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Location: Dubai, UAE
Work Model: Full-time, on-site as required
Contract duration: at least 6 months
Company: PYGIO, on behalf of our client
Engagement: Enterprise Data & AI Transformation
PYGIO is looking for an experienced Delivery Lead – Enterprise Data & AI to lead the delivery of large-scale enterprise data and AI transformation initiatives for a major organisation in Dubai.
This is a senior leadership opportunity for a delivery professional with a strong track record of managing complex technology programmes, enterprise data platforms and AI solutions from initial discovery through to production and ongoing support.
The successful candidate will oversee multiple delivery workstreams and teams, establish effective delivery practices, manage senior stakeholders and ensure that complex data and AI initiatives are delivered to the highest standards of quality, governance and commercial control.
Lead end-to-end delivery of modern enterprise data platforms, covering discovery, architecture, data ingestion and integration, pipelines, data quality, governance, migration, production and ongoing support.
Demonstrate a strong working understanding of modern data platform architecture, including medallion architecture, data governance, pipelines and machine learning and AI model management.
Lead AI and Generative AI initiatives from use-case definition and planning through development, user acceptance testing (UAT), production readiness, deployment and handover to support teams.
Understand delivery across the full data and AI life cycle, with the ability to identify technical risks, challenge estimates and ensure realistic delivery plans.
Bring experience with Databricks or comparable enterprise data platforms. Databricks expertise is advantageous, but broader enterprise delivery experience is more important than specific product knowledge.
Manage Agile and hybrid delivery methodologies, including backlogs, sprint planning, release management and production readiness.
Establish and maintain engineering quality standards covering code reviews, testing, CI/CD, technical documentation and operational handover.
Manage scope, budgets, delivery burn, forecasting, change requests and Statements of Work (SOWs).
Proactively manage risks, issues and dependencies across data, infrastructure, security and vendor teams.
Demonstrate sufficient knowledge of Microsoft Azure environments, identity management, security controls and DevOps to work effectively with infrastructure and security specialists.
Lead multiple concurrent work streams and delivery pods rather than focusing on a single project.
Provide clear and transparent executive-level reporting to CTOs, SVPs and other senior stakeholders, communicating progress, risks, challenges and delivery forecasts.
Lead multidisciplinary teams of engineers, architects and analysts across multiple locations and time zones, including offshore delivery teams.
Build strong relationships with business units, technology teams, infrastructure, security stakeholders and external vendors.
Maintain high delivery and engineering standards, challenging decisions that could compromise production quality.
Manage external vendors and delivery partners, ensuring accountability for agreed scope, quality and timelines.
Establish and develop effective delivery practices for AI pods and Centres of Excellence (CoE), including playbooks, templates and consistent ways of working.
Coach and support team members, contributing to the development of delivery capabilities across the organisation.
Essential experience:
10+ years of experience leading digital and technology delivery.
3+ years of experience managing enterprise-level data delivery initiatives, ideally involving Databricks.
Proven experience delivering AI or GenAI solutions into production beyond the proof-of-concept stage, ideally across multiple initiatives.
Experience working with large enterprise organisations involving multiple business units, technology teams and external vendors.
Previous client-facing consulting or technology partner-side delivery experience.
Demonstrated ability to lead complex, large-scale delivery across multiple teams and work streams.
Desirable experience:
Experience delivering solutions using Azure AI Foundry or Copilot Studio.
Understanding of AI FinOps, including monitoring and managing model-serving costs, vector search and token consumption.
Experience establishing Delivery Centres of Excellence (CoE), pod-based delivery models, playbooks and operational templates.
Familiarity with Jira and/or Azure DevOps for delivery tracking and reporting.
Experience working within AI governance frameworks and UAE data protection requirements.
Relevant certifications such as Databricks, Microsoft Azure, PMP, PRINCE2, SAFe or Scrum.
Previous experience working in the GCC region or UAE is a strong advantage.
We are looking for a strategic yet hands-on delivery leader who combines strong enterprise technology knowledge with exceptional programme management, commercial awareness and stakeholder leadership.
The ideal candidate must be able to translate complex technical initiatives into structured delivery plans, lead multiple teams simultaneously, communicate effectively with executive stakeholders and take full accountability for outcomes.
Critical Requirements (Non-Negotiable):
Proven enterprise data delivery experience, ideally involving Databricks or comparable platforms.
Demonstrated experience taking AI or GenAI solutions beyond proof of concept into production.
A strong track record of leading complex digital and technology delivery across multiple teams and work streams at enterprise scale.
Candidates who do not meet these three core requirements are unlikely to be suitable for this opportunity.