Infrastructure Plan Manager - UAE National

About the Role

A confidential government organization based in Abu Dhabi seeks a skilled Infrastructure Plan Manager to oversee and design integrated infrastructure strategies, demand assessments, and infrastructure project portfolios. This position ensures infrastructure needs align with government priorities, anticipated growth, spatial and economic strategies, while considering practical delivery and investment factors.

The successful candidate will unify sectoral plans by transforming strategic objectives into definitive infrastructure demands, prioritized programs, and projects ready for investment. They will also manage a Dynamic Infrastructure Plan Platform, centralizing data for infrastructure planning, program prioritization, and executive decision-making.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the formulation of integrated, long-term infrastructure strategies consistent with spatial, economic, and sector policies.
• Interpret government and sector plans to define precise infrastructure demands and requirements.
• Ensure harmonization of infrastructure requirements across sectors and geographic regions.
• Set priority infrastructure initiatives, sequencing, and developmental paths.
• Utilize scenario planning, demand modeling, and strategic foresight to forecast future infrastructure needs.
• Identify infrastructure gaps, inter-sector dependencies, conflicts, and areas needing further attention.
• Convert strategic directives into well-structured, phased, and investment-ready infrastructure project pipelines.
• Link infrastructure plans cohesively with CAPEX and public-private partnership (PPP) processes.
• Oversee consultant outputs, contract management, invoicing, payment milestones, contract variations, and performance records related to infrastructure studies and programs.
• Lead or review requests for proposals (RFPs), evaluation criteria, tender assessments, and technical/commercial evaluation reports.
• Ensure compliance with procurement and governance protocols.
• Develop and maintain planning standards, templates, governance frameworks, and processes.
• Guide the development and continual improvement of a dynamic infrastructure planning platform integrating strategies, indicators, demands, programs, projects, and funding mechanisms.
• Maintain an integrated project pipeline with filtering and reporting capabilities.
• Develop both sectoral and cross-sectoral program plans.
• Incorporate demand models reflecting various scenarios and potential external shocks.
• Continuously monitor assumptions, dependencies, risks, gaps, and planning factors.
• Provide clear inputs for CAPEX cycles and document prioritization rationale.
• Produce strategy alignment and infrastructure gap analysis reports.
• Prepare executive-level decision packages covering options, risks, and recommendations.

Key Deliverables

• An integrated, up-to-date Dynamic Infrastructure Plan Platform.
• Comprehensive visibility of infrastructure projects and program pipelines.
• Sector and cross-sector infrastructure plans.
• Scenario-based infrastructure demand models.
• Live tracking of infrastructure assumptions, dependencies, risks, and gaps.
• Clear prioritization inputs for CAPEX planning.
• Strategy alignment and infrastructure gap assessments.
• Executive decision support materials and recommendations.

Qualifications & Experience

• A bachelor's degree in Urban Planning, Engineering, Economics, or a related discipline is required.
• Between 8 to 12+ years of pertinent experience in infrastructure planning, infrastructure strategy, master planning, or capital planning.
• Demonstrated experience with large-scale infrastructure planning or masterplan projects.
• Proven ability to work across government bodies and multi-sectoral environments.

Preferred Qualifications & Experience

• Master’s degree in Planning, Engineering, Economics, Public Policy, or a related field.
• Familiarity with Abu Dhabi or GCC government CAPEX cycles.
• Experience in infrastructure planning, inter-organizational program governance, and consultant management.
• Knowledge of PPP and infrastructure investment planning frameworks.
• Professional certifications like PgMP, MSP, PMP, NEC/FIDIC, commercial management, public procurement, or PPP/project finance are advantageous.

Core Competencies

• Strategic Integration: Ability to amalgamate multiple sector strategies into cohesive infrastructure plans.
• Systems Thinking: Understanding interconnections among economic development, land use, infrastructure, and growth.
• Analytical Aptitude: Proficiency in demand modeling, scenario analysis, and infrastructure economics.
• Stakeholder Leadership: Capacity to align diverse government agencies and balance competing priorities.
• Investment Planning: Linking infrastructure plans with CAPEX and PPP investment decisions.
• Governance: Establishing and applying planning standards, frameworks, and governance processes.
• Decision Support: Crafting succinct, executive-ready recommendations.
• Digital & AI Planning: Leveraging digital and AI-driven tools, dashboards, and structured platforms to assist infrastructure planning and informed decision-making.

What We're Looking For

We seek a strategic infrastructure planning expert adept in government settings, large-scale multi-sector infrastructure coordination, and capital investment environments. The candidate should excel at collaborating with multiple stakeholders and translating complex strategic data into clear, actionable investment plans.