Associate Director - Project Management

Responsibilities

• Manage delivery of local and international projects from Aldar offices in the UAE (Abu Dhabi) ensuring time, budget and quality targets are met.
• Develop and maintain realistic project timelines and detailed schedules in coordination with Scheduling, Development Management and Design.
• Recommend design standards for cost-effectiveness and innovation; obtain approvals from development and design heads.
• Coordinate cost definition with Development Management and Procurement; develop initial project cost estimates and challenge assumptions.
• Manage contractor and consultant relationships: scope definition, selection input, contract negotiation support, performance assessment and scorecards.
• Monitor project progress, schedules and cash flows (VOWD); identify deviations and drive mitigation and corrective actions.
• Ensure safety and environmental compliance onsite; maintain an HSE focus and sub-2% safety incidents track record.
• Maintain and update all project documentation; support final handover to Asset Management with complete records.
• Liaise with Infrastructure and Government Relations to obtain permits and licenses and manage stakeholder and authority relations.
• Support Audit and Accounting on audits and project accounting activities; contribute to cross-functional SLAs and lessons learned.
• Manage project portfolio within approved budget, schedule and quality in alignment with Aldar and government goals.

Requirements

• Min 14+ years project management experience
• Min 6+ years managerial experience
• Proven real estate delivery background
• Experience managing CAPEX AED 4-6 billion
• Contractor management experience (contracts ≥ AED 200M)
• Managed construction projects ≥ AED 100M
• HSE compliance and safety leadership
• Ability to manage large teams (50+ people)
• Strong conflict resolution skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Extensive GCC real estate market exposure (UAE focus)
• Proven track record in infrastructure and authority coordination
• Strong procurement and commercial negotiation experience
• Experience delivering mixed-use or large-scale residential developments
• Advanced stakeholder management and cross-functional leadership

Benefits

• Hybrid working model (office in Abu Dhabi with flexible site presence)
• Competitive compensation aligned with senior leadership role
• Career development within a major UAE real estate developer

About the Company

Aldar Properties PJSC is a leading Abu Dhabi-based real estate developer delivering large-scale residential, mixed-use and infrastructure projects across the UAE. This role sits within Aldar Projects – Project Management and supports Aldar's strategic delivery objectives in line with local regulations and government initiatives. Aldar may use AI tools to assist with parts of the recruitment process; final hiring decisions are made by humans.