Chief Commercial - united arab emirates - Aventus Global Talent

Description

Job Title: Chief Strategy & Growth Officer (CSGO)
Directorate: Strategy & Growth
Reports to: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Location: United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Direct supervision of: Executive Vice President (EVP) – Commercial, Senior Vice President (SVP) – Regulation, SVP – Demand Forecasting, SVP – Integrated Planning
Indirect supervision of: All Strategy & Growth employees

Our client is a major, government-backed power and water sector organisation at the centre of national infrastructure and the clean‑energy transition. The Chief Strategy & Growth Officer (CSGO) shapes long‑term system strategy and market design while enabling near‑to‑long‑term growth. The role leads three critical capabilities: Sector Strategy, Commercial, and Regulation, acting as a principal advisor to the CEO and Board Committees on sector strategy, tariff/market evolution, and growth pathways that ensure security of supply at least cost and accelerate the transition to cleaner energy.

• Strategy and Leadership

  Serve as the CEO's lead advisor on sector strategy, growth options, and market evolution; translate national energy policy into executable strategies and portfolios.

  Set the Strategy & Growth roadmap, performance framework, and risk posture; ensure integration with Operations, Assets, Finance, and Legal.

  Champion a data‑driven culture; ensure modelling transparency and "single source of truth" assumptions across forecasting and planning.

• Sector strategy (Demand Forecasting and Integrated Planning)

  Oversee development of robust power and water demand forecasts (annual and in‑year updates) and ensure timely communication to internal and external stakeholders.

  Lead integrated resource/system planning (future capacity and system requirements), including scenario design, techno‑economic modelling, and evaluation of new technologies and bilateral options.

  Govern model standards, inputs, assumptions, and validation processes; mandate auditability and change control.

  Ensure clear hand‑offs from long‑term planning to Commercial and Operations (operational planning is not in scope).

• Commercial (Customer Management, Energy Trading and Business Development)

  Direct customer strategy for regulated and unregulated customers, including account planning, bespoke commercial structures, and satisfaction insights.

  Govern energy trading activity (near‑term trades and interconnection opportunities) in line with market rules, risk limits, and least‑cost objectives; approve trading frameworks and counterparties.

  Lead business development for new commercial initiatives (new products, bilateral agreements, cross‑border opportunities) in coordination with Legal, Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC), and Finance; ensure bankable, value‑accretive deals.

• Regulation (Economic Regulation and Technical Regulations)

  Own the organisation's position on economic regulation (price control constructs, market mechanisms) and technical regulations in collaboration with key system stakeholders.

  Lead engagements with authorities on methodology and rules; ensure internal readiness and compliance with approved market designs.

  Anticipate regulatory risk/opportunity and drive evidence‑based proposals that strengthen sustainability and cost efficiency.

• Stakeholder and Sector Advocacy

  Build trusted senior relationships across regulators, sector entities, generators/producers, interconnector partners, and key customers; represent the organisation in high‑stakes forums and consultations.

  Communicate complex model outputs and regulatory proposals in clear, non‑technical language for executive and Board decisions.

• Governance, Risk and Performance

  Establish governance across forecasting and planning.

  Set commercial and trading risk limits with Finance/Treasury and Enterprise Risk Management (ERM); ensure pre‑trade approvals and post‑trade performance reporting.

  Drive continuous improvement, capability building, and succession planning across the Strategy & Growth directorate.

• Develop directorate strategy, policies, and procedures aligned to organisational objectives; refresh as needed.
• Coach, mentor, and develop leaders and teams; create a strong performance and talent pipeline.
• Lead annual budget planning and performance reporting for the directorate.
• Identify opportunities to improve systems, processes, and practices using international leading practice and change‑management disciplines.
• Promote and ensure alignment to organisational values (sustainability, integrity, collaboration, innovation).

• Emirati Nationality with UAE Family Book.
• Minimum education: Master's degree in Economics, Engineering, Finance, or related field (Master of Business Administration (MBA) or Master of Public Policy (MPP) preferred).
• Minimum experience: 16 years' progressive experience in power and water sector strategy, market design and regulation, system planning, or commercial leadership.
• At least 5 years in an executive leadership role within a complex, multi‑stakeholder utility/energy environment.
• Demonstrated track record in integrated resource planning, market/regulatory change, and high‑value commercial outcomes.

• Behavioural:
  • Drive organisational excellence
  • Encourage continuous learning
  • Build effective relationships
  • Communicate with impact
  • Adopt a strategic mindset
• Technical:
  • Sector strategy and scenario planning
  • Integrated resource/system planning and modelling
  • Demand forecasting and analytics governance
  • Economic regulation and price control design
  • Technical regulations
  • Energy markets and trading
  • Business development and partnership structuring
  • Stakeholder engagement and communication
  • Strategy and business planning
  • Negotiation
  • Sector knowledge
  • Technical writing
  • Project/programme management