involved in risk management bt recognizing and helping to mitigate risks associated with project delivery, interfaces, compliance, and data security.
• Oversee the delivery of projects for completion on time, within budget, and to meet program goals and objectives.
• Monitor and apply performance management techniques, including the use of KPI\'s to improve project performance.
• Coordinate with project control department and allocated staff on program, change control and claims on each project.
• Coordinate with Procurement department on all commercial issues on each project to ensure that due process and contractual obligations have been followed and that optimum commercial out turn position is realized.
• Coordinate with Stakeholder management to ensure effective and expedient management of all Statutory approvals is achieved for each project.
• Direct and supervise project managers to ensure that they are optimizing project performance.
• Manage all end user clients ensuring that they are fully informed of project performance and status with real time reporting.
• Ensure that all HSE policies and procedures are fully integrated in each project ensuring a proactive approach.
• Take appropriate action on poorly performing projects, provide detailed reports on areas of concern, impact on the particular projects and the mitigation strategy proposed for rectification.
• Closely monitor all potential change requests ensuring they are escalated to the senior management and uploaded to the appropriate workflow streams for review and or approval.
• Closely manage all project conflict to ensure that project performance is not hindered.
• Ensure that all regular reports are generated by the consultants, contractors and internal project staff on a real time basis and issued to the appropriate Executive Management at the required times.
• Provide support to wider team and logistics team on logistics related matters.
• Managing relevant meetings and site walks and ensuring these are suitably recorded.
• Oversee the project handing over to end user, provide close out documentation, training, and maintenance and operations manuals to ensure that assets will be well-maintained and safe.
• Stay abreast of industry advancements and best practices.
• Conduct regular interactions with consultants and vendors, and drive initiatives that enhance the organization\'s design efficiency and performance.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement within the organization, identifying opportunities for innovation and implementing best practices in project delivery.
• Oversee compiling and distribution of lessons learned to ensure continuous enhancement.
• Uphold ethical standards, integrity, and transparency in all aspects of project management.

Requirements

Candidates for this role are expected to have a strong educational background, substantial large-scale Central Business District experience, and a proven track record of success in developing and managing large-scale Central Business District projects.

• Bachelor\'s degree in architecture, civil engineering, construction or project management, or a related field; master\'s degree would be preferred.
• 15+ years of experience in managing successfully complex large-scale Central Business District projects.
• Proven ability to lead and motivate project teams, work collaboratively with stakeholders, and build effective working relationships.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to communicate complex technical information to non-technical audiences.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to think creatively and strategically.

Preferred skills and competencies for the Project Director include:

• Ability to develop and implement strategic plans that align with the organization\'s vision and goals.
• Strong leadership skills to set strategic direction, to lead a team of professionals towards achieving common goals and objectives, to motivate team members, and make critical decisions.
• In-depth knowledge of the large-scale Central Business District projects.
• Knowledge of architectural design principles and the ability to collaborate with architects and interior designers to achieve aesthetically pleasing and functional designs.
• Familiarity with the local market, customs, cultural sensitivities, and business practices in the UAE.
• Ability to effectively manage multiple projects with a large-scale Central Business District simultaneously, encompassing scoping, planning, resource management, design management, and construction delivery.
• Expertise in budgeting and cost control.
• Strong communication skills for effective interactions with team members, executives, and other stakeholders; proficiency in both written and verbal modes as well as presentations.
• Assessment and mitigation of risks related to large-scale Central Business District projects to ensure success and resilience.
• Ability to build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, vendors, and other relevant entities for project success.
• Results-driven mindset, consistently achieving project goals and driving success in design delivery.
• Problem-solving acumen to analyse challenges and develop innovative solutions.
• Continuous learning attitude to stay updated with the latest industry trends, technologies, and developments.
• Ability to review project progress and prepare reports for review, monitor budgets, and project costs, and ensure projects stay on track.
• Commitment to professional development and continuous improvement and be able to stay up to date with the latest industry trends.
• Capacity to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information with discretion.
• Ability to foster collaborative relationships within and outside the organization.
• Proven track record in managing complex projects, displaying exemplary project management skills such as organization, time management, resourcefulness, flexibility, and communication.
• The ability to identify problems and develop effective solutions to ensure the success of large-scale Central Business District projects.
• Strong understanding of financial management principles and be able to manage budgets and resources effectively.
• Skilled at engaging with diverse stakeholders, including local authorities, government officials, and industry representatives.

Thank you for your interest. All applications are viewed and evaluated according to the role requirements. We aim to contact shortlisted candidates within 2 weeks. As we often receive a high volume of applications, we are unable to reply to everyone. If you have not heard back from us within 2 weeks, please consider your application unsuccessful.

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