Director of Business Process, Systems & Automation

Position OverviewThe Director of Business Process, Systems & Automation is a senior leadership position responsible for designing, implementing, governing and continuously improving the operational infrastructure of Abdulla Holdings and Abdulla Personal Brand.The primary mandate of this role is to build a scalable, documented, technology-enabled and measurable operating environment that enables the organization to grow efficiently without creating excessive dependency on individual employees, informal knowledge or manual processes.The Director will lead the development of the organization's Abdulla Operating System (AOS)—a comprehensive business infrastructure comprising standardized processes, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), workflows, systems, automation, knowledge management, governance mechanisms, performance dashboards, business continuity frameworks and institutional knowledge.The role will ensure that critical business activities are:Clearly defined;Properly documented;Assigned to accountable process owners;Supported by appropriate systems;Automated wherever practical;Measurable through relevant KPIs;Governed through appropriate controls;Transferable between employees;Resilient to employee turnover;Scalable across business units and geographies; andContinuously improved based on data, technology and organizational needs.The successful candidate will operate at the intersection of business strategy, operations, technology, process engineering, automation and organizational transformation and will work closely with the CEO and senior leadership to convert strategic objectives into scalable operating systems.Key ResponsibilitiesA. Business Process Management & Operational ExcellenceDevelop an enterprise-wide process framework covering core, supporting and enabling processes. Map and analyze critical end-to-end business processes. Identify process gaps, duplication, bottlenecks, inefficiencies and operational risks. Redesign processes to improve productivity, quality, speed and scalability. Establish process owners and accountability across functions. Develop standardized process methodologies and operating standards. Establish continuous-improvement practices and process-review cycles. Benchmark relevant processes and identify opportunities for operational excellence. B. SOP & Process DocumentationEstablish organization-wide SOP and documentation standards. Develop and maintain SOPs, process maps, workflow diagrams, manuals and playbooks. Establish document ownership, approval, version control and review mechanisms. Ensure critical processes are documented, accessible and transferable. Convert institutional knowledge into structured organizational knowledge. Ensure new processes and systems are supported by appropriate documentation. C. Systems & Digital TransformationDevelop the organization's business-systems strategy in partnership with relevant technology stakeholders. Assess current systems, identify gaps and eliminate unnecessary duplication. Improve utilization of platforms such as Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Power Automate, CRM, project-management, HR, finance and other business systems. Define system requirements based on business needs. Support integration of systems and workflows. Evaluate emerging technologies and AI-enabled solutions where they create measurable business value. Ensure technology investments support organizational strategy and operational requirements. Automation & Workflow OptimizationThe Director will lead the organization's automation agenda, ensuring that automation is applied to well-understood and appropriately designed processes.Responsibilities include:Identify repetitive, manual and low-value activities suitable for automation. Establish an automation opportunity pipeline and prioritization framework. Assess automation opportunities based on business value, complexity, risk, feasibility and expected ROI. Design and implement workflow automation. Automate approvals, notifications, reporting, data movement and recurring administrative activities. Integrate systems to reduce duplicate data entry and manual handoffs. Explore appropriate AI-enabled automation and intelligent workflows. Establish automation governance, documentation and ownership. Measure automation adoption, reliability, time savings and business impact. Principle: The organization should first understand and improve a process before automating it; automation should accelerate an effective process rather than simply automate existing inefficiencies. Process Governance & Operating ModelEstablish a formal process-governance framework across Abdulla Holdings.Define process ownership and accountability. Establish process governance structures and decision rights. Develop process standards and approval mechanisms. Establish process performance requirements. Maintain a central process repository. Establish periodic process reviews. Monitor compliance with approved processes. Escalate material process risks and control gaps. Ensure changes to critical processes are appropriately assessed and documented. Business Continuity & Key-Person DependencyDevelop a structured framework to strengthen operational resilience.Responsibilities include:Identify critical processes and key-person dependencies. Establish primary and secondary process ownership. Develop backup ownership for critical activities. Create process continuity plans. Establish cross-training requirements. Develop structured knowledge-transfer processes. Ensure critical functions remain operational during employee absence, transition or departure. Monitor critical-process continuity and succession readiness. The Director will establish a measurable baseline during the initial operational assessment and subsequently agree improvement targets with the CEO.Performance Management & Operational AnalyticsDevelop management systems that provide leadership with clear visibility into operational performance.Responsibilities include:Establish process and operational KPIs. Develop executive dashboards and reporting. Automate recurring operational reports where practical. Monitor process performance and compliance. Measure productivity, cycle time, quality and efficiency. Track automation benefits and ROI. Identify trends, bottlenecks and operational risks. Present actionable recommendations to the CEO and leadership team. Abdulla Personal Brand & Holdings OperationsDevelop scalable operating systems for both Abdulla Personal Brand and Abdulla Holdings.For the Personal Brand, this may include systems for:Standardized operating frameworks across business units; Management reporting; Governance; Shared processes and systems; New venture setup; Investment and acquisition support; Business expansion; Operational integration. Key DeliverablesFirst 90 Days – Assess & DesignComplete an enterprise operational and systems assessment. Map critical business processes and dependencies. Identify key-person and operational risks. Establish process documentation standards. Establish SOP and workflow templates. Develop process ownership framework. Identify priority automation opportunities. Establish knowledge-management framework. Define initial operational KPI framework. Present a 12-month AOS Transformation Roadmap to the CEO. First 6 Months – Build & ImplementDocument critical/core business processes. Establish centralized SOP and knowledge repository. Implement priority automation initiatives. Establish process ownership across key functions. Launch operational dashboards. Establish business-continuity and backup-ownership framework. Develop process-based onboarding and training resources. Establish process governance and review cycles. First 12 Months – Institutionalize & ScaleLaunch and institutionalize the Abdulla Operating System (AOS). Standardize critical processes across departments and business units. Implement major priority workflow automations. Establish enterprise knowledge-management infrastructure. Significantly reduce key-person dependency based on the agreed baseline. Establish scalable onboarding and operational training systems. Implement executive operational dashboards. Establish continuous-improvement governance. Develop operating frameworks supporting new ventures, investments and expansion. Qualifications & ExperienceEducationRequired:MBA or Master's degree in Business, Operations, Digital Transformation or related field. Lean Six Sigma certification. PMP or equivalent project-management qualification. BPM, change-management, automation or relevant technology certification. Professional Experience8–12+ years of progressive experience in business process management, operational excellence, business transformation, digital transformation, systems, automation, management consulting or related fields. Demonstrated experience designing scalable operating models. Strong experience developing SOPs, process maps and business workflows. Proven experience implementing automation and digital-transformation initiatives. Experience with business-system integration and workflow optimization. Experience developing operational dashboards and KPIs. Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional transformation programs. Experience working with senior executives and multiple business functions. Experience in remote/global organizations is strongly preferred.