JOB OBJECTIVE:
Responsible for oversee the implementation and delivery of large-scale innovation initiatives and projects in line with the overall Dubai Economic Development D33 agenda and objectives. Responsibilities include:
- Contribute to formulating the overall innovation strategy and translating it into actionable project plans.
- Oversee the implementation and delivery of innovation projects from conception to completion.
- Proactively influencing and facilitating cross-functional internal and external stakeholder relationships to align priorities, secure commitments, and drive initiatives in line with set KPIs and objectives.
- Supporting a team of managers (may include project managers from other entities) and ensuring they deliver projects on time and within budget.
- Staying up-to-date on latest innovation trends and sectorial topics to identify opportunities, gaps in the market, and their potential business impact.
- Act as the innovation subject matter expert across the wider organization.
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES:
Core Functional Responsibilities & Subject Matter Expertise
- Contribute to drafting the overall long-term Innovation strategy and translate it into actionable and detailed project plans, ensuring clear definition of success/KPIs, timelines, budgets, and resourcing requirements.
- Oversee the implementation of innovation projects and initiatives, ensuring they are executed in line with Dubai's D33 strategy, on time and within budget.
- Assess project charters/start-up packs to ensure they align with strategic objectives and contain the necessary detail for effective planning.
- Support managing a team of project managers, overseeing project delivery and ensuring KPIs and objectives are met.
- Facilitate comprehensive stakeholder engagement for assigned projects with both public and private entities, addressing issues and ensuring the timely achievement of project milestones and KPIs.
- Proactively manage the identification, mitigation, management, and communication of risks, e.g., delays, budget over runs and other risks / issues
- Manage the development of periodic reports to provide updates to the PMO and leadership on the status of projects versus planned timelines and budgets.
- Ensure the development and maintenance of project management documentation, including project charters, plans, risk logs, and status updates.
- Champion the identification and implementation of improvements to internal project management processes.
- Develop, train, and empower project teams and stakeholders, fostering knowledge transfer and sustainable results.
- Keep abreast of the latest innovation and sectoral trends, macroeconomic developments, and key topics to identify strategic opportunities and address market gaps.
Corporate Strategic Planning
- Contribute to the development of the DEDC's strategy and drive overall performance through providing inputs on the Department's strategy, priorities and initiatives, particularly those relating to the targeted industries.
- Contribute to take onus of the Department's achievement against set OKRs/KPIs to ensure the Department performs in line with overall performance targets, particularly against those reported to local and federal level authorities as they pertain to the key economic indicators of Dubai.
Financial Planning & Monitoring
- Contribute to the determination of the Department's annual and long-term capital and operating budgetary requirements to ensure strategic and operational plans can be delivered.
- Contribute to take accountability for the Department's budgetary performance, ensuring minimal divergences and that expenditures are optimized and directed towards value adding activities.
Operational Excellence & Governance
- Lead the development of department specific policies, procedures and processes ensuring full alignment with the prevalent and applicable laws and regulations.
- Ensure the department achieves the highest level of governance and compliance with both internal (DET wide) and external policies and standards across various areas such as legal, quality, risk, cybersecurity etc. in relation to the core operations of the department.
- Oversee the productivity and operational efficiency of resources and employees within the department to maximize returns on investment in people and resources.
- Continuously seek opportunities to leverage innovative technologies and digital solutions to optimize both internal and customer facing processes, in line with Dubai government's ambitions pertaining to being a digital economy.
Advisory Support
- Provide expert advice to the CEO, DEDC on matters pertaining to the Innovation Projects related strategies in an aim to ensure alignment with the economic growth plans set for Dubai.
- Help build a favorable reputation and image of DEDC and DET in the public sphere locally, regionally, and internationally through representing both DEDC and DET favorably.
- Support the DEDC in establishing deep relations across its stakeholder ecosystem which includes creating synergies and collaboration between Dubai Government Departments as well as federal level ministries and entities.
- Contribute to and support on DEDC and DET wide corporate priorities and initiatives e.g., ESG related initiatives.
- Serve as a member of Committees as appointed by the CEO; attend and participate in Committees and fulfill delegated responsibilities.
People Leadership Responsibilities:
- Lead by example and role model the core values of the Dubai Government and DET in an aim to build a high performing and competent Government Department.
- Foster and instill a culture which, drives cross-functional collaboration across the functions to drive synergies in attaining strategic goals.
- Build the next generation of leaders through mentoring and coaching in order to develop the capabilities of the senior leadership team of the Entity and DET as a whole; this includes nurturing and grooming potential successors in an aim to drive business continuity.
- Ensure that the Entity maintains a happy working environment for employees in an attempt to support the DET achieve government level targets related to employee happiness.
- Drive the implementation of diversity and inclusion initiatives to ensure thorough participation of females, people of determination within the workforce of the Entity.
- Provide the team with up-to-date training on technical tools and industry trends.
- Foster a culture of excellence, ensuring the team remains focused on efficient service delivery.
- Mentor team members, emphasizing the importance of timely service delivery and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
- Stay informed on global Innovation Projects trends, incorporating relevant techniques into DEDC's offerings.
- Introduce periodic audits and reviews to ensure that all service standards are met and surpassed.
Qualifications & Experience:
- Bachelor's degree in Economics, Business, Engineering or Finance. A Master's degree (MBA or related field) is a plus.
- Experience drafting and delivering Innovation strategy.
- Experience leading and delivering complex innovation projects from conception to completion with multiple stakeholders.
- Experience leading a team of managers, ensuring they have clear goals and responsibilities.
- Proven track record of successfully delivering projects on time, within scope, and within budget.
- Experience managing cross-functional internal teams and external stakeholders to deliver projects on time.
- Successful track record working in private and public sector institutions for a minimum of 9-11 years of experience.
