Director - Professional Development | UAE National | Education sector

We are seeking a highly experiencedUAE Nationalto 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 ofstrategic policies, performance management frameworks, professional development initiatives, leadership development programs, and succession planning strategiesfor 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.

Requirements

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee the department's organizational units, ensuring effective performance, coordination and achievement of departmental objectives.
• Develop and implementstrategic and operational plans, KPIs and performance measures for the department.
• Develop policies and procedures related toemployee performance managementwithin the education sector and ensure compliance with approved frameworks.
• Identify high-potential and promising employees and developprofessional development, career progression and succession plansto strengthen the future leadership pipeline.
• Design comprehensive strategies for evaluating and managing the performance of school staff in coordination with relevant Ministry departments and stakeholders.
• Develop effectivecompetency and performance assessment systems, including clear criteria, standards and measurement frameworks.
• Analyze performance data and organizational trends to identify strengths, performance gaps and development requirements.
• Develop and implementstaff performance improvement plansbased on assessment results, identifying development areas and defining appropriate improvement actions.
• Develop professional development programs to address identified competency and performance gaps among school leaders and staff.
• Establish and maintain strategic partnerships with relevant government entities, educational institutions, professional organizations and external stakeholders.
• Lead change-management initiatives and promote collaboration among internal and external stakeholders to improve organizational effectiveness.
• Review and approve departmental procedures, working methods, KPIs, quality standards and performance measures, and recommend continuous improvements.
• Monitor and improve administrative processes coveringplanning, budgeting, reporting and service delivery.
• Develop initiatives that promoteteam building, continuous learning and a culture of professional excellence.
• Prepare and review departmental reports, performance results and recommendations for senior management.
• Ensure effective coordination with relevant Ministry sectors and organizational units to achieve strategic education-sector objectives.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities related to the department as assigned by the Assistant Undersecretary for the Professional Development Sector.

Qualifications & Experience

• UAE National – Mandatory.
• Bachelor's, Master's or Doctorate degree inBusiness Administrationor a relevant discipline, subject to Ministry requirements.
• Minimum experience:
• Doctorate:4 years
• Master's Degree:7 years
• Bachelor's Degree:10 years
• Proven senior-level experience in one or more of the following areas:
• Performance Management
• Professional/Learning & Development
• Talent Management
• Competency Management
• Leadership Development
• Succession Planning
• Organizational Development
• Education-sector workforce development
• Strategic HR / Human Capital Management
• Strong experience in developingpolicies, frameworks, KPIs, performance systems and strategic plans.
• Demonstrated experience managing teams, organizational units and large-scale strategic initiatives.
• Strong understanding of performance assessment, employee development and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Experience working withgovernment entities, the education sector or large organizationswould be highly advantageous.