Head of Technology - RDI

Life at Dubai Future Foundation

Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) aims to realize the wise vision of Dubai’s leadership to institutionalize the envisioned future and forward-thinking methodologies, while positioning Dubai as the leading city of the future. In partnership with its local and global partners from governments, companies, startups, and entrepreneurs, DFF drives joint efforts to collectively imagine, design, and execute the best possible future for humanity.

Under the supervision of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of DFF, the DFF runs and oversees many futureproofing projects and initiatives, such as the Museum of the Future, Area 2071, The Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution UAE, Dubai Future Accelerators, One Million Arab Coders, Dubai Future Academy, Dubai Future Solutions, Dubai Future Labs, Dubai Future Forum, etc. DFF’s efforts to share knowledge, adopt innovation, support entrepreneurs and innovative startups, build capacity, and promote forward-thinking and foresight principles contribute to Dubai’s ambitions to be a role model for the cities of the future through the power of unlimited imagination, innovation, foresight and disruptive mindset.

For more information on the initiatives, projects, and programs of Dubai Future Foundation, please visit the website: www.dubaifuture.ae

Life at Research, Development & Innovation (RDI)

Research, Development & Innovation (RDI) is Dubai Future Foundation’s dedicated research arm, established to advance applied and frontier research that directly shapes Dubai’s innovation agenda. RDI will house multiple specialised research centers, each focused on distinct domains, creating a collaborative ecosystem where deep expertise converges to address the most complex challenges facing cities and societies of the future. Through strategic partnerships with leading academic institutions, global think tanks, and government entities, RDI translates emerging knowledge into actionable insights, policy recommendations, and real-world impact at a local, regional, and global scale.

Where does this role fit into the bigger picture?

This role leads RDI’s technology function end-to-end, carrying full ownership of the institute’s digital direction across infrastructure, applications, cybersecurity, and data. The Head of Technology serves as the de facto technology leader of RDI , shaping the systems and platforms that enable world-class research, safeguarding critical data assets, and ensuring RDI is at the forefront of AI-native technology adoption. As RDI is in its formative stage , still defining its business processes, standing up operations, and running major projects simultaneously , this role demands a true all-rounder who combines strategic vision, business acumen, and hands-on technical authority. The role reports directly into RDI leadership, with a dotted-line reporting relationship to DFF’s Executive Director of Technology, ensuring alignment with the enterprise IT strategy and governance frameworks.

Head of Technology , RDI

As the Head of Technology, you will hold end-to-end accountability for RDI’s technology landscape, spanning the full stack from infrastructure and networks to enterprise applications, data platforms, and emerging AI tooling. You will set the technology roadmap, govern cybersecurity and compliance frameworks, and drive the adoption of intelligent, future-ready systems that underpin RDI’s research mission. Equally important, you will bring strong business understanding to the role , partnering with RDI leadership and research center heads to define operational workflows, shape business processes, and ensure technology decisions are grounded in real institutional needs.

You will work closely with RDI leadership, research center heads, Central DFF IT department, and the Business Analyst to translate institutional priorities into scalable, secure, and innovative technology solutions , acting as the primary technology authority across all digital domains.

Strategy & Architecture

• Define RDI’s technology strategy and enterprise architecture, aligned with its research and innovation objectives.
• Lead technology and architectural decisions across infrastructure, applications, data, AI, security, and integrations.
• Advise leadership on technology investments, emerging technologies, and digital transformation.
• Establish RDI’s IT function, governance, architecture, and technology foundations from the ground up.

Infrastructure & Applications

• Oversee RDI’s IT infrastructure, cloud environment, applications, and research platforms in partnership with DFF Central IT.
• Lead technology solution design, integration, delivery, and optimisation, including the Trusted Research Environment (TRE).
• Manage technology vendors, requirements gathering, and Agile delivery.

Business Engagement & Delivery

• Act as a strategic technology partner to RDI leadership and research teams, translating business and research needs into technology solutions.
• Lead RDI technology programmes and projects, ensuring timely and quality delivery.
• Drive process improvement, change management, and technology adoption.

Cybersecurity, Data & AI

• Ensure RDI’s technology environment aligns with cybersecurity, data protection, and UAE regulatory requirements.
• Establish data governance and infrastructure to support research and decision-making.
• Evaluate and implement AI, LLM, RAG, and emerging technologies to enhance research and operations.

People & Operations

• Build and mentor a high-performing IT team and establish effective technology processes and standards.
• Serve as the primary technology liaison between RDI and DFF Central IT, ensuring governance, alignment, and coordinated delivery.

Why this role is important?

RDI’s ambition to become a world-class research institute rests on a technology foundation that is secure, intelligent, and future-ready. This role is the architect of that foundation , the person who ensures that every researcher, every dataset, and every breakthrough is supported by systems that are robust, cutting-edge, and aligned with Dubai’s vision for the future. Without strong technology leadership at this level, RDI cannot achieve its full potential.

What Dubai Future Foundation offers?

We will offer you a unique opportunity to work with people who are passionate about the future and establishing Dubai as one of the leading cities of the world. You will have the chance to work on exciting and new projects, work in a highly diverse and fast paced environment that fosters creativity, disruptive ideas, and innovation.

• You will have a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field; relevant certifications (TOGAF, CISSP, Azure Solutions Architect, AWS Certified Architect) are considered a valuable plus but not mandatory.
• You will have a minimum of 10+ years of experience in IT, with at least 3–5 years in a generalist, multi-domain technology leadership role carrying end-to-end ownership across infrastructure, applications, data, and business engagement.
• You will have deep expertise across both infrastructure and application layers, including cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, GCP), virtualisation, enterprise SaaS, and hybrid environments.
• You will have strong business acumen with the ability to understand operational workflows, define business processes, and translate business needs into technology solutions , not just execute on technical requirements.
• You will have proven experience in solution architecture and architectural decision-making for enterprise systems and platforms, including the ability to lead design reviews, evaluate technology options, and define integration patterns.
• You will have proven experience building or scaling IT functions in greenfield or early-stage environments, with the ability to operate effectively in ambiguity and shape direction from the ground up.
• You will have a solid understanding of cybersecurity governance and compliance frameworks such as ISO 27001, NIST, DESC ISR, and UAE PDPL, with the ability to coordinate with central security teams to ensure institutional compliance.
• You will have proven experience architecting and governing data platforms, including data lakes, pipelines, and analytics environments, with a strong appreciation for data quality, lineage, and governance.
• You will have demonstrable experience evaluating and deploying AI-native tools and agentic platforms, including familiarity with LLM-based systems, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), and autonomous workflow automation in an enterprise or research context.
• You will have familiarity with specialised environments such as Trusted Research Environments (TREs), high-performance computing (HPC), or health data platforms.
• You will have a proven track record of managing external vendors and partners with full contract and SLA accountability.
• You will have strong program and project delivery experience, with the ability to own end-to-end delivery of technology initiatives using Agile or hybrid methodologies.
• You will have strong leadership and communication skills, with the ability to translate complex technical concepts for senior non-technical stakeholders and influence at the executive level.
• Experience in government or semi-government digital transformation in the UAE/GCC is a strong plus.
• Proficiency in Arabic is a plus.