Director - Innovation & Emerging Technology

As the Director of Innovation & Emerging Technology, you will direct and manage innovation-driven initiatives including the Innovation Lab, Robotic Process Automation (RPA) programs, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions. You will lead the strategic vision, development, and execution of innovation and emerging technology initiatives, driving digital transformation, identifying disruptive trends, and embedding a culture of innovation to deliver sustainable business impact.

Key Responsibilities:

• Direct the operations and strategic roadmap of the Innovation Lab, fostering experimentation and disruptive thinking.
• Oversee design, development, and enterprise-scale rollout of RPA and AI initiatives across multiple business units.
• Lead end-to-end innovation project lifecycle.
• Organize innovation forums, hackathons, and internal idea challenges to generate grassroots innovation.
• Provide executive-level insights on technology disruption, innovation strategy, and investment priorities.
• Drive change management efforts to embed innovative practices across business functions.
• Manage cross-functional innovation teams, budgets, and timelines to deliver measurable outcomes.
• Build and lead innovation ecosystem partnerships with startups, academic institutions, accelerators, and industry forums.
• Create and govern an enterprise innovation pipeline aligned with organizational strategy.
• Promote design thinking, agile methodologies, and a fail-fast culture across departments.
• Ensure regulatory compliance and ethical standards in the use of advanced technologies (especially AI and automation).

Qualifications, Experience & Skills:

• Essential Qualification: Bachelor’s in Computer Science, Engineering, or related fields.
• Desirable Qualification: Master’s in Technology Management, Innovation, or Business.
• Work Experience: Minimum 10+ years in technology, with 5+ years in innovation leadership.
• Technical Skills: Experience leading multi-disciplinary teams and innovation portfolios, familiarity with emerging technologies, innovation frameworks, strategic foresight, budgeting, and governance.

Work Conditions: On-site, Full-time Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates Language Requirements: Not specified.