Requirements
A bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Project Management, Engineering, or a related discipline is required, with a postgraduate degree being preferred. Essential professional experience includes 10-12 years in project delivery, PMO leadership, or transformation roles, with proven experience managing complex portfolios, governance frameworks, risk management, stakeholder coordination, and change management integration.
Description
Job description / Role
Job Type
Full Time
Job Location
Abu Dhabi, UAE
Nationality
Any Nationality
Salary
Not Specified
Gender
Not Specified
Arabic Fluency
Not Specified
Job Function
General Management
Company Industry
Education & Training
Application open:
Full-time
Job purpose:
The Head of Project & Change Delivery is responsible for governing and executing MBZUAI’s operational transformation portfolio, ensuring that improvement initiatives are delivered effectively, on time, and with measurable impact. The role establishes and manages the project governance framework, oversees cross functional delivery, and embeds change management practices across all initiatives. The role ensures that transformation initiatives move efficiently from design into execution, while maintaining strong coordination, risk management, and stakeholder alignment. It also ensures that change management is integrated from the outset, enabling successful adoption and sustainable outcomes across the university.
Key responsibilities:
Transformation portfolio & project management office (PMO) governance
Design and implement the PMO governance framework, including project intake processes, prioritization, and reporting standards.
Maintain and oversee the transformation project portfolio, ensuring all initiatives are properly scoped, approved, and governed.
Establish structured reporting cadences for project tracking and executive oversight.
Project delivery oversight
Lead the definition and initiation of high-priority transformation initiatives in collaboration with stakeholders.
Ensure projects are delivered on time, within scope, and aligned with institutional objectives.
Manage cross-functional dependencies and coordinate resources across multiple workstreams.
Risk management & escalation
Act as the primary escalation point for delivery risks, issues, and delays.
Identify and manage project risks, dependencies, and constraints.
Provide structured mitigation strategies and ensure timely resolution of issues.
Change management integration
Oversee the integration of change management across all transformation initiatives.
Support the development and execution of change management strategies, including communication, training, and readiness planning.
Ensure that change impacts are assessed and managed effectively to support adoption.
Stakeholder coordination
Facilitate collaboration between business units, academic departments, and administrative teams.
Lead project governance forums and ensure alignment across stakeholders.
Act as the central coordination point for project delivery activities.
Benefits tracking & performance monitoring
Oversee benefits realization tracking in collaboration with the Performance & Insights function.
Ensure initiatives deliver measurable operational improvements and value.
Monitor project performance and ensure alignment with expected outcomes.
Continuous improvement & delivery excellence
Drive improvements in project delivery methodologies, tools, and practices.
Promote disciplined execution and adherence to governance standards.
Support the development of scalable delivery frameworks across the university.
Other duties
Carry out all other duties as reasonably directed by the line manager that are commensurate with these functional objectives.
Academic qualifications:
A bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Project Management, Engineering, or related discipline.
A postgraduate degree is preferred.
Professional experience:
Essential
Minimum of 10–12 years of experience in project delivery, PMO leadership, or transformation roles.
Proven experience managing complex, cross-functional project portfolios.
Strong experience in governance frameworks, risk management, and stakeholder coordination.
Demonstrated experience integrating change management into project delivery.
Preferred
Project management certification such as PMP, PRINCE2, or equivalent.
Exposure to change management frameworks (such as the Prosci ADKAR Model).
Experience in operational excellence or transformation environments.
Experience within higher education, research, or large institutional settings.
Exposure to digital transformation and AI-enabled delivery environments.
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