Senior Project Manager (TII)

OverviewAt uSoftware we are partnering with TII and are looking for a Senior Project Manager to join their team. The Technology Innovation Institute (TII) is a leading global research center dedicated to pushing the frontiers of knowledge. Their scientists, researchers and engineers work in an open, flexible and agile environment to deliver discovery science and transformative technologies. They are part of the Abu Dhabi Government's Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC) which oversees technology research in the emirate.Location: Onsite Abu Dhabi onlyOffice visit and working hours - 9 to 5 Mon to Fri.Job DescriptionThe Senior Project Manager will be responsible for leading the end-to-end delivery of the planned Unified Innovation Management Platform from requirement definition through implementation, integration, adoption and operational handover.The role requires a professional who can operate at the intersection of IT, research, business and industrialization, working closely with Research Centers, Business Stakeholders, innovation teams and external partners to ensure that the planned Innovation Management System implementation project effectively supports idea intake, evaluation, development and transition towards commercialization and product industrialization.Key ResponsibilitiesProject Leadership & Delivery: Lead the Innovation Management System initiative from ground-up including vision definition, scope, roadmap and execution.Define project objectives, scope, milestones, dependencies and success criteria in alignment with TII's strategic innovation agenda.Deliver the project on time within scope and within budget following TII IT PMO governance and standards.Establish and maintain detailed project plans, risk registers, issue logs and change control processes.Innovation Management System Ownership: Act as the primary project manager for the Innovation Management System across its full lifecycle.Work with the CIO Office, research centres and business stakeholders to define idea lifecycle workflows including:Idea submission and captureEvaluation and review stagesFunding and prioritisationProof-of-concept and development trackingTransition to industrialisation or commercialisationEnsure the system supports traceability from idea inception through to product or research outcomes.Stakeholder Management: Serve as the single point of coordination between IT, Research Centres, innovation teams, business units and external vendors.Facilitate workshops, requirement-gathering sessions, design reviews and steering committee updates.Prepare executive-level project status reports, dashboards and decision papers.Research Centre Engagement: Collaborate closely with TII Research Centres to understand their innovation pipelines, research outputs and transition needs.Translate research and innovation processes into structured, scalable system workflows.Support governance models that align research innovation with enterprise and national priorities.Vendor & Integration Management: Manage system vendors, integrators and third-party partners delivering components of the Innovation Management System.Oversee integrations with enterprise systems such as:CRM platformsERP / SAPIdentity and Access Management (SSO)Other research or innovation platformsEnsure technical solutions comply with TII IT architecture, security and data governance standards.Change Management & Adoption: Drive user adoption in collaboration with innovation teams and Research Centres.Coordinate training documentation and communication plans to ensure smooth rollout.Support transition to operations including knowledge transfer and support readiness.Key Skills & Competencies1. Core CompetenciesStrong end-to-end project management capabilityExperience delivering enterprise or platform-based systemsAbility to manage ambiguity in early-stage innovation initiativesExcellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills2. Innovation & Research ExposurePrior experience working with innovation management platforms, idea management systems or R&D environmentsExposure to research organisations, labs or research centresUnderstanding of technology maturity, product development and industrialisation concepts3. Technical & Delivery SkillsAgile and/or hybrid project delivery methodologiesExperience in Design Thinking, Business Requirements Analysis and Process Optimization.Experience managing system integrations and data flowsStrong documentation governance and reporting skillsQualifications & ExperienceBachelors degree in Information Technology, Engineering, Computer Science or related fieldA degree in business administration or a similar field is a plus.At least seven (7) years of Project Management experience working in a similar role.Certifications/ Tech SkillsProject Management certification (PMP, PRINCE2, Agile/SCRUM) is desirableExcellent command of MS Office, MS Project, Jira or similar tools.Adept in the use of SaaS and Cloud platformsFamiliarity with o