Strategic Projects Lead — AI&Innovation

<p>We are currently looking for a<strong>Special Projects Lead</strong>to support a key initiative within the<strong>Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi)</strong>on a<strong><u>12-month freelance contract.</u></strong></p><p>DCT Abu Dhabi is the government entity responsible for driving the sustainable growth of Abu Dhabi’s culture and tourism sectors, playing a central role in positioning the emirate as a global hub for culture, creativity, and tourism.</p><p>This role sits within a high-impact program focused on delivering transformative, high-impact initiatives leveraging AI, emerging technologies, and innovative business models to accelerate sector growth and unlock new opportunities.</p><p><strong>Key Responsibilities</strong></p><p><u>Ideation&Opportunity Development</u></p><ul><li>Identify, evaluate, and shape high-impact, innovative initiatives across priority sectors</li><li>Scan global markets for disruptive trends, emerging technologies, and whitespace opportunities</li><li>Develop business cases and investment theses for new initiatives</li><li>Present concepts to senior leadership for prioritization</li></ul><p><u>Project Design&Structuring</u></p><ul><li>Translate approved ideas into structured, executable project plans</li><li>Define scope, success metrics, governance frameworks, and risk mitigation strategies</li><li>Identify and engage partners, vendors, and potential co-investors</li><li>Establish reporting cadences and governance models</li></ul><p><u>Launch&Execution Oversight</u></p><ul><li>Drive execution of special projects from concept through launch phase</li><li>Coordinate cross-functional teams and manage interdependencies</li><li>Track progress, resolve blockers, and escalate risks where required</li><li>Transition projects to permanent teams once stabilized</li></ul><p><u>Strategic Advisory</u></p><ul><li>Act as a thought partner to leadership on high-priority strategic topics</li><li>Provide ad hoc analysis and contribute to long-term strategic roadmap</li></ul><p><u>Function Setup&Incubation</u></p><ul><li>Support the setup of a Special Projects function, including structure and processes</li><li>Build and scale teams for each initiative (define skillsets, hiring needs, operating models)</li></ul><p><strong>Requirements</strong></p><ul><li>7–10 years of experience in top-tier management consulting (MBB or strong Tier 2 firms such as Strategy&, Kearney, Oliver Wyman, Roland Berger, ADL)</li><li>Demonstrated career progression (minimum 1–2 promotions) within the same firm</li><li>Proven track record delivering high-impact strategic or transformation projects</li><li>Exceptional structured thinking and problem-solving</li><li>Ability to operate in ambiguous, zero-to-one environments</li><li>Strong executive presence and stakeholder management at senior levels</li><li>Experience in business case development and financial modelling</li><li>Entrepreneurial mindset with comfort around innovation and risk</li></ul><p><strong>Experience&Exposure</strong></p><ul><li>Strong exposure to emerging technologies (AI, digital platforms, metaverse, blockchain, etc.) with practical understanding</li><li>Engineering or technical background is a plus</li><li>Minimum 2+ years of experience in the GCC (required)</li></ul><p>If this sounds relevant to your background, please apply and submit your updated CV.</p>#J-18808-Ljbffr