Regional Projects & HS Manager

Location: Dubai, Middle East Regional Office

About Us

Nord Anglia Education is the world’s leading premium schools organisation, with 85+ schools across 33 countries. We educate more than 80,000 students and employ over 15,000 colleagues worldwide. Our Middle East regional team, based in Dubai, supports schools across the region to deliver outstanding education and world-class operations.

We are now seeking an experienced and strategic Regional Projects and Health & Safety Manager to join our regional team, supporting our schools across the Middle East.

The Role

The Regional Projects and Health & Safety Manager will oversee the planning, management, and delivery of major school projects and health and safety operations across the region.

This role ensures all projects—whether new builds, refurbishments, or landlord-funded developments—are completed on time, within budget, and in full compliance with Nord Anglia Education (NAE) and local regulatory standards. The position also plays a key role in driving health and safety performance across all schools, ensuring alignment with NAE’s global framework and regional regulations.

Working closely with the Regional Operations Director, NAE Global H&S Leads, and School Operations Managers, the role requires excellent stakeholder management, technical expertise, and the ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously.

Key Responsibilities

Project Leadership

• Lead and manage capital and refurbishment projects across regional schools, from design to completion.

• Coordinate with schools, contractors, and consultants to ensure compliance with timelines, budgets, and NAE brand standards.

• Oversee procurement, budgeting, and project governance processes to maintain robust control and reporting.

• Conduct site inspections, attend progress meetings, and ensure operational requirements (including safety, safeguarding, and accessibility) are fully integrated.

Campus Renovations & Modifications

• Collaborate with school Operations Managers to plan and deliver campus improvements, renovations, and maintenance.

• Prepare project briefs, review tenders, and coordinate FF&E (furniture, fixtures & equipment) installations.

• Benchmark project costs and performance to ensure value for money.

New Developments

• Liaise with landlords, design teams, and consultants to ensure new developments meet NAE’s standards and operational needs.

• Support the review of lease agreements and construction contracts in collaboration with Legal and Operations.

• Monitor site progress, budget performance, and quality assurance throughout the project lifecycle.

Health & Safety Leadership

• Lead health and safety strategy across the region in collaboration with Global and Regional H&S Leads.

• Ensure full compliance with NAE policies, global standards, and local authority regulations.

• Conduct annual health and safety audits across all schools and ensure corrective actions are implemented.

• Manage access and training for NAE’s Sphera system and deliver ongoing H&S coaching and support to school teams.

• Act as regional point of contact for regulators, contractors, and enforcement bodies.

• Support crisis management and risk mitigation across the region.

Financial Management

• Support the Regional Operations Director in managing CAPEX budgets and financial forecasting.

• Track project expenditures, review cost reports, and ensure rigorous procurement and approval processes.

• Identify opportunities for cost efficiencies without compromising quality or compliance.

Stakeholder Management & Communication

• Maintain clear and timely communication with the Regional Operations Director, Managing Director, and key internal stakeholders.

• Produce detailed progress reports and provide regular updates on projects, risks, and H&S performance.

• Build collaborative relationships across regional schools to share best practices and ensure alignment on project and safety priorities.

What We’re Looking For

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree (essential); professional qualification in project management or health and safety (preferred).

• Minimum 5 years’ experience managing large-scale projects or regional operations, ideally within education or facilities management.

• Proven experience in capital project delivery, health and safety, and compliance management.

• Strong understanding of construction, regulatory frameworks, and risk management processes.

• Previous experience in the Middle East is preferred.

Skills & Attributes

• Excellent leadership, organisational, and communication skills.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving ability with a proactive mindset.

• Highly organised and capable of managing multiple priorities.

• Resilient, adaptable, and comfortable working in a fast-paced environment.

• High attention to detail and ability to influence across diverse teams and stakeholders.

• Willingness to travel regularly across the region.

Safeguarding

At Nord Anglia Education, we are committed to providing a world-class, safe, and happy environment in which children and young people thrive and learn. We promote the welfare of all our pupils irrespective of race, ability, religion, gender, or culture. All post holders having regular unsupervised contact with children are subject to appropriate national and international vetting procedures, including satisfactory criminal record checks from both the country of residence/birth and any country of residence within the last 10 years.