Technology Department - Strategy & Business Partnership Section Head | Relocation to Abu Dhabi, UAE

Role Overview

A leading governmental entity in Abu Dhabi is seeking a senior technology leader to head the Strategy & Business Partnership function within its Technology Department. This role plays a critical part in shaping technology strategy, strengthening vendor partnerships, and bridging business needs with innovative digital solutions that support government priorities and public-sector outcomes.

The role acts as a trusted strategic partner to senior stakeholders, providing consultative leadership to ensure technology initiatives are aligned with organizational objectives, regulatory requirements, and long-term digital transformation goals.

Key Responsibilities

Vendor Management

• Lead the identification, development, and management of strategic technology vendor relationships, ensuring optimal quality, cost efficiency, and performance in line with government standards.
• Establish frameworks to monitor vendor performance, contractual compliance, and service delivery.
• Oversee vendor negotiations, contract renewals, and the onboarding of new vendors in alignment with defined KPIs and performance targets.
• Direct benchmarking activities and utilize performance data to identify opportunities for optimization, renegotiation, and continuous improvement.
• Lead vendor qualification, review, and selection processes (RFI/RFP/RFQ) in collaboration with procurement and business stakeholders.

Business Partnership & Strategy

• Review, prioritize, and manage business requests to ensure alignment with government technology strategies, mandated initiatives, and digital transformation objectives.
• Act as the primary interface between business sectors and the Technology Department, translating business needs into effective, compliant technology solutions.
• Provide strategic and consultative advice to identify innovative digital solutions that address business and service delivery challenges.
• Lead the evaluation and adoption of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and machine learning, to enhance operational efficiency and citizen, visitor, and employee experiences.
• Build strong, credible relationships with senior stakeholders through proactive engagement and transparent communication.

Leadership & Shared Accountabilities

• Cascade functional strategy into actionable section plans, ensuring alignment across departments and government-wide initiatives.
• Lead and develop multiple unit heads and specialist teams, setting objectives, managing performance, and driving talent development.
• Manage section budgets, ensuring financial discipline and compliance with government policies and controls.
• Ensure effective implementation of policies, procedures, and governance frameworks in line with public-sector regulations.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives aligned with global best practices and government excellence standards.
• Ensure timely and accurate reporting in accordance with organizational and regulatory requirements.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Internal: Government sectors, departments, and senior leadership
• External: Technology vendors, service providers, consulting firms, and relevant federal and local authorities

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Technology, or a related field
• Master's degree preferred

Experience

• 6–8 years of experience in Information Systems or Information Technology
• Minimum of 4 years in a managerial or leadership role, preferably within government or large enterprise environments

Skills & Competencies

• Full professional proficiency in English and Arabic (spoken and written)
• Strong experience in vendor management, contract negotiation, and stakeholder engagement
• Solid understanding of Agile and Waterfall project management methodologies
• Ability to translate complex business and policy requirements into scalable technology solutions
• Strong planning, analytical, and decision-making skills
• High level of professionalism, accountability, and initiative