Head of Projects & Integration

Aldar Academies

Abu Dhabi, UAE

Ref: OP910-40

Job description / Role

Employment: Full Time

Head of Projects & Integration
Reporting to: Director of Strategy and Innovation

Job Purpose:
Responsible for overseeing the successful development, delivery and day to day management of all Aldar Education Projects and Programmes. Leading the internal project management and strategy deployment function for Aldar Education, providing leadership, coordination, and management support to the project planning process and greater PMO function.

Key Accountabilities:
Project Prioritization
• Lead on the development and tracking of the project prioritization matrix, ensuring the competing priorities of the project team are effectively prioritized to meet the organization’s goals.
• Responsible for rationalizing and defending the project prioritization matrix, regularly presenting findings to EMT to gain a central consensus.
• Maintain close coordination and supervision between project resources to ensure seamless delivery of the projects as per scheduled timelines.

People Management
• Provide central leadership, coaching and development support to the project team.
• Managing external contractors, consultants, projects, project teams, and managing the quality and timeliness of outputs.
• Provide mentoring support to the project team, establishing a clear succession plan for the function.

Project Control
• Manage risks and plan for contingencies to ensure minimal impact on deliverables, establishing a transparent communication process to escalate, manage and resolve issues.
• Identify and manage internal dependencies across key functions and with external suppliers and regulators where appropriate.

Main Duties
Relationship Management
• Establish and maintain close working relationships with internal and external contacts including the project team, staff, local authorities, suppliers, consultants, and contractors.
• Influence internal stakeholders to achieve the desired outcomes.
• Ensure that the relationship between Aldar Education and its key external stakeholders is positive and constructive.

Project Planning
• Lead on the development of internal project processes and risk mitigating controls.
• Lead on project managing all major M&A initiatives from implementation planning to final delivery.
• Evaluate the outcomes of the project as established during the planning phase and assessing the risk in delivery across each individual project managed by the team.
• Define the scope of the project in collaboration with senior management
• Create a detailed project plan which identifies and sequences the activities needed to successfully complete the project, mapping out interdependencies between project tasks and critical path milestones.
• Determine the resources (time, cost, equipment, etc.) required to complete the project
• Develop a schedule for project completion that effectively allocate the resources to the activities
• Review the project schedule with senior management and internal stakeholders directly impacted by the project activities, maintain and revise the schedule as required on an ongoing basis
• Ensure planning takes place with the relevant departments to ensure effective design and delivery scheduled for projects under direct supervision
• Determine the objectives and measures upon which the project will be evaluated at its completion.

Project Implementation
• Execute the project according to the project plan
• Develop forms and records to document project activities
• Ensure that all project information is appropriately managed and documented in accordance to policy.
• Monitor the progress of the project and make adjustments as necessary to ensure the successful completion of the project
• Update stakeholders in the organization on the progress of the project
• Review the quality of the work completed with the project team on a regular basis to ensure that it meets project standards

Project Communications
• Develop and lead regular project update presentations to the EMTs, business partners and company executives concerning different phases of a project, project updates, etc.
• Develop and maintain project team and executive dashboards for individual project with the goal of keeping both the project team and EMT updated on project progress.

Requirements

Qualifications, Experience & Skills:
Minimum Qualifications
• Relevant Bachelor’s degree; MBA or equivalent from a reputed university

Minimum Experience:
• Minimum of 8 years’ experience in Project Management. Education experience is preferred.

Job Specific Knowledge & Skills:
• Recognised formal project management qualification (PMP/APMP/Prince2/P30 or equivalent) is desirable
• Developed project/programme management and planning skills and experience
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to simultaneously manage multiple complex projects
• Ownership of the organisation’s Project Delivery Approach, its implementation, establishment and iteration
• Team management experience with the ability to manage project teams as well as the PMO
• Experience of prioritisation matrixes and working with the business to determine appropriate project prioritisation
• Ability to juggle different projects/priorities and deliver high quality outcomes under pressure
• Capability to provide timely, accurate and relevant project and portfolio reporting as agreed
• Ability to work with senior leaders whilst being hands-on and execution-oriented in a complex operational environment
• Experience of resource planning against the prioritised portfolio of projects
• Excellent communication skills - reporting and verbal
• Fully conversant with written and spoken English
• Excellent attention to detail, both written and numerical, and commitment to quality
• Advanced IT skills in relation to Word, PowerPoint and Excel and MS Project or other project tools
• Have the ability to influence people at all levels across multiple functions to drive projects to completion

About the Company

Aldar Academies, a division of Aldar Properties PJSC, is a leading provider of private education in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. We provide inspiring learning environments, combining the very best academic, arts and sporting facilities with the highest standards of teaching. From a single school with 250 students in 2007, Aldar Academies now operates six schools in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain with over 4700 students. With over 700 employees we have planned projects to grow our current schools and build new ones to increase our student capacity to over 14,000 in the next 4-5 years. All our schools are rated Band A by the Abu Dhabi Education Council.

All Aldar Academies schools offer a British curriculum, which has been adapted to the needs of students in the UAE, ensuring that all our students have access to an international education in a stimulating, multi-cultural setting where academic achievement is nurtured alongside personal development. Operating as integral parts of the communities to which they belong, each of our six primary and secondary schools allows students to find and pursue their passions and prepare them for a future of success.

Aldar Academies schools are, at pre-school and primary level, The Pearl, Al Mushrif and Al Muna; serving both pre-school, primary and secondary age students are Al Ain International School and Al Yasmina, which operates from FS1 to Year 13. Al Bateen Secondary School serves the needs of secondary school students in the heart of Abu Dhabi and offers the IB Diploma Programme in Years 12 and 13.

Get personalised updates on latest vacancies
Job Alerts by Email
  • Personalised updates on latest career opportunities
  • Insights on hiring and employment activity in your industry
  • Typically sent twice a month
Public Relations Officer salaries in UAE

Average monthly compensation
AED 7,000

Breakdown available for industries, cities and years of experience