Artificial Intelligence Program Manager

Established more than 40 years ago, the United Al Saqer Group (UASG) is one of the leading multi-sector business groups in the United Arab Emirates. The UASG owns and operates a diverse yet complementary portfolio of six UAE-based companies encompassing several key industry sectors, which includes Abu Dhabi Motors, Dalma Motors, Al Saqer Heavy Equipment, Al Saqer Property Management, Royal International Construction, and Royal Joinery.

We are recruiting a AI Program Manager who will lead UASG’s enterprise-wide AI adoption initiative, driving internal & customer transformations across all functions including IT, HR, and Finance. This strategic role is embedded within Group IT and is responsible for translating UASG’s AI vision into actionable programs that deliver measurable business value. The AI Program Manager owns the enterprise AI adoption roadmap, portfolio governance, and value tracking; delivery execution remains with the relevant business/IT owners and delivery teams, which this role enables and coordinates through standards, priorities, and cross-functional alignment. The role partners closely with Group IT (architecture, data, cybersecurity), subsidiaries, and key corporate functions to ensure AI initiatives are scalable, secure, and compliant.

AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY:

AI Strategy & Leadership:

• Own and continuously refine the group-wide AI strategy and phased implementation roadmap, ensuring each initiative aligns with UASG's business goals and digital transformation objectives
• Align subsidiaries and functions on common AI priorities, standards, and funding assumptions through regular steering and portfolio reviews.
• Oversee execution of all AI projects from inception to deployment, chairing a virtual AI task force or Center of Excellence drawing on data scientists, BI analysts, IT developers, and process owners. Use Agile methodologies where appropriate to iteratively develop and refine AI solutions.
• This role will be accountable for ROI and must ensure it, by defining baselines, benefits owners, and a benefits realization tracking cadence; ensure outcomes are measured and reported against the agreed ROI hypothesis.
• Clarify decision authority across functions where needed (e.g., prioritization, funding, data ownership, and go/no-go approvals) to remove blockers and accelerate execution.
• Report quarterly progress, KPI performance, and key risks to the GCTO and executive leadership with clear decisions required.

AI Innovation & Product Development:

• Run a structured intake and prioritization process to build a pipeline of AI use cases with clear problem statements, data needs, and ROI hypotheses.
• Deliver proofs of value and scaled releases with defined success metrics (e.g., cycle-time reduction, cost avoidance, revenue uplift) in partnership with business owners.
• Coordinate cross-functional delivery plans (product, data, IT, security) to ensure solutions are integrated, supported, and ready for operations.

AI Adoption, Change & Enablement:

• Lead cultural and organizational change efforts for AI adoption, creating a communication plan and organizing hands-on training sessions in partnership with HR's training team. These activities tie into UASG's Enterprise Skilling Program, which focuses on upskilling employees, the AI PM will ensure it specifically includes developing AI and data competencies.
• Execute an adoption plan for each AI release (communications, training, support model) to drive sustained usage by target user groups.
• Define adoption KPIs (e.g., active users, usage frequency, satisfaction, benefits realized) and publish a monthly dashboard for leadership.
• Build and run an AI champions network with quarterly enablement sessions and reusable playbooks to scale adoption across departments.

AI Governance, Risk & Compliance:

• Work with IT governance, risk, and compliance teams to enforce responsible AI use. Develop AI usage policies covering ethics, data privacy, and security.
• Establish and enforce AI governance frameworks, ensuring compliance with data privacy, ethical standards, and applicable UAE regulations.
• Partner with cybersecurity, legal, and data owners to define risk controls for AI solutions (e.g., data access, model approvals, monitoring, and audit readiness).
• Ensure all AI projects undergo a risk and bias assessment during development and establish guidelines on where human oversight is required (e.g. AI recommendations on employee performance or high-value financial transactions must be reviewed by a human manager before execution).

Vendor & Stakeholder Management:

• Serve as the primary liaison with external technology providers (Microsoft for AI and analytics, Oracle for AI in ERP/HCM, and specialized AI vendors).
• Evaluate new AI tools and services, stay informed about product roadmaps (e.g. new Microsoft Copilot features or Oracle AI updates), and run proof-of-concepts as needed.
• Manage ongoing partner performance through SLAs, value realization tracking, and quarterly business reviews with clear corrective actions.

QUALIFICATIONS & CERTIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE (MANDATORY & PREFERRED):

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Engineering, Business, or a related field.
• Minimum of 8-10 years’ experience in technology or digital transformation roles, with at least 3 years’ experience in leading AI initiatives.
• Proven experience in managing AI/ML or data analytics projects.
• Strong understanding of enterprise systems (e.g., ERP, HCM), cloud platforms, and AI tools.
• Familiarity with Microsoft 365 Copilot, Oracle AI, Power BI, or similar platforms.
• Experience in the UAE/GCC region is preferred.

SKILLS & COMPETENCIES (Technical, Behavioral, and Soft):

Core Skills:

• Strategic thinking and ability to translate vision into execution.
• Strong project and change management skills.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement capabilities.
• Knowledge of AI governance, data ethics, and compliance frameworks.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence without direct authority.

Behavioural Competencies:

• Customer Focus - Understands customer challenges and takes initiative to resolve them
• effectively.
• Accountability and Ownership - Manages projects with minimal supervision and ensures
• quality results.
• Agility and Adaptability - Manages change smoothly and supports others during transitions.
• Collaboration & Influence - Builds networks across functions and resolves conflicts
• constructively.
• Result Orientation - Sets clear goals and works proactively to achieve high performance.

Location: Abu Dhabi