Principal Project Manager (Testing and Assessment Department)

Company Overview:

Since the establishment of the union of the United Arab Emirates in 1971, education has received the utmost attention of the founding leader, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may Allah have mercy on him, and his founding brothers. They believed that education was the cornerstone of building an enabled community that could keep pace with the advancements. Over the past decades, the wise leadership of the country was keen on building an educational system that matched its counterparts in the advanced nations. It harnessed for this purpose all the required capabilities, to achieve the country's agenda and national vision in this regard. Sincere efforts have also been made to develop education and adopt the best systems that achieve high-quality education outputs, to achieve the future visions and aspirations of the wise leadership.

Since investing in human capital is the main objective, the UAE has been keen on establishing the Ministry of Education and creating the appropriate environment to build pioneering Emirati schools, in terms of standards, form, and content they provide. It also made sure that such schools provided high-quality educational environment and owned the most technically advanced tools to be able to graduate generations that could pursue their university education confidently in higher education institutions to fulfil the requirements of labour market.

The MOE has also provided a smart learning system and high-quality digital platforms, side by side with the continuous development of school curriculums, according to national learning standards, assessment policy that is based on assessing for learning, and highest quality standards that match the best international practices. Various learning tracks, moreover, have been provided to support the capabilities and skills of students and achieve the country's strategy of encouraging the culture of creativity and innovation through providing the students with the skills of the 21st century and motivating them to have new ideas that relate to the reality they live in and foresee the future. This will eventually help in finding radical, sustainable solutions to the major issues, improving competitiveness, and supporting smart government in its attempts to keep pace with global advancements, advance education, and push it to broad horizons of excellence, leadership, and competitiveness.

Department Definition:

The Standardized Assessment section is responsible for developing policies for national and international standardized assessments in alignment with the country’s education vision and strategy, as well as participating in international assessments and coordinating with relevant entities locally and globally. It also works on developing the overall framework for national assessments, including their tools and procedural and guidance manuals. Furthermore, the section is responsible for building item banks, developing assessments, and overseeing their implementation and the efficient operation of their systems.

The department also prepares reports and analyses results to support the improvement of educational outcomes, in addition to conducting studies and research to analyze performance and propose appropriate development policies.

Lead and manage strategic projects and ensure achievement of objectives.

Main Job Duties & Responsibilities:

• Manage multiple strategic projects or a large-scale national project.
• Develop comprehensive work plans and manage resources, schedules, and budgets.
• Lead teams and ensure effective stakeholder coordination.
• Monitor risks and implement mitigation measures.
• Report performance to senior management and take corrective actions when needed.
• Ensure compliance with institutional policies and standards.

•  Minimum bachelor’s degree within a relevant field
• Minimum bachelor’s degree in project management, Business Administration, or a related field
• Preferred: PMP certification or equivalent
• Minimum 6 years of experience in project management, including 5 years in large-scale projects
• Experience in managing large-scale strategic or national projects
• Strong skills in developing comprehensive plans and managing resources, timelines, and budgets
• Strong leadership abilities and experience managing cross-functional teams
• Risk management skills and ability to develop mitigation strategies
• Ability to monitor performance and implement corrective actions when needed
• Excellent communication and executive reporting skills
• Ability to ensure compliance with organizational policies and standards