Executive Director, Development Operations - Real Estate

Overview

• We are seeking an accomplished Executive Director, Development Operations, to lead the strategic planning, governance, financial oversight, and operational excellence of a major real estate development portfolio in the UAE.
• This is a senior leadership role reporting directly to the Chief Development Officer, responsible for driving development operations across multiple large-scale projects and asset classes while ensuring robust governance, risk management, and financial performance.
• 🔹 Key Responsibilities
• Lead development operations strategy and business planning across a diverse project portfolio.
• Oversee governance frameworks, risk management, and operational excellence initiatives
• Monitor project financial performance, budgets, cost controls, and profitability
• Drive resource allocation and operational efficiencies across development teams
• Ensure compliance with UAE regulatory requirements, permits, approvals, and development standards.
• Partner with senior executives, board members, and stakeholders to support strategic decision-making.
• Evaluate project performance and implement continuous improvement initiatives.
• 🔹 Ideal Candidate
• Equivalent senior leadership experience within a UAE real estate development company
• Strong background in development operations, finance, governance, risk management, and business planning.
• Proven experience managing Joint Ventures (JV), P&L, contracts, scheduling, and development processes.
• Demonstrated success in delivering medium to large-scale developments across the UAE
• Completion of at least three full development cycles, including delivery of a major phase of a large-scale project.
• Ability to present and defend investment cases to Executive Committees, Investment Committees, and Boards.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Real Estate, Finance, Engineering, Architecture, or related field (Master’s preferred)
• 🔹 Requirements
• Minimum 20 years of experience, including at least 7 years in a senior leadership capacity
• Strong understanding of UAE real estate development regulations, governance frameworks, and market dynamics.
• Exceptional stakeholder management, strategic planning, and financial management capabilities.
• If you have a proven track record in leading large-scale development operations and are looking to make a significant impact within one of the region’s most ambitious development environments, we would love to hear from you.