Chief Specialist- Research and Development

Job Purpose

Lead research governance, partnerships, programs, and IP enablement; steer R&D centers, awards, and proof-of-concepts; and deliver high-quality studies and outcomes aligned with RTA strategy and future directions.

• Develop and update Authority research and studies policies, processes, systems, annual plans and KPIs, aligning them with RTA strategy and standards.
• Promote a research culture and define publishing frameworks, authorship rules, and review cycles for Authority research outputs.
• Establish governance for R&D centers, aligning portfolios, KPIs, and annual plans with future directions and sector needs.
• Define proof-of-concept governance with selection criteria, test protocols, evaluation gates, and reporting cadence.
• Direct the RTA Scientific Research Award framework, rubrics, calendar, and improvement actions to raise submission quality.
• Plan strategic research partnerships with universities and centers, defining scopes, benefits, IP clauses, and performance indicators.

• Supervise corporate research projects from concept to delivery, meeting scope, schedule, budget, and quality gates.
• Coordinate research initiatives with Dubai Future Foundation and integrate deliverables into departmental plans.
• Govern the central database for research outputs; enforce data standards, metadata, access controls, and publication workflows.
• Prepare policy/strategy documentation, leadership presentations, and periodic reports on research indicators, initiatives, risks, and corrective actions.
• Scout internal researchers, deliver awareness programs, and mentor early-career researchers to strengthen the pipeline.
• Provide linkages to legal and IP experts; guide researchers to register and protect IP per approved procedures.
• Draft and review MoUs and collaboration agreements; monitor partner obligations, deliverables, and realized benefits.

• Review research and PoC outcomes; mandate adoption, iteration, or closure; capture lessons and reusable methods.
• Review and develop R&D sources, frameworks, and tools; enhance researcher toolkits, templates, and guidance to improve collaboration and study quality.
• Analyze performance trends; recommend corrective actions; and update research policies, processes, frameworks and KPIs.

• Bachelor’s/ Master’s degree in Engineering/Science
• 9+ years in case of Master’s degree (11+ years in case of Bachelor’s degree)
• Expertise in R&D project design/execution, academic partnerships, and research governance
• Certifications such as PMP/PRINCE2 (or equivalent), research ethics(e.g., CITI)