Program Director

About usAre you ready to shape how cutting-edge technologies are positioned, understood, and adopted by real markets? At VentureOne, we build ventures and commercialize breakthrough technologies emerging from advanced research. Our focus spans Aerospace and Space, Security and Defense, Sustainability, Environment and Energy, and Transportation, with technologies across Cryptography, Secure Systems, Directed Energy, Advanced Materials, Autonomous Systems, and more.About the roleThe Program Director will own end-to-end delivery of a large-scale Industry 4.0 transformation program to design, build, install and commission a next-generation, highly automated smart manufacturing facility in the UAE. This is the single accountable delivery leader for the entire program installation, from design validation and factory acceptance through on-site installation, integration, commissioning, go-live, ramp-up and operational stabilisation.The program brings together a curated ecosystem of more than 10 international OEMs, technology partners and specialist suppliers contributing across machining, assembly automation, robotics, intelligent storage, autonomous transport, and the digital/MES layer. The Program Director is responsible for orchestrating this multi-vendor environment into one seamless, fully connected manufacturing ecosystem, ensuring every package integrates on schedule, on cost and to specification within a secure, sovereign, on-premise architecture.The role leads the program's delivery organization: Senior Project Managers, Project Managers and PMO that operates within a PMO-led governance structure, using digital tools, data-driven reporting and AI-enabled insights to proactively manage delivery performance, risk, commissioning readiness and operational handover. It demands strong leadership of complex industrial programs involving advanced manufacturing technologies, IT/OT integration and operational readiness in highly regulated, highly governed environments.

Key Responsibilities

Own overall delivery accountability for the entire program installation across all solution packages: machining, assembly automation, robotics, intelligent storage, autonomous transport and digital/MES, from design freeze to steady-state operationsLead and coordinate 10+ OEMs and specialist suppliers, managing interfaces, dependencies and end-to-end delivery responsibility so there are no inter-vendor gapsOwn the integrated master schedule, milestones, critical delivery path and interface plan across all packages and vendorsLead the on-site installation, integration and commissioning campaign end to end, sequencing multi-vendor works into a coherent, safe and schedule-compliant installation programBuild and lead the program delivery organisation, providing direction to Senior Project Managers, Project Managers and PMO, and acting as senior escalation point for technical, commercial, integration and vendor-related issuesLead program governance: steering committee and CXO-level reporting, decision tracking, escalation management, and executive updatesOversee FAT, SAT, integration testing, commissioning, qualification and acceptance activities across all systems and vendors, and own commissioning-readiness and go-live decisionsDrive proactive management of risks, issues, dependencies and recovery/re-planning across the full program lifecycleEnsure adherence to program governance, scope control, contractual commitments, change management and claims management across the vendor portfolioOversee integration across automation, robotics, MES, digital platforms, utilities, infrastructure and operational workstreams, and interface with the engineering organisation on design-to-delivery handoverMonitor delivery KPIs: schedule, cost, quality, commissioning readiness, OEE readiness and operational performance by using digital dashboards, analytics and AI-enabled reporting to drive data-driven decisionsLead operational readiness, production ramp-up, knowledge transfer and transition to steady-state operations, including handover to the maintenance teamOwn commercial delivery performance of the program against budget, and support the Program Head on contractual, commercial and stakeholder mattersDrive continuous improvement across delivery, governance, reporting and operational performance

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Technology, Manufacturing, Automation or a related field12+ years managing large-scale industrial, automation, manufacturing or infrastructure programs, with proven experience at program-director / delivery-lead levelProven UAE-based delivery experience on a comparable large-scale program — must have personally delivered a program of similar scale and complexity within the UAE, not just regional exposureDemonstrated hands-on experience importing and mobilising complex capital equipment into the UAEDirect experience delivering into secure, sovereign or restricted-access environments with elevated compliance, clearance and export-control requirementsDemonstrated experience owning full program delivery through design, installation, commissioning and go-live in a multi-vendor, multi-disciplinary, highly governed environmentProven track record coordinating a large ecosystem of OEMs and suppliers (10+) across a major delivery programExperience leading and developing project management and PMO teamsStrong knowledge of program governance, program controls, risk management, change/claims management and delivery-assurance frameworksExperience managing complex integration environments spanning automation, digital platforms, manufacturing systems and IT/OT coordinationExperience leading commissioning, operational readiness, production ramp-up or industrialisation activitiesStrong stakeholder management, leadership, communication and executive decision-making capabilitiesExperience with digital project management tools, reporting dashboards and data-driven delivery methodologies

Preferred Qualifications

Experience delivering Industry 4.0, Smart Factory, MES, industrial automation or digital manufacturing programsExposure to robotics, IIoT, AI-enabled manufacturing systems, digital twin platforms or advanced analytics environmentsExperience within aerospace, defense or other highly regulated industrial sectorsExperience managing system integration across manufacturing, automation, software and operational-technology domainsFamiliarity with operational-excellence frameworks including OEE optimisation, Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvementExperience managing factory commissioning, stabilisation and operational handoverExperience working with international OEMs, technology vendors and large-scale industrial ecosystemsPMP, PgMP, PRINCE2 or equivalent program/project management certificationExperience in the wider GCC region