Executive Director - Project Development - Dubai Holding Hospitality Assets

About Dubai Holding Hospitality:

Dubai Holding Hospitality encompasses a diverse range of assets, including luxury hotels, resorts, and a full-service F&B portfolio. The company operates and manages several hotels, resorts, and residences across the Middle East, Europe, and Asia, maintaining a reputation for unmatched luxury and service quality.

About the Role:

End-to-End Development & Project Delivery

• Lead day-to-day delivery of the Maldives hospitality project as the immediate priority, while also overseeing Capri Observatory and future asset developments assigned within the portfolio from development brief through design, procurement, construction, testing, commissioning, handover and opening readiness.
• Translate the approved development strategy, operator requirements, brand standards and commercial objectives into actionable delivery plans, milestones and workstreams.
• Maintain clear accountability for day-to-day project progress, decisions, risks and issues across the assigned portfolio, escalating key matters to the Senior Vice President – Development with recommendations and mitigation options.

Design Management from Concept to Construction

• Manage the design process from concept, schematic and detailed design through IFC documentation and construction-stage design resolution.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary consultants, operator representatives, brand/design teams and internal stakeholders to secure timely design decisions and approvals.
• Drive design-to-budget, buildability, constructability and value management reviews while safeguarding the agreed hospitality experience, quality and operational requirements.

Consultant, Operator and Team Management

• Manage the performance of architects, engineers, specialist consultants, project managers, cost consultants, operator technical services teams and other appointed advisors.
• Chair and drive design, technical, commercial and progress meetings, ensuring actions are recorded, assigned and closed within agreed timelines.
• Ensure consultant deliverables are complete, coordinated, compliant with brief and aligned with programme, budget and procurement requirements.

Contractor Procurement, Evaluation and Selection

• Lead contractor procurement strategy in coordination with procurement, commercial and technical teams, including packaging, tender approach, prequalification and tender documentation.
• Oversee technical and commercial tender evaluations, clarification processes, risk reviews and recommendation reports for contractor appointment.
• Support negotiation and selection of contractors and key construction partners capable of delivering the Maldives hospitality project, Capri Observatory and future asset developments to the required quality, programme and commercial standards.

Construction Delivery, Programme, Cost, Quality and Risk

• Oversee construction delivery against approved programme, budget, quality standards, design intent, statutory requirements and operator/brand requirements.
• Monitor contractor and consultant performance throughout the construction period, including progress, resources, submittals, RFIs, variations, claims, quality, safety interfaces and risk mitigation.
• Work with commercial and project controls teams to manage cost reporting, change control, contingency, forecast final cost and value management initiatives.
• Ensure regular project and portfolio reporting to the Senior Vice President – Development, highlighting progress, key decisions required, risks, mitigations, budget status and forward-looking priorities.

Testing, Commissioning, Handover and Opening Readiness

• Coordinate testing, commissioning, authority approvals, operator inspections, defects management, handover documentation and operational readiness activities.
• Work with operator, facilities, asset management and internal teams to support mobilisation, training, snagging closure, soft-opening readiness and transition into operations.
• Ensure lessons learned, close-out records and handover obligations are captured and completed in line with governance and project requirements.

About You:

• Master’s or Bachelor’s degree in real estate, business, architecture, civil engineering or similar.
• Depending on primary qualifications, supplementary training in business or real estate is essential.
• 15 to 20 years’ experience in development management, project delivery and/or construction delivery roles, preferably with leading developers, hospitality owners/operators, project management consultancies or international consultancy firms.
• Significant experience delivering hospitality, resort, mixed-use, cultural, destination or asset development projects from concept through detailed design, procurement, construction, handover and opening readiness is essential.
• Strong end-to-end development and project delivery capability across hospitality, destination, cultural and asset development projects, including design, procurement, construction, handover and opening readiness.
• Comprehensive understanding of hospitality design disciplines, including architecture, interiors, landscape, engineering, back-of-house, guest experience and operator technical requirements.
• Proven ability to manage multidisciplinary consultants, operator teams, design teams and contractors across complex project interfaces.
• Strong knowledge of contractor procurement, tender evaluation, commercial analysis, risk review and selection recommendations.
• Ability to drive programme, cost, quality, risk, buildability, value management and design-to-budget outcomes.
• Excellent executive reporting, decision-making, stakeholder management and communication skills, with proficiency in MS Office and project reporting tools.

About the Benefits:

At Dubai Holding, we're committed to nurturing the success and well-being of our colleagues. Join our dynamic and diverse team, and enjoy a comprehensive benefits package that includes competitive compensation, career development opportunities, and a collaborative work environment. We strongly believe in creating an empowered workforce that will help us build a connected city for tomorrow. We are committed to attracting the brightest minds and nurturing the most pioneering candidates who desire to make a great impact on the future of Dubai.