A newly established federal organisation in Abu Dhabi is seeking a Head of Strategy to lead the development and execution of its strategy, strategic programmes and performance framework. Reporting directly to the Secretary General, this is a hands-on role translating leadership priorities into initiatives, KPIs, governance mechanisms and measurable outcomes.

Robert Walters is partnering with a federal organisation based in Abu Dhabi to appoint a Head of Strategy.

Reporting directly to the Secretary General, this is a highly visible and hands-on role responsible for shaping, implementing and continuously improving the organisation’s strategy and performance framework.

Working within a lean and evolving organisation, the successful candidate will need to be comfortable operating independently, moving between high-level strategic thinking and detailed execution.

Key responsibilities include:

• Lead the development, refinement and implementation of the organisation’s strategy, strategic objectives and priority initiatives.
• Translate leadership direction into clear strategic programmes, implementation roadmaps, KPIs, targets and delivery requirements.
• Establish and continuously improve strategy governance and performance-management frameworks.
• Monitor strategic initiatives against agreed KPIs, milestones, dependencies and expected outcomes.
• Identify performance gaps, implementation risks and emerging strategic issues, recommending appropriate corrective actions.
• Develop strategic analyses, dashboards, executive presentations, briefing notes and decision papers for senior leadership.
• Conduct research and benchmarking to identify relevant local, regional and international trends.
• Work closely with government entities, healthcare authorities, academic institutions, providers and other external stakeholders.
• Support the development and management of strategic partnerships and ensure agreed objectives are progressed.
• Coordinate across internal functions to translate strategic priorities into executable initiatives and workplans.
• Lead and support the Strategy Specialist while setting clear priorities and quality standards for the function.

The ideal candidate will bring:

• Approximately 8+ years of relevant experience across strategy, planning, performance management, transformation, consulting, policy or programme delivery.
• Demonstrable experience developing and implementing strategies rather than purely advising on them.
• Strong experience establishing KPIs, performance frameworks, governance processes and executive reporting.
• Exposure to UAE government, federal entities or the wider public sector would be highly advantageous.
• Experience within healthcare or the broader healthcare ecosystem would be particularly attractive.
• Strong senior stakeholder-management and partnership-development capabilities.
• The ability to operate effectively within a small, fast-moving organisation with limited layers and significant personal ownership.
• Strong research, analytical and executive communication skills.
• Arabic and English communication capability is strongly preferred.