IT Platform Delivery Manager - GenAI and iXR Innovation Platforms

Job description / Role

At Emirates, we believe in connecting the world, to and through, our global hub in Dubai; and in constantly innovating to ensure our customers 'Fly Better'. Emirates Group IT thrives on the dynamic nature of technology. Being pioneers in aviation innovation, we're always at the forefront, pushing boundaries. We're on the lookout for exceptional IT professionals to fortify our position as leaders in the industry. Embark on a journey with the world's largest international airline and become a vital part of our cutting-edge information and technology team as IT Platform Delivery Manager - GenAI and iXR innovation platforms .

As an IT Platform Delivery Manager - GenAI and iXR innovation platforms , you will be responsible for enabling the strategic vision, driving the development and operational excellence of cutting-edge business platforms that enable business growth and innovation. This role encompasses end-to-end leadership in overseeing IT business platforms, shaping the platform technology strategy, scaling and delivering impactful business outcomes.

You will collaborate closely with senior executives, cross-functional teams, and external partners to align platform capabilities with business objectives, fostering an environment of continuous improvement, user adoption, and value creation. Your leadership will guide the platform's evolution, focusing on integrating new technologies, optimizing processes, and enhancing user experiences while meeting organizational goals and performance metrics.

In this role you will:

- Develop and execute a strategic roadmap for the platform, aligning technology capabilities with business needs, industry trends, and innovation opportunities. Ensure they are scalable, secure, and optimised for performance aligned to business growth strategy. Lead the integration of new technologies, and tools to enhance platform.
- Oversee platform architecture, development cycles, and feature delivery, ensuring quality, scalability, and timely execution. Drive platform integration with existing systems and explore new technologies to enhance platform capabilities. Leverage Agile methodologies and continuous improvement processes to accelerate platform enhancement for our customers and employees.
- Build relationships and engage with senior stakeholders to understand business priorities, capture requirements, and translate them into technical solutions. Act as the primary liaison between internal customers, IT teams, and external vendors. Work with vendors and business partners to prioritise and influence new opportunities for maximising value aligning roadmaps and delivery plans for adoption.
- Lead multidisciplinary teams, promoting a high-performance culture that fosters creativity, accountability, and growth. Provide mentorship and guidance to team members across development, engineering, and product functions.
- Establish and lead a Centre of Excellence (CoE) focused on the continuous development, innovation, and optimization of platform capabilities. The CoE will serve as a hub for best practices, technology expertise, capability development and adoption, with cross-functional collaboration to drive consistent and high-quality platform delivery.
- Establish metrics to measure platform performance, user satisfaction, and business impact. Continuously assess platform efficiency, compliance, identify areas for improvement, and implement necessary changes to optimize value delivery. Develop strategies to increase platform adoption, improve user engagement, and manage change effectively.
- Develop, plan and manage the IT contracts and budget including forecasting financial requirements, allocating resources efficiently, and adjusting allocations to meet project demands and organisational priorities. Collaborate and contribute to the preparation of business cases with VP IT Product Delivery, Finance, APMO and the business.
- Contribute to the Group IT improvement of practice/ skillset for the interfacing Delivery, Product and Solution Architecture Chapters. Collaborate with other chapters and subject matter experts to continuously improve the IT playbook and practices required to build, deploy, monitor, and test quality products which enables and delivers measurable business value.
- Manage large and strategic IT external partners both platform vendors and/or subcontractors (such as resource providers or off-shelf system providers), where contract values are high, and contribution is significant to successful delivery.
- Keep abreast of the latest trends in technology, software development practices, and industry standards and tools relevant to the IT platforms, incorporate into forward looking roadmap influencing both external partners business for future opportunities proactively.

- Degree or Honours (12+3 or equivalent)
- 10+ years of leadership experience in technology and innovation, with at least 5 years in a senior role driving AI, data science, or XR initiatives. Strong history of building and scaling innovative solutions within complex enterprise environments.
- 5+ years in AI, machine learning, data science, and/or XR development and deployment, with 2+ years of experience specifically in AI model training, scaling models to support Gen-AI, creating immersive and interactive experiences with XR technologies to enhance business outcomes.
- Knowledge of cloud-native services for managing and deploying innovation products like Gen-AI and iXR environments.
- Broad knowledge of platform-related technologies, frameworks, and integration approaches (for example spatial computing, iXR development environments, AI/ML frameworks, hybrid cloud integration and cloud-based AI infrastructure).
- Substantial experience managing high performance teams and influencing high-level decision-making with excellent leadership and communication skills.
- Understanding of Agile methodologies and DevOps practices. Knowledge of CI/CD processes to improve release frequency and software quality. Experience leading rapid experimentation, pilot projects, and proof of concept (PoC) initiatives, especially in AI and XR.
projects, and influencing executive-level stakeholders.
- Experience establishing, developing and maturing cross functional centre of excellence for AI with consideration for corporate policies and governance for ethical and responsible deployment and adoption.
- Demonstrated experience in managing technology budgets, contracts and vendor relationships.
- Proven Leadership with Best Practice Insight: Demonstrated ability to apply industry best practices and establish standards that drive operational excellence, especially within maturing or evolving operating models. Able to set a high bar for quality while adapting processes pragmatically to fit the team and business environment.

Leadership Role: Yes

About the Company

A fast-growing international airline with one of the youngest fleets in the sky and more than 400 awards for excellence worldwide.