The Senior Strategy Manager, Strategic Opportunities and Impact, reports directly to the Director of Strategy within the Strategy and Strategic Capital Department at DFF.
This vertical sets DFF’s strategic direction and futures agenda, identifying and sizing high-value opportunities, shaping corporate strategy and governance, and embedding strategic and analytical expertise across the organisation’s most important initiatives.
As the Senior Strategy Manager, Strategic Opportunities and Impact, you will own where DFF aims next, identifying bold, high-value opportunities, assessing their potential impact, and translating them into strategic direction, transformative roadmaps, and executive-ready business cases for presentation to leadership and the board.
The role combines the toolkit of a top-tier strategy consultant with the rigour of an economist: structured problem-solving and compelling storytelling alongside quantitative impact assessment, financial modelling, and investment thinking.
You will work across multiple horizons, from long-term strategic vision to near-term execution, and lead project teams in addressing complex strategic questions while coaching and developing the associates and analysts who work alongside you.
YOUR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1. High-Value Opportunity Identification and Impact Assessment
- Lead demand scanning against thematic areas emerging from DFF’s Research and Foresight team, assessing where genuine need, appetite, and gaps exist. Draw on competitive benchmarking and horizon analysis to identify potential high-value opportunities, white spaces, and emerging strategic opportunities for DFF.
- Define what qualifies as a high-value opportunity for DFF, including the assessment criteria, ambition threshold, and strategic fit, and own the structured pipeline of opportunities presented for leadership consideration.
- Lead the assessment of the potential impact of each opportunity, both qualitatively (strategic significance, transformative and societal potential, and contribution to keeping Dubai 10 years ahead) and quantitatively (economic value at stake, opportunity sizing, return on investment, and measurable impact metrics).
- Lead investment thinking on high-value opportunities, strategic partnerships, new initiatives, and potential programme expansions. Own business-case development, discounted cash flow (DCF) and payback analysis, and scenario modelling, advising leadership on the resulting investment decisions.
- Own the evidence base behind each high-value opportunity, applying economic rigour to impact sizing, scenario modelling, and the development of quantified, defensible investment cases. Establish the analytical standards for the team.
2. Corporate Strategy and Direction
- Lead the definition of DFF’s overall strategic direction, long-term vision, and annual corporate priorities, acting as a trusted advisor to senior leadership.
- Translate identified high-value opportunities into ambitious strategic targets and transformative roadmaps that challenge conventional thinking, secure leadership alignment, and reflect DFF’s position as a global futures institution.
- Design and lead executive strategy workshops, strategic planning cycles, and board-level presentations, presenting directly to senior leadership and the board.
- Own the framework for organisational KPIs, OKRs, and strategic milestones, and monitor and report on progress to ensure accountability at all levels.
3. Governance and Organisational Alignment
- Oversee adherence to DFF-wide strategic frameworks, policies, and operating procedures across business units and initiatives.
- Develop governance structures, decision-making frameworks, and escalation protocols that strengthen organisational agility and accountability.
- Act as the strategic liaison between the Corporate Strategy team and internal stakeholders at all levels, including directors and executives, identifying misalignments early and driving corrective action.
- Monitor the implementation of approved strategies, flagging deviations and recommending evidence-based course corrections.
4. Project Strategy and Deep-Dive Engagements
- Lead complex, high-priority initiatives by embedding with project teams, providing strategic guidance, structured problem-solving, and analytical expertise, while taking accountability for the quality of outcomes.
- Define project scope, hypothesis trees, and issue-based workplans in the style of top-tier management consulting engagements, managing workstreams, timelines, and deliverables from inception to completion.
- Synthesise qualitative and quantitative findings into executive-ready deliverables, including memos, briefings, and recommendations. Develop compelling strategy presentations that translate complex analysis into clear narratives for leadership and board audiences.
- Advise DFF’s broader portfolio of initiatives on strengthening their strategic narratives and impact metrics.
5. Digital Transformation and Innovation
- Lead the identification and assessment of digital transformation opportunities across DFF’s operations, programmes, and stakeholder engagement models.
- Shape digital strategy roadmaps, leveraging emerging technologies such as AI, data platforms, and automation to unlock efficiencies and amplify DFF’s impact.
- Partner with technology and operations teams to define digital use cases and translate them into prioritised, executable initiatives.
- Stay at the forefront of global trends in government technology (GovTech), smart cities, and emerging technologies to inform DFF’s innovation agenda.
6. Leadership and Capability Building
- Lead, coach, and develop associates and analysts, directly or through project teams, setting clear expectations, reviewing their work, and strengthening the team’s analytical and storytelling capabilities.
- Represent the Strategy and Strategic Capital Department with government entities, global institutions, and external partners, building relationships that create opportunities for DFF.
- Shape the methodologies, templates, and AI-enabled tools used by the department, continuously raising the quality standard for strategy development at DFF.
WHY THIS ROLE IS IMPORTANT
This role is where DFF’s biggest strategic opportunities are identified, assessed, and shaped. By identifying high-value opportunities, quantifying their potential impact, and translating them into clear strategic direction, you will help shape the decisions leadership and the board make on the organisation’s boldest and highest-impact priorities, contributing to Dubai’s ambition to remain 10 years ahead .
ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS AND BEHAVIOURS
- Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Business Administration, Engineering, Finance, Economics, or a related discipline. An advanced degree (MBA or MSc) is strongly preferred. A strong background in economics and the ability to quantify economic and strategic impact are particularly valued.
- 8–12 years of relevant experience, including at least 3 years at manager level or above, within a top-tier multinational consulting firm (McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Deloitte, PwC, KPMG, Accenture Strategy, or equivalent) or a comparable in-house strategy function. Exposure to economic impact assessment, futures and strategy, or government innovation is an advantage.
- Demonstrated track record of identifying high-value opportunities and assessing their potential impact both qualitatively and quantitatively, including economic value at stake, return on investment, and strategic significance.
- Exceptional structured problem-solving skills, with a proven ability to lead teams through ambiguous and complex challenges, develop clear hypotheses, and translate findings into actionable insights.
- Strong financial and economic acumen, with expertise in business-case development, investment analysis, economic impact assessment, and financial modelling, and the ability to confidently present and defend recommendations before executives and board-level stakeholders.
- Proven ability to think strategically and systemically across multiple horizons, from long-term strategic vision to near-term execution priorities.
- Demonstrated experience in leading and developing teams of consultants or analysts, while managing multiple workstreams and competing priorities.
- Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to develop compelling executive narratives and influence C-suite and board-level audiences.
- Advanced PowerPoint and Excel skills, with the ability to translate complex analysis into compelling, well-structured presentations using strong visual storytelling, and develop robust financial models and analytical assessments. Familiarity with business intelligence (BI), data visualisation, and digital productivity tools is an advantage.
- Practical experience in digital transformation, AI strategy, or technology-driven business change.
- Ability to work confidently with AI tools and emerging technologies, and to develop or meaningfully contribute to AI-enabled tools and solutions that enhance DFF’s operations.
- Comfortable working in ambiguous environments, with a strong bias for action and the ability to move quickly with incomplete information while continuously refining approaches and solutions.
- Strong cross-functional collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively across diverse teams, cultures, and seniority levels, including senior government and executive stakeholders. Arabic language proficiency is an advantage.
- High attention to detail, strong ownership, and accountability.
- Emirati candidates are preferred.
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