Factory Director; Aerospace & Defence - UAV​/UAS Manufacturing UAE

Sector: Aerospace & Defence / UAV-UAS Manufacturing
Employment Type: Full-time, Permanent, On-site
Seniority: Senior Manager / Director
Reporting to: Chief Executive Officer
Languages: Fluent Arabic & English mandatory

We are supporting the establishment of a new unmanned aerial systems manufacturing facility in Abu Dhabi and are looking for an experienced Factory Director / Senior Manufacturing Leader to take full ownership of the facility from initial industrial setup through to serial production and delivery.

This is a greenfield leadership role requiring a highly hands-on executive who can build the operation from the ground up rather than manage an already established factory.

The successful candidate will oversee industrial licensing, CAPEX, facility mobilisation, production, engineering, quality, supply chain, HSE, site administration, customer interface and overall factory performance.

Factory Setup & Industrialisation

• Lead the industrial licensing, permitting and approval process with relevant UAE authorities.
• Develop and manage the CAPEX plan, mobilisation schedule and production-readiness milestones.
• Manage contractors, equipment suppliers and technology partners.
• Oversee equipment installation, commissioning, testing and final handover.
• Drive the facility from greenfield setup through production launch and ramp-up.

Manufacturing & Operations

• Establish production planning, capacity management and manufacturing processes.
• Define throughput, productivity, cost-per-unit and operational performance targets.
• Ensure material availability and supply-chain readiness with procurement and logistics.
• Drive on-time delivery, manufacturing yield and continuous improvement.
• Lead the transition into stable serial production.

Quality & Regulatory Compliance

• Establish and implement an AS9100 / ISO 9001 Quality Management System through certification.
• Ensure compliance with applicable UAE aerospace and defence regulatory requirements.
• Oversee configuration management, traceability and first-article inspection.
• Manage customer acceptance activities and FATs.
• Support export-control documentation, end-user requirements and international delivery compliance.

Customer & Government Interface

• Represent the factory with defence authorities, armed forces, OEMs and system integrators.
• Support commercial teams with technical input, costing, capacity planning and delivery commitments.
• Lead customer visits, audits, demonstrations and factory acceptance activities.
• Support localisation, industrial participation, ICV and offset commitments.

Leadership & Site Management

• Build the factory organisation from the ground up, including structure, workforce planning and recruitment.
• Lead production, engineering, quality, stores, logistics and administrative functions.
• Own the site's operating budget, P&L, management reporting and KPI framework.
• Oversee HSE, security, facilities and site governance.
• Develop the technical and operational capabilities required for future growth.