Senior Director

Position Summary

Applications are welcome from all qualified candidates. In line with UAE regulations, Emirati candidates are encouraged to apply.

NYU Abu Dhabi has partnered with executive search firm Perrett Laver to support these appointments. Applications can be submitted through the Perrett Laver Portal at the following link:https://plusportal.perrettlaver.com/VacancyDetail/3f648f40-a5f1-045e-ee89-3a226dd5347e

Applications should consist of a covering letter, a full CV detailing academic and professional qualifications, employment history, current remuneration, and relevant achievements.

The closing date for applications is 7 August 2026 at 09:00 GST. Perrett Laver would be delighted to speak with interested individuals and welcomes confidential exploratory conversations. If you would like to discuss this opportunity further or have any questions about the role, please contact Ellie Beveridge at [email protected], quoting reference number 8457.

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Reporting to the Vice Provost of Executive and Professional Education, the Senior Director, Executive Education, will direct all key accounts management and business development initiatives in the Office of Executive Education (OEE).

The Senior Director is responsible for identifying and developing future markets; producing business and financial models; establishing new partnerships in the UAE, GCC and MENA region, and leading a high performing key accounts management and business development team. The role serves as the central point of coordination for the OEE, liaising with stakeholders across NYU Abu Dhabi, NYU New York, external partners, and clients.

The Senior Director will drive the expansion and impact of NYUAD’s executive education portfolio by fostering and overseeing strong relationships with government entities, corporate leaders, and industry stakeholders. The incumbent will work closely with NYUAD’s Chief Operating Officer, the Vice Provost for Executive and Professional Education, and collaborate across NYUAD, including Stern@NYUAD and the greater NYU global network to ensure sustainable revenue growth and long-term success.

The position requires independent judgment, strong initiative, and the ability to manage complex tasks with limited direct supervision in a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment to meet strategic priorities and revenue goals set by the University.

Key Responsibilities: 

Strategic Leadership

• Develop OEE’s enterprise client and partnership strategy in Abu Dhabi, the UAE, GCC, India and the MENA region
• Working closely with institutional leadership, execute OEE’s executive education strategy
• Leverage market research and industry partnerships to increase NYUAD’s executive education footprint in Abu Dhabi, the UAE and the region to meet revenue goals
• Serves as the primary external ambassador for OEE

Business Development and Industry Engagement

• Cultivate and manage top-tier sovereign, ministry and corporate relationships
• Drive multi-year framework agreements and renewal pipelines
• Cultivate and manage top-tier clients including sovereign, ministry and corporate relationships to position NYUAD as a leader in executive education
• Develop account growth plans that include upselling, cross-selling and renewals 
• Lead consultative discussions with potential and existing partners to develop custom programs tailored to workforce demands
• Leverage research and data analytics to identify emerging trends and opportunities to meet client needs in the UAE, KSA and beyond
• Expand NYU’s global presence by forming strategic alliances and partnerships beyond the region

Cross Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with the COO & Vice Provost to develop and oversee revenue-generating agreements, business models, and financial sustainability of program offerings
• Collaborate with faculty, program design, proposal specialist and delivery teams to meet client needs and establishes benchmarks to track client health including satisfaction and renewal rates, and net revenue retention
• Collaborate closely with internal teams, including Finance, Marketing, Admissions & Registration, Faculty and Academic Affairs and Senior Program Managers
• Prepare program design proposals, develop and execute agreements, and manage overall business relationships with all OEE contacts

Thought Leadership

• Identify emerging trends in workforce development to ensure NYUAD OEE remains at the forefront of executive education
• Mentor and develop the Key Account Management and Business Development team, fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration, and professional growth
• Actively contribute to University-wide leadership initiatives and training programs to ensure an equitable and inclusive work environment

Qualifications

Required Education:

• Minimum of a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA), M.Ed., Ed.M. Higher Education Administration, Leadership, Organizational Development, Public Policy, or a related field

Required Experience: 

• Arabic language
• 12+ years' experience in executive education or enterprise partnerships; senior leadership experience with complex stakeholders
• Experience in sales lead generation, business development, proposal development and negotiations. Proven track record in securing and executing contracts, agreements, and Memorandum of Understanding
• Experience leading a team or directly supervising staff
• Experience managing resources including budgets
• Ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse cultural and educational backgrounds and, in particular, a demonstrated ability to work with Emirati nationals
• Ability to operate under pressure and in a fast-paced and multi-tasking environment with short deadlines and minimal supervision
• Executive Education market
• UAE, GCC, & MENA region workforce development trends and priorities
• Government and sovereign engagement frameworks
• Enterprise partnership models
• Executive leadership development
• Enterprise business development
• Key account management
• Complex deal negotiation
• Financial and business modeling
• Strategic partnership building
• Proposal development
• Market expansion strategy
• Multi-year contract structuring
• Operate independently in a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment
• Manage complex stakeholder ecosystems
• Lead high-performing business development teams
• Drive revenue growth and profitability
• Build long-term sovereign and corporate partnerships
• Operate cross-culturally at executive and ministerial level
• Serve as senior institutional ambassador

Preferred Experience:

• GCC government contracting
• Sovereign partnership leadership
• Multi-country executive education delivery
• NYU or global university systems
• Market expansion across UAE, GCC, KSA, India, MENA
• GCC government procurement frameworks
• Sovereign partnership models
• Regional policy engagement
• Government contracting frameworks
• Multi-country partnership orchestration
• Regional market expansion leadership

Additional Information

About NYUAD

NYU Abu Dhabi is a degree-granting research university with a fully integrated liberal arts and science undergraduate program in the Arts, Sciences, Social Sciences, Humanities, and Engineering. NYU Abu Dhabi, NYU New York, and NYU Shanghai, form the backbone of NYU’s global network university, an interconnected network of portal campuses and academic centers across six continents that enable seamless international mobility of students and faculty in their pursuit of academic and scholarly activity. This global university represents a transformative shift in higher education, one in which the intellectual and creative endeavors of academia are shaped and examined through an international and multicultural perspective. As a major intellectual hub at the crossroads of the Arab world, NYUAD serves as a center for scholarly thought, advanced research, knowledge creation, and sharing, through its academic, research, and creative activities.