About the role
We are currently supporting a leading semi-government organisation in the UAE who are looking to recruit a Senior Manager - Government Relations & Permits and Manager - Government Relations & Permits .
The role is based in Dubai, but is registered under the Abu Dhabi Pension Fund.
Both roles require a valid UAE National Family Book****
These are key roles within the organisation's function, supporting complex projects through effective government engagement, permitting, regulatory approvals and stakeholder management.
Senior Manager - Government Relations & Permits
The Senior Manager will provide strategic oversight of government relations and permitting across projects, acting as a senior point of contact with government authorities and regulatory bodies.
Key responsibilities:
- Build and maintain senior-level relationships with government authorities, municipalities and regulatory bodies.
- Lead government engagement and resolve complex or escalated regulatory and permitting matters.
- Oversee end-to-end permitting and approvals, including building permits, completion certificates, licences, NOCs and other regulatory approvals.
- Provide strategic advice to senior leadership on regulatory developments, risks and potential business impacts.
- Establish permitting governance frameworks, escalation mechanisms and portfolio-level visibility of regulatory risks and dependencies.
- Partner with Engineering, Development, Implementation, Operations, Legal, Commercial and Finance teams to integrate regulatory requirements into project plans.
- Lead stakeholder meetings with contractors, consultants and technical advisors.
- Drive process improvement, standardisation and greater efficiency across government relations and permitting activities.
Requirements:
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Law, Engineering or a related discipline.
- 10 - 12+ years' experience in government relations, permitting, regulatory affairs or authority engagement within the UAE.
- Strong experience managing regulatory and permitting requirements across complex projects.
- Proven experience engaging with UAE government authorities and regulatory bodies.
- Demonstrated ability to resolve complex and escalated approval matters.
- Strong understanding of UAE regulatory frameworks and permitting processes.
- Excellent communication, negotiation and stakeholder management skills.
- Existing network and strong relationships across relevant UAE government entities.
- Arabic and English language skills are advantageous.
- Strong strategic thinking, influencing and problem-solving capabilities.
Manager - Government Relations & Permits
The Manager will manage government relations and permitting activities across projects, ensuring regulatory requirements are met and all necessary approvals are secured in line with project milestones.
Key responsibilities:
- Lead the end-to-end permitting process, ensuring timely issuance of building permits and completion certificates.
- Liaise with government authorities and local regulatory bodies to secure required approvals.
- Coordinate permits, licences, NOCs and other regulatory approvals across projects and business activities.
- Monitor regulatory changes and advise stakeholders on potential risks and implications.
- Ensure timely submission, renewal and maintenance of regulatory documentation.
- Track and report on permit and approval status, risks and critical deadlines.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with government stakeholders, consultants, contractors and project partners.
- Attend government meetings and industry engagements as a company representative.
- Advise project stakeholders on regulatory requirements, risks and best practices.
- Maintain regulatory trackers and dashboards to provide visibility across projects.
- Support continuous improvement of government relations, permitting processes and systems.
Requirements:
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Law, Engineering or a related discipline.
- 8 - 10+ years' experience in government relations, permitting or regulatory affairs within the UAE.
- Strong knowledge of UAE regulatory frameworks and permitting processes.
- Proven experience working with UAE local authorities and regulatory bodies.
- Strong communication, negotiation and stakeholder management skills.
- Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously.
- Existing network or experience working with UAE government entities is highly desirable.
- Arabic and English language skills are advantageous.
- Strong organisational and time-management skills, with the ability to work independently and under pressure.
- Willingness to travel between sites/offices within the UAE as required.
Millions of jobs, with real people getting hired every day
Questions, answered
Click "Apply with JobAssist" – we tailor your resume and application to this role and submit it for your approval.
Yes. This role at Robert Walters was screened before publishing – we confirmed the employer before listing it.
The employer didn't disclose a salary range for this listing. JobAssist shows pay whenever it's available.
This position can be done from anywhere, with no in-office requirement.
Yes – every application is tailored from your profile and this job's requirements, and you can review and edit before it's sent.