Senior Manager - Projects - Aldar Education
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Key skills for this role
About the Role
Aldar Education seeks a Senior Manager - Projects to lead complex strategic programmes and high-impact projects within the education group. The role requires 9+ years of experience managing cross-functional projects and a Bachelor's degree in a relevant field.
Key Skills for This Role
Responsibilities
- Lead the delivery of the organisation's most complex strategic programmes, priority initiatives and high impact projects from initiation through to closure
- Manage projects involving capital investment, school developments, operational readiness, business transformation, organisational change and other strategic initiatives
- Develop and maintain integrated project plans, governance frameworks, delivery strategies and programme roadmaps
- Manage project scope, schedule, budget, quality, risks, issues, dependencies and change throughout the project lifecycle
- Resolve complex delivery challenges and drive timely executive decision making
- Ensure projects achieve agreed business objectives and intended outcomes
- Lead complex cross functional projects involving multiple internal and external stakeholders
- Coordinate activities across Development, consultants, contractors, Education, Operations, Finance, Procurement, DTS, Marketing, P&C, Licensing and other business functions
- Oversee design reviews, project approvals, operational requirements, procurement interfaces, readiness activities and project handover for assigned projects
- Monitor project performance against programme, budget, quality and governance requirements
- Identify delivery risks, recommend mitigation strategies and drive recovery actions where required
- Prepare executive level project updates, highlighting progress, risks, issues, dependencies, key decisions and recommendations
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree from a recognised university in Engineering, Architecture, Construction Management, Project Management, Business or a related discipline
- Project Management Professional (PMP), PRINCE2 Practitioner or equivalent project management certification is preferred
- 9+ years' experience leading complex strategic programmes and cross functional projects from initiation through to completion
- Demonstrated experience managing high impact projects involving multiple stakeholders, complex governance and significant organisational change
- Strong knowledge of project management principles, governance frameworks and delivery methodologies
- Excellent executive stakeholder management and influencing skills across multiple business functions
- Advanced Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Teams and Microsoft Project/Planner skills; Power BI is an advantage
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to present complex information clearly to senior leadership
Full Job Posting
Job Description
- Aldar Education is currently seeking a Senior Manager Project to support our growing family of owned and operated schools in the UAE.
- As the leading education group in Abu Dhabi, we provide inclusive and innovative learning that inspires and empowers communities.
- Responsible for leading the delivery of Aldar Education's most complex strategic programmes, priority initiatives and high impact projects, ensuring successful delivery against agreed scope, schedule, budget, quality and governance requirements.
Main Duties
- Lead the delivery of the organisation's most complex strategic programmes, priority initiatives and high impact projects from initiation through to closure.
- Manage projects involving capital investment, school developments, operational readiness, business transformation, organisational change and other strategic initiatives.
- Develop and maintain integrated project plans, governance frameworks, delivery strategies and programme roadmaps.
- Manage project scope, schedule, budget, quality, risks, issues, dependencies and change throughout the project lifecycle.
- Resolve complex delivery challenges and drive timely executive decision making.
- Ensure projects achieve agreed business objectives and intended outcomes
- Lead complex cross functional projects involving multiple internal and external stakeholders.
- Coordinate activities across Development, consultants, contractors, Education, Operations, Finance, Procurement, DTS, Marketing, P&C, Licensing and other business functions where applicable.
- Oversee design reviews, project approvals, operational requirements, procurement interfaces, readiness activities and project handover for assigned projects.
- Monitor project performance against programme, budget, quality and governance requirements.
- Identify delivery risks, recommend mitigation strategies and drive recovery actions where required.
- Ensure assigned projects comply with PMO governance standards, methodologies and reporting requirements.
Specific Duties
- Lead the development and maintenance of project charters, integrated project plans, schedules, RAID logs, stakeholder registers, communication plans and decision logs for assigned projects.
- Monitor project milestones, dependencies, critical paths and deliverables across multiple workstreams.
- Prepare weekly, fortnightly and executive project reports, highlighting progress, risks, overdue actions, decisions required and recommended actions.
- Lead project activities across Education, Operations, Enrolments, Finance, Procurement, DTS, Marketing, P&C, Licensing, schools, Development/AIP, consultants, contractors and other stakeholders as applicable.
- Plan and coordinate governance meetings, steering committees and management reviews, including agendas, executive presentations, meeting minutes and action tracking.
- Prepare executive briefing papers, Board and EMT presentations and strategic programme updates.
- Monitor project risks, issues, dependencies and change requests, ensuring timely mitigation, escalation and resolution.
- Coordinate governance approvals and ensure project decisions are documented and implemented.
- Lead project handover activities, operational readiness coordination, lessons learned and project closure documentation.
- Ensure project documentation is current, accessible and maintained in accordance with PMO governance requirements.
- Provide early warning to the Head of PMO on delivery risks, resource constraints, stakeholder issues and governance concerns.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree from a recognised university in Engineering, Architecture, Construction Management, Project Management, Business or a related discipline.
- Project Management Professional (PMP), PRINCE2 Practitioner or equivalent project management certification is preferred.
Minimum Experience
- 9+ years' experience leading complex strategic programmes and cross functional projects from initiation through to completion.
- Demonstrated experience managing high impact projects involving multiple stakeholders, complex governance and significant organisational change.
Job Specific Knowledge & Skills
- Strong knowledge of project management principles, governance frameworks and delivery methodologies.
- Demonstrated experience managing complex project scope, schedules, budgets, risks, issues, dependencies, stakeholders and change control.
- Strong understanding of project delivery across design, procurement, construction, operational readiness and project handover where applicable.
- Excellent executive stakeholder management and influencing skills across multiple business functions.
- Experience leading governance forums, steering committees and executive project reporting.
- Strong ability to coordinate consultants, contractors and multidisciplinary project teams.
- Experience mentoring Project Managers and supporting project delivery capability across a PMO environment.
- Advanced Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Teams and Microsoft Project/Planner skills; Power BI is an advantage.
- Demonstrated ability to leverage AI enabled tools (e.g. Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude or equivalent) to improve project planning, reporting, documentation, analysis and delivery while maintaining appropriate governance, confidentiality and professional judgement.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to present complex information clearly to senior leadership.
- Highly organised, proactive and able to manage multiple strategic projects and competing priorities in a fast paced environment.
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