A niche College in Dubai is going live later in the year. They are looking to hiring a seasoned Senior Project Manager / PMO Lead to orchestrate all stages of the launch. This is a founding‑team role for someone who knows the UAE education landscape and can drive complex projects in an academic setting.

Role overview

You will own the end‑to‑end college launch program – from regulatory and academic readiness through to campus, systems, staffing and student‑facing “day one” experience. Acting as the central PMO, you will coordinate founders, the Dean, QA/Accreditation, HR, IT, marketing, facilities and external partners to ensure the institution is ready to open on time and to a high standard.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and run the integrated project plan for the college launch, covering regulatory milestones, program development, campus fit‑out, systems/IT, recruitment, marketing and student‑services readiness.
• Set up light but effective PMO routines: governance structure, project standards, risk/issue logs, dependency tracking, status dashboards and steering‑committee packs for senior leadership.
• Work closely with QA/Accreditation and academic leadership to align project timelines with CAA/KHDA/UQAIB requirements, approvals and key academic calendar dates.
• Coordinate internal and external stakeholders (contractors, vendors, tech partners, marketing agencies, recruitment partners) to keep timelines and budgets on track; escalate and resolve roadblocks quickly.
• Monitor overall readiness for September “go‑live” through clear checklists and readiness reviews (people, processes, systems, facilities); lead cut‑over planning and stabilisation after launch.
• High visibility and influence: direct interaction with founders, Board and senior academic leaders, and the opportunity to build scalable PMO practices for the institution’s future growth.

Must‑have profile

• 8–12+ years of project‑management / PMO experience, including several years in UAE higher education or large education groups (universities, colleges, or major school networks).
• Proven track record delivering complex, multi‑workstream projects with hard launch dates (e.g., new campus/college/school openings, major program or system roll‑outs).
• Deep familiarity with the UAE education environment – stakeholders, timelines, cultural nuances – and comfort working with academic leaders and education regulators.
• Strong planning, risk management, stakeholder management and communication skills; able to engage at Board/Dean level while also driving day‑to‑day execution.
• Recognized project‑management certification (PMP, PRINCE2 or equivalent) is highly desirable.