Director - Digital Operations & Transformation

Abu Dhabi
Permanent
Full-time

19 days ago

Job Description:Aldar Education is currently seeking an outstanding Director of Digital Operations & Transformation.As the leading education group in Abu Dhabi, we provide inclusive and innovative learning that inspires and empowers communities. We offer a range of brands for all learners in our community, from nursery through to adult education. We offer the broadest choice of curricula. In the largest number of locations in Abu Dhabi.Starting with one school and 250 students in 2007, Aldar Education has grown into a highly sought after education provider, now supporting over 38,000 students in 31 schools and a growing network of almost 5000 educators, with over 100 nationalities, offering a wide range of curricula and ancillary services such as a Teacher Training Academy.Working collaboratively, our education network's purpose is to empower the next generation to shape our future, directly supporting the educational goals of Abu Dhabi's government. Today, Aldar Education's efforts are guided by the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030 plan, which aims to build a sustainable knowledge-based economy through premium education.The Director of Digital Operations & Transformation will be responsible for leading and implementing Aldar Education's digital transformation strategy, with a focus on enhancing processes related to student recruitment, retention, and overall experience across academic and administrative areas.This role reports directly to the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) and is tasked with building and scaling intuitive, high-impact digital solutions that support students, educators, and parents. The role spans the end-to-end digital experience-from student onboarding to learning journeys, school operations, and re-engagement-by leveraging a modern, scalable architecture and AI-driven personalization.Responsibilities:Main DutiesStudent-Centered Digital Experiences

Design and deliver seamless, personalized digital journeys for students, parents, teachers, and staff across web, mobile, and in-school touchpoints.
Enable experiences that unify learning, administration, wellbeing, and parent engagement, powered by education-specific CRM and LMS platforms.
Integrate OpenAI NLP and LLM tools to support personalized tutoring, smart content generation, and enhanced classroom assistance.

Modern Digital Architecture

Own and evolve the education digital platform using:
Frontend: Next.js, React
Backend: Node.js
Architecture: Serverless, Azure-native
Integrations: Salesforce Education Cloud, iSAMS, PowerSchool, Moodle LMS, Salesforce Marketing Cloud
Collaborate with Group Digital, Education Ops, and Group Technology for infrastructure alignment, platform scalability, and cybersecurity.

Specific DutiesGovernance, Change Management & Driving Implementation and Execution of Digital Operations

Defining and executing the digital transformation roadmap aligned with revenue and growth objectives.
Identifying opportunities for digitalization and process optimization in admissions, retention, family engagement, student experience, and academic operations.
Leading the implementation and optimization of key digital platforms (CRM, LMS, SIS, communication apps).
Fostering a digital culture through literacy, adoption, and change management initiatives.
Managing a portfolio of digital projects using agile methodologies to ensure scalability, sustainability, and measurable impact.
Collaborating cross-functionally with academic, operational, and commercial teams to ensure solutions address real-world needs in the K12 education ecosystem.
Overseeing cybersecurity, data privacy, and regulatory compliance (e.g., GDPR, FERPA), especially regarding minors' and families' sensitive data.
Regularly reporting on progress and outcomes using relevant KPIs and performance dashboards.

Agile Product Leadership

Define and manage the digital education product roadmap, aligned with Aldar Education's strategic priorities and operational realities.
Lead Agile teams through Jira-managed sprints, releases, and delivery cycles.
Champion continuous learning, user feedback loops, and incremental product enhancements based on educator and student input.

Stakeholder Partnership & Change Management

Act as the primary digital partner to the Aldar Education leadership team, ensuring digital programs directly support educational and administrative excellence.
Align digital strategy with the needs of school heads, curriculum designers, IT, admissions, and parent engagement teams.
Work with vendor partners, SaaS providers, and internal tech teams to ensure sustainable and secure integrations.

Performance & Impact Measurement

Define and track key metrics: learning engagement, digital adoption, platform uptime, parent satisfaction, and academic outcomes linked to digital tools.
Build dashboards and reporting tools to communicate digital impact to educators, executives, and regulators.

Governance, Budget & Compliance

Manage the education digital transformation budget and ensure alignment with Aldar's broader enterprise architecture, data privacy, and compliance standards.
Partner with legal and procurement teams to govern vendor relationships, licensing, and data sharing agreements.

Qualifications:Minimum Qualification

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Product Management, or equivalent
MBA or Master's in Digital Innovation, Educational Technology, or equivalent (desirable)

Minimum Experience

10+ years of experience in digital transformation, digital product, or technology leadership roles, ideally with at least 3 years in the education, EdTech, or tech-forward service sectors
Proven success building and scaling digital platforms for complex, multi-stakeholder environments
Experience working with Salesforce CRM (Education Cloud), Moodle LMS, and/or PowerSchool/iSAMS
Hands-on familiarity with React, Node.js, and Azure serverless architecture
Prior experience implementing OpenAI or GenAI models in a learning environment is a strong advantage
Expertise in Agile methodologies, Jira, and digital product lifecycle ownership
Deep understanding of EdTech UX/UI, responsive design, and data-driven decision making

Job Specific Knowledge & Skills

Strong leadership skills
Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills across matrix structures
Abiity to balance strategic leadership with hands-on execution in fast-moving digital programs
Experienced in creating and implementing relevant policy and processes
Ability to effectively coordinate, allocate and manage resource and projects throughout multiple teams
Ability to effectively drive change in business, culture and technology by maintaining a close relationship with
Diplomatic skills and ability to help senior business leader to see value, opportunities and risk beyond their own area of expertise.
Commercial acumen. Initiate effort and energy beyond the typical work day, where the tasks require additional commitment.
Capable of influencing people and talented in networking with cultural sensitivity.

What we offerAldar Education offers an attractive remuneration package including medical & life insurance, flights, and education benefits. Our employees have access to a wide network of professionals and opportunities to lead and contribute to training others as well as developing themselves.Aldar Education is keen to hear from like-minded, forward-thinking leaders who would welcome the challenges and opportunities that we have to offer.This job description is not all-inclusive. Aldar Education reserves the right to amend this job description at any time. We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment. We are also mindful of our national development strategy and encourage UAE Nationals to join our company.Aldar Education is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. Offers of appointment are subject to satisfactory references and police clearance.

Aldar Education

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