Director - Operations

About WhiteCrow

We are global talent research, insight, and sourcing specialists with offices in the UK, USA, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Dubai, and India. Our international reach has helped us to understand and penetrate specialist markets at a global level. In addition to this, our service is also extended to complement our client’s in-house talent acquisition teams.

About our client

Since its inception in 2000, our client has emerged as a prominent and fast-growing retail group serving markets across the Middle East. The organization partners with world-class fashion and lifestyle brands, delivering globally inspired products and experiences to discerning consumers throughout the GCC. Guided by a vision to become a leading regional gateway for international retailers, the company has successfully built a broad portfolio across diverse consumer categories. Its collaborative approach with global brand partners, combined with extensive market expertise and a customer-first mindset, has enabled sustained growth and ongoing expansion across the region. Today, our client remains well-positioned to capitalize on emerging opportunities within the dynamic Middle Eastern retail market.

As a Director - Operations, you will be responsible for...

• Leading the execution and tracking of key strategic initiatives and milestones across the organization, ensuring alignment with long-term business objectives.
• Overseeing the rollout and continuous monitoring of corporate culture campaigns, ensuring relevance, engagement and alignment with organizational goals.
• Developing and implementing a comprehensive annual strategy to promote and embed corporate culture values across all levels of the organization.
• Driving employee engagement through flagship programs and initiatives, achieving high levels of participation and satisfaction.
• Planning and delivering leadership engagement sessions, ensuring seamless coordination of logistics, impactful agendas and meaningful interactions.
• Curating relevant speakers, team-building activities and structured discussions that foster strategic alignment, collaboration and leadership effectiveness.
• Leading the coordination and delivery of company-wide engagement initiatives, ensuring minimum thresholds for employee participation and satisfaction scores are being met.
• Serving as the primary coordination point for reporting and performance updates across departments, ensuring timely and accurate submission of progress reports and data to senior leadership.
• Collaborating with internal stakeholders to support strategic decision-making through proactive reporting, performance reviews and executive forums.
• Monitoring effectiveness through engagement surveys and adjusting plans based on feedback and data-driven insights.
• Leading the annual budgeting process for relevant functions in collaboration with Finance and managing the department's OPEX budget, ensuring optimal utilization within approved parameters.
• Establishing processes for monthly tracking, quarterly variance reporting and cost optimization to support financial accountability and efficiency.
• Ensuring high standards of operational efficiency through process improvements, stakeholder management and clear internal communication.
• Minimizing escalations by proactively addressing issues and maintaining strong internal coordination.

What you already have...

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering or a closely related engineering discipline from a recognized university.
• Professional engineering registration and/or a recognized project management qualification such as PMP, PRINCE2 or an equivalent certification is preferred.
• Strong knowledge of infrastructure design and construction standards, contract administration, project controls and Dubai authority approval processes.
• Minimum 12 years of progressive experience in infrastructure project delivery, including at least 5 years in a senior project management or leadership capacity.
• Demonstrable experience delivering large-scale roads, utilities and masterdevelopment infrastructure projects through design, procurement, construction, commissioning and handover.
• Substantial UAE experience is preferred, with practical knowledge of Dubai authorities, utility providers, regulatory requirements and stakeholder interfaces.