Senior Project Manager

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

• 812+ 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.