Director – Defence Advisory Business
Make a difference every day!
Serco Middle East, in partnership with our local joint venture partner, is leading an ambitious transformation in Abu Dhabi to establish a National Champion in Emergency Services, Risk, Resilience, Training, and Defence and Security Advisory. We’re assembling a top-tier management team to drive this mission, setting strategies, building operational capabilities, and executing sustainable growth across these critical sectors.
Your Opportunity
The role focuses on enhancing the company’s market position in the Defence advisory sector and establish a sustainable Defence advisory business that leverages the Partner's historic brand strength and industry expertise to expand market reach and enhance service offerings.
To is role is critical in driving business growth, operational excellence, and strategic expansion in the Defence sector.
The ideal candidate should have the ability to work in a high-pressure environment where strategic decisions directly impact business operations and growth, strong analytical skills to evaluate market trends and business opportunities and excellent communication and interpersonal skills to manage internal and external stakeholders effectively.
The role will report directly to the Client’s Group CEO and will be based in Abu Dhabi.
Key Accountabilities
- Develop and implement strategic business plans and policies to establish and grow the Defence Advisory function.
- Lead the transformation of the business TOM to integrate new Defence advisory services seamlessly.
- Foster relationships with key stakeholders, including government and Defence agencies, to understand their needs and tailor services accordingly.
- Ensure compliance with all regulatory requirements and maintain up-to-date knowledge of industry trends and advancements.
- Manage budgeting and financial forecasting for the division, aligning financial goals with business objectives.
- Champion a culture of excellence, innovation, and integrity within the team
- Development of a focused 5 year Strategy and Business Plan to establish the Partner as a national defence advisor in the following areas; training and exercises, think tank, capability development, offset, foreign direct investment (for int. OEMs), exports and export finance (for local OEMs)
- Business case and programme for Defence Sector think tank / thought leadership.
- Address current limited advisory contract base and capacity constraints to support growth.
- Collaborate with local Defence industry to enhance global reach and explore new international business avenues.
- Collaboration with corporate partners (Serco / +impact) to import Defence capabilities to the UAE.
- Augment and build upon heritage and network of associates.
- Explore diversification of offerings to existing Defence and Security Clients to drive growth.
- Improve account management and retention strategies to safeguard and sustain current and future revenue.
- Develop and publish a programme of influential white papers addressing issues of interest to the sector aligned to KPs value propositions and defence capability.
- Establish Partner to 100% national defence advisor and think tank.
- Supporting the government defence establishment with capability development and assessments
- Supporting national OEMs with exports and international governments with export finance
- Supporting international OEMs with offset
- Enhance agility in decision-making and address client requirements effectively.
- Identify and recruit a high performing team to address the enable growth in the advisory business.
- Establish systems and processes to support effective management of business unit productivity, utilisation and cost recovery.
Specific Requirements
- Expertise in strategic management and business development within the defence sector.
- Proficient in project management tools and methodologies relevant to defence advisory services.
- A master’s degree in business administration, Defence Studies, or a related field.
- Additional certifications in project management or specific defence industry training are highly desirable.
- At least 15 years of senior leadership experience in the defence sector or in a consultancy role focused on defence advisory.
- Specialisms in execution of defence programmes, force capability development (inc. testing and evaluation programmes), training and exercise execution would be desirable.
- Proven track record of developing and leading high-performing teams.
- Experience in managing large-scale projects and strategic transformations.
- Extensive network within the defence and emergency services sectors.
- Frequent travel may be necessary to engage with clients, stakeholders, and industry experts.
- Fluent in English; proficiency in Arabic is advantageous but not required.
What’s in it for you?
At Serco, our core values drive everything we do, and we believe in fairly compensating our colleagues for the value they bring to our organization. We are proud to offer a total reward package at Serco which includes:
- Competitive monthly pay and allowances that are commensurate with the role and industry standards.
- Comprehensive medical insurance coverage and life insurance, so our employees can feel secure in their health and financial wellbeing.
- We recognize the importance of work-life balance, which is why we offer competitive leave benefits that exceed industry standards.
- We offer an annual airfare allowance to support our expat colleagues to stay in touch and visit their loved ones.
- We pride ourselves on providing a supportive work environment where we foster a positive Safety-First culture.
- We care deeply about our colleagues' wellbeing and offer access to wellbeing programs and platforms to support their physical, mental, and emotional health.
