Director of Strategic Development and Planning Department

Job Objective

Develop and lead the comprehensive strategy of the General Administration of Customs, formulate business plans and related performance indicators, and monitor institutional performance against approved benchmarks and KPIs to ensure the translation of the Administration's vision and objectives into effective strategies and operational plans across sectors, departments, and sections.

Internal Relations:

• Sector Directors, Department Managers, and Section Heads to coordinate strategic planning and formulation processes and to facilitate performance monitoring in order to ensure achievement of the General Administration of Customs objectives.

External Relations:

• Local and federal government entities, private sector organizations, consultants, and external experts to review best practices and general trends.

General Duties and Responsibilities

Administrative Role:

• Prepare the estimated budget for activities under the Strategic Development and Planning Department and monitor expenditures in line with the approved budget.
• Provide technical information and guidance to subordinates to enable them to perform their duties effectively.
• Contribute to the selection of department staff and provide technical support and guidance to ensure work effectiveness, onboarding new employees to enhance performance and productivity.
• Conduct periodic departmental meetings with section heads to review updates and discuss them with staff.
• Prepare reports on activities under his/her responsibility and submit them to the Director General to achieve the desired efficiency and excellence in performance.

Organizational Role:

• Conduct periodic performance evaluations for all employees under his/her supervision.
• Motivate employees of the Strategic Development and Planning Department toward self-development by identifying continuous improvement opportunities for processes, systems, and procedures to increase productivity and reduce costs.
• Ensure compliance of all subordinates with approved regulations, rules, and work methodologies, and their understanding of relevant policies and procedures.
• Identify and develop training needs for department staff in coordination with them and with the Training and Performance Development Section based on individual development plans.
• Delegate responsibilities and authorities, coordinate workload distribution, and ensure implementation of approved project programs and plans.
• Approve staff leave schedules.
• Review all departmental reports to ensure compliance with approved policies and standards.
• Translate the General Administration of Customs strategies and public policies into executable plans, programs, and implementation frameworks, and supervise their execution to ensure excellence, service improvement, and alignment with the Administration's objectives.

Functional Role:

• Supervise the study and analysis of internal and external factors and variables affecting the General Administration of Customs to identify opportunities and generate strategic proposals, including transformational reforms that contribute to shaping the Administration's vision.
• Oversee the planning and formulation of institutional strategies and the development of performance indicator plans in coordination with section heads.
• Establish guiding principles for developing initiatives aimed at revenue growth within the General Administration of Customs and contributing to the Emirate's economic development in line with Abu Dhabi Vision 2030.
• Ensure alignment of Abu Dhabi Plan indicators with strategic indicators, verify their consistency with initiatives and overall objectives, and approve their cascading across sectors, departments, sections, and employees.
• Prepare benchmarking studies with developed and advanced countries and adopt global best practices.
• Supervise service cost and output reports within the Abu Dhabi Government Department of Finance system.
• Coordinate with partners to define roles and responsibilities of strategic partners and concerned entities and assess their contribution to achieving strategic objectives.
• Ensure periodic review and updating of supporting policies, strategies, business agendas, and implementation plans, and adjust them according to emerging needs to maintain readiness and alignment with approved objectives.
• Evaluate strategic plans and review and develop strategies based on best local and international practices.
• Submit regular reports to the Director General on progress toward achieving strategic objectives and financial status to ensure informed decision-making.
• Develop expenditure plans and ensure that the General Administration of Customs has the financial capacity to achieve its strategic objectives, while ensuring all concerned entities are aware of expenditure impacts.
• Ensure awareness of projected costs and revenues, identify underperforming areas, and capitalize on opportunities for performance improvement.
• Supervise the preparation of statistical and analytical studies to ensure compliance with approved standards.
• Oversee statistical systems and data processing tools to enhance and improve their effectiveness.
• Ensure the design of effective strategies for developing customs revenues in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi to enhance the competitiveness of the General Administration of Customs.
• Provide overall supervision of performance monitoring and measurement systems for sectors, departments, and sections based on approved KPIs to ensure achievement of performance standards, institutional excellence, and defined objectives.
• Supervise the study and analysis of issues referred to the Strategic Development and Planning Department in coordination with concerned entities, preparing comprehensive files to support the resolution of obstacles facing the General Administration of Customs and its strategic plans.
• Ensure the selection of the best consulting firms and develop systems to monitor their performance to guarantee high-quality services.
• Perform any other related duties as assigned.

Educational Qualifications:

• Bacholer degree in Business Administration, Strategic Studies, or related fields..

Work Experience:

• 8 years of relevant professional experience.