Director - Professional Development | UAE National | Education sector

We are seeking a highly experienced UAE National to lead the Professional Development for Leadership and School Staff Department within a leading UAE government education entity.The role is responsible for overseeing the department's activities and contributing to the development and implementation of strategic policies, performance management frameworks, professional development initiatives, leadership development programs, and succession planning strategies for education-sector employees and school staff.The successful candidate will provide strategic leadership to ensure continuous improvement in employee capabilities, performance, career development, and organizational effectiveness across the education sector.RequirementsKey ResponsibilitiesLead and oversee the department's organizational units, ensuring effective performance, coordination and achievement of departmental objectivesDevelop and implement strategic and operational plans, KPIs and performance measures for the departmentDevelop policies and procedures related to employee performance management within the education sector and ensure compliance with approved frameworksIdentify high-potential and promising employees and develop professional development, career progression and succession plans to strengthen the future leadership pipelineDesign comprehensive strategies for evaluating and managing the performance of school staff in coordination with relevant Ministry departments and stakeholdersDevelop effective competency and performance assessment systems, including clear criteria, standards and measurement frameworksAnalyze performance data and organizational trends to identify strengths, performance gaps and development requirementsDevelop and implement staff performance improvement plans based on assessment results, identifying development areas and defining appropriate improvement actionsDevelop professional development programs to address identified competency and performance gaps among school leaders and staffEstablish and maintain strategic partnerships with relevant government entities, educational institutions, professional organizations and external stakeholdersLead change-management initiatives and promote collaboration among internal and external stakeholders to improve organizational effectivenessReview and approve departmental procedures, working methods, KPIs, quality standards and performance measures, and recommend continuous improvementsMonitor and improve administrative processes covering planning, budgeting, reporting and service deliveryDevelop initiatives that promote team building, continuous learning and a culture of professional excellencePrepare and review departmental reports, performance results and recommendations for senior managementEnsure effective coordination with relevant Ministry sectors and organizational units to achieve strategic education-sector objectivesPerform other duties and responsibilities related to the department as assigned by the Assistant Undersecretary for the Professional Development SectorQualifications & ExperienceUAE National - MandatoryBachelor's, Master's or Doctorate degree in Business Administration or a relevant discipline, subject to Ministry requirementsMinimum experience:Doctorate: 4 yearsMaster's Degree: 7 yearsBachelor's Degree: 10 yearsProven senior-level experience in one or more of the following areas:Performance ManagementProfessional/Learning & DevelopmentTalent ManagementCompetency ManagementLeadership DevelopmentSuccession PlanningOrganizational DevelopmentEducation-sector workforce developmentStrategic HR / Human Capital ManagementStrong experience in developing policies, frameworks, KPIs, performance systems and strategic plansDemonstrated experience managing teams, organizational units and large-scale strategic initiativesStrong understanding of performance assessment, employee development and continuous improvement methodologiesExperience working with government entities, the education sector or large organizations would be highly advantageous