Associate Director – Crisis Management, Business Continuity, Health, Safety & Governance

Aldar Education – Associate Director – Crisis Management, Business Continuity, Health, Safety & Governance

Aldar Education is currently seeking an outstanding professional to join the highly successful Aldar family of schools and help shape the future of Abu Dhabi’s leading school group. As the leading education group in Abu Dhabi, we provide inclusive and innovative learning that inspires and empowers communities. We offer a range of brands for all learners from nursery through to adult education, supporting over 38,000 students in 28 schools.

Crisis Management & Business Continuity:

• Own and continuously evolve the enterprise crisis management framework (activation, escalation, stand-down).
• Lead crisis response efforts and coordinate cross-functional teams during incidents.
• Develop and maintain the Business Continuity framework, including 24/48/72‑hour response readiness.
• Ensure rapid recovery and minimal disruption to operations across schools and headquarters.

Health, Safety & Operational Risk:

• Oversee health, safety, and occupational health frameworks across all Aldar Education entities.
• Establish and govern operational risk management frameworks, including risk identification, mitigation, and monitoring.
• Ensure consistent implementation of safety standards, procedures, and controls.

Governance, Compliance & Regulatory Alignment:

• Establish and maintain governance frameworks across crisis, safety, and risk domains.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant regulatory authorities (e.g., ADEK, KHDA, Civil Defence).
• Lead audit readiness activities, governance reviews, and compliance reporting.

Capability Building & Readiness:

• Lead crisis simulations, scenario planning, and readiness exercises across the organization.
• Design and deliver training programs to build crisis and safety capability across leadership and school teams.
• Drive a culture of safety, preparedness, and risk awareness across the organization.

Specific Duties:

• Develop enterprise‑wide policies, procedures, and frameworks for crisis management, business continuity, and HSE.
• Maintain decision logs, escalation protocols, and audit trails to ensure governance integrity.
• Lead incident investigations and ensure timely closure of findings and actions.
• Monitor and report key risk indicators, incidents, and compliance metrics to Executive Management.
• Partner with Operations, Education, HR, and IT teams to embed risk, safety, and continuity practices into day‑to‑day operations.
• Provide expert advice to Executive Leadership on crisis response, risk exposure, and resilience strategies.
• Ensure alignment of all frameworks with Aldar Group standards and international best practice.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Risk Management, Engineering, Health & Safety, Business, or related discipline.
• Professional certification preferred (e.g., NEBOSH Diploma, IOSH, ISO, Risk/BCM certifications).

Minimum Experience:

• 10–15+ years of experience in crisis management, business continuity, risk, or health & safety.
• Proven experience in developing enterprise governance and compliance frameworks.
• Experience operating in complex, multi‑site environments (education or similar sectors preferred).

Job Specific Knowledge &

Skills:

• Strong understanding of regulatory and compliance frameworks in the UAE.
• Ability to operate effectively under pressure and lead during crisis situations.
• Strong stakeholder management and executive communication skills.
• Experience in risk governance, audit, and compliance reporting.
• High level of analytical, decision‑making, and problem‑solving capability.
• Commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.

Aldar Education offers an attractive remuneration package including medical cover, flights, housing, and free child school places. We provide a future‑focused learning model with professional development, coaching and training opportunities for staff.

We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment, and we encourage UAE Nationals to apply.

Aldar Education is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. Offers of appointment are subject to satisfactory references and police clearance.