Senior Director – Development & Delivery

Cygnify is assisting a premier publicly listed real estate development company in the GCC to find a Senior Director – Development & Delivery. The role is based in Dubai, UAE, and is an onsite, full-time, permanent leadership post. They’re looking for a seasoned executive who can steer a diverse portfolio of residential, commercial, and mixed-use projects across the UAE and report directly to the CEO or COO. If you’re a high-level delivery leader who thrives on shaping multi-project programs and driving value at scale, this could be a fit. Reporting into the top leadership, you’ll shepherd the entire lifecycle of large-scale developments, from early concept through design, construction, commissioning, and handover. The company wants someone who can set strategic delivery plans aligned with growth and profitability, supervise ongoing projects to ensure they hit schedule, budget, and quality targets, and deliver regular updates on risk and performance to executive stakeholders. You’ll also play a key role in organizational change and the modernization of delivery workflows to lift efficiency and outcomes.

Steering a portfolio of mega projects from concept to handover

In this role you’ll oversee a live portfolio spanning residential, commercial, and mixed-use schemes, ensuring each project adheres to ambitious schedules, budgets, and quality benchmarks. You’ll drive governance, standardize processes, and push for continuous improvement through audits and proactive problem-solving at the field level. Expect to manage contract administration and claims, safeguarding commercial interests while coordinating across commercial, estimating, and design teams during pre-construction and value-engineering phases to set realistic execution budgets. The job calls for strong leadership of Project Directors, Construction Managers, and site teams, with a keen eye on risk, cost variation, and schedule baselines across multiple projects.

What the role expects you to bring to the table

Must-haves - A 20-plus year track record after qualification in real estate development, master planning, or major construction delivery. - At least 8 to 10 years in a senior executive management role (Director, VP, or Senior Director level) with a leading property developer or main contractor in the UAE or GCC. - Demonstrated success running multiple large-scale mega-projects from concept design through to handover. - Deep knowledge of international contract forms (fidic), contract administration, value engineering, and handling high-value claim disputes. - A Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, or a related engineering field (Required). - Fluent English is mandatory; bilingual Arabic and English is advantageous. - The role benefits from a Master’s Degree in Business Administration, Construction Management, or Project Management (Highly Preferred). - Professional certifications such as PMP or MRICS, or equivalent chartered status are highly desirable. Nice-to-haves - Experience with enterprise-level project management software, dashboard reporting, and modern construction technology. - Demonstrated capability to manage tier-one main contractors, external design consultants, and specialist advisers with accountability for performance. - Strong vendor management and a track record of optimizing procurement and cost control across multiple projects.

Pay, benefits and practical details you should know

This is a full-time, permanent position located onsite in Dubai, UAE. The role involves direct reporting to executive leadership (CEO/COO) and overseeing a broad portfolio of complex developments. While the posting does not disclose salary or specific benefits, the position is framed as a senior leadership post with responsibility for multi-project delivery, governance, and commercial outcomes within the GCC. Travel requirements, work authorization specifics, and licensing details are not indicated.

Advice for applicants

Start your resume with a concise snapshot of your experience leading mega-project portfolios in the UAE or GCC, and highlight the size and value of the programs you’ve delivered. If you’ve steered more than one project at once, put that up front and quantify it where you can to show your portfolio management capabilities. Emphasize your 20+ years of post-qualification experience and your 8–10 years in senior leadership roles, with concrete examples of how you improved delivery metrics across time. Show how you apply governance, SOPs, QA/QC, and HSE standards across design and construction. Mention any specific familiarity with FIDIC contracts, claim resolution, and the procurement of tier-one main contractors and external consultants. Where possible, reference enterprise project management software or dashboard tools you’ve used to track milestones, costs, and schedules. In interviews, be ready to discuss how you identify bottlenecks, implement corrective actions, and drive change management across large teams. Have a few short case studies ready that demonstrate how you achieved on-time delivery and kept budgets in line while maintaining high quality. Prepare a thoughtful question about the company’s current project governance framework and how this role will drive improvements in that area, for example: what dashboards and KPIs do you rely on to monitor portfolio performance and risk? To strengthen your application, lead with a clear narrative about the megaprojects you’ve delivered, the governance structures you’ve put in place, and the measurable outcomes you achieved in schedule, budget, and quality. Bring evidence of collaboration with commercial, estimating, and design teams, and be ready to discuss how you’ve managed relationships with tier-one contractors and advisers to safeguard value across the delivery lifecycle.

How to apply