About the Role
Lead the strategy, governance, and performance of the assigned operational readiness portfolio, translating business objectives into integrated readiness plans that enable safe, compliant, and controlled activation. Provide leadership across operating model development, workforce, processes, technology, facilities, service mobilization, and transition planning; optimize readiness outcomes through effective assurance, risk management, stakeholder alignment, and evidence-based decision-making.
Ready to apply for roles like this?
Unlock the company name and direct application link. Subscribers get instant access to fresh jobs across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, many with visa support.
Unlock employer & apply directly
Key Responsibilities
Core Responsibilities
- Lead the operational readiness strategy and integrated governance for the assigned portfolio, aligning priorities, plans, and performance measures with approved business objectives.
- Establish portfolio-wide readiness standards, assurance requirements, decision gates, reporting protocols, and escalation routes, with clear accountability across functions.
- Direct assigned workstream managers and advisers in integrating operating models, workforce, processes, technology, facilities, supply chain, and service mobilization.
- Provide leadership on readiness planning, sequencing, resource prioritization, dependency management, and recovery actions across complex programmes and assets.
- Align senior stakeholders on activation priorities, material risks, delivery trade-offs, and the evidence required to support operational decisions.
- Drive readiness performance through clear measures, disciplined governance, constructive challenge, and timely executive reporting.
Specific Responsibilities
- Oversee operational requirements through design, procurement, commissioning, handover, mobilization, and opening, ensuring they remain traceable and appropriately owned without assuming delivery-owner responsibilities.
- Review and challenge readiness evidence, commission targeted assurance, and direct recovery priorities where safety, compliance, service quality, or operational continuity is at risk.
- Lead cross-functional coordination of plans, schedules, dependencies, interfaces, and acceptance criteria to maintain an integrated path to activation.
- Present readiness recommendations, activation options, constraints, and residual risks to authorized decision-makers, ensuring decisions, conditions, and actions are documented and tracked.
- Build productive relationships with delivery teams, operators, consultants, contractors, and service providers to resolve readiness issues and protect business priorities.
- Develop readiness capability, oversee assigned teams and advisers, and ensure structured transfer of knowledge, documentation, and accountability into business-as-usual operations.
Generic Responsibilities
- Follow applicable company policies, safety requirements, confidentiality, and document-control practices.
- Maintain clear records, support continuous improvement, and perform related duties consistent with the approved role scope.
- Work within approved delegated authorities; recommend activation decisions to authorized decision-makers.
Requirements
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in business administration, engineering, operations management, project management, or a related discipline. A relevant postgraduate qualification is desirable, not mandatory.
Professional Certifications
- Relevant project, programme, risk, facilities management, or operational readiness certification is desirable.
Skills
- Operational readiness strategy and portfolio governance
- Integrated planning and performance management
- Assurance-framework and decision-gate design
- Operating-model and service-mobilization oversight
- Activation sequencing
- Dependency, risk, and issue management
- Executive reporting and decision support
- Stakeholder engagement and negotiation
- Resource prioritization
- Team leadership
- Organizational capability development
- Transition and handover governance
Experience
Years of Experience
- 12+ years of experience in operational management, operational readiness, mobilization, project delivery, or asset activation.
Nature of Experience
- Substantial experience leading complex operational readiness, mobilization, transition, or programme portfolios in large-scale development, infrastructure, real estate, destination, venue, or similarly complex operating environments. Demonstrated success establishing governance and assurance, integrating cross-functional plans, managing senior stakeholders, leading multidisciplinary teams and service partners, resolving critical dependencies, and guiding organizations through handover, activation, and transition into stable operations.