Regional IT Manager

Job Description

Regional IT Manager – Middle East

Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

About UHM

United Hospitality Management (UHM) is an international hotel management company with a growing portfolio of hotels and hospitality businesses across the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. With a diverse collection of branded and independent properties, UHM is committed to delivering operational excellence through innovation, technology, and exceptional guest experiences.

As part of our continued growth, we are seeking an experienced Regional IT Manager to lead the IT function across our Middle East portfolio, ensuring technology infrastructure, cybersecurity, and digital solutions effectively support business operations and strategic objectives.

Role Overview

The Regional IT Manager is responsible for leading and managing all information technology operations across UHM's corporate office and hotel portfolio within the Middle East.

This role oversees regional IT infrastructure, systems, cybersecurity, vendor management, technology projects, and service delivery while ensuring consistency with UHM standards and the technology requirements of multiple international hotel brands.

The successful candidate will provide strategic leadership while remaining hands-on in driving operational excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement across all IT functions.

Key Responsibilities

IT Strategy & Governance

• Develop and execute the regional IT strategy aligned with UHM's business objectives and technology roadmap.
• Partner with senior leadership, General Managers, and department heads to identify technology opportunities that improve operational efficiency and guest experience.
• Recommend and implement innovative technologies that support business growth and digital transformation.
• Ensure IT policies, standards, and procedures are consistently applied across all properties.

Infrastructure & Systems Management

• Manage the implementation, maintenance, and optimization of regional IT infrastructure, networks, servers, cloud platforms, and communication systems.
• Ensure maximum system availability, reliability, scalability, and performance across all properties.
• Standardize IT environments while accommodating brand-specific technology requirements.
• Oversee backup, disaster recovery, business continuity, and system resilience initiatives.

Hotel Technology Support

• Support and maintain hospitality technology platforms including:
• Property Management Systems (PMS)
• Point of Sale (POS)
• Key Card Systems
• Guest Wi-Fi
• IPTV
• Telephony Systems
• Payment Systems
• Revenue Management integrations
• Reservation interfaces
• Coordinate system upgrades, deployments, and technology rollouts across the region.

Cybersecurity & Risk Management

• Lead regional cybersecurity initiatives to protect company systems, guest information, and corporate data.
• Develop and enforce IT security policies and best practices.
• Ensure compliance with applicable data privacy regulations and industry security standards.
• Conduct regular risk assessments, vulnerability reviews, and disaster recovery testing.

IT Operations & Service Delivery

• Ensure timely resolution of IT incidents and service requests across all hotels and corporate offices.
• Establish Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to monitor IT service quality.
• Continuously improve IT support processes, documentation, and user satisfaction.
• Provide escalation support for complex technical issues.

Leadership & Team Management

• Lead, mentor, and develop the regional IT team across multiple locations.
• Foster a collaborative, customer-focused, and high-performance culture.
• Identify training needs and support continuous professional development.
• Coordinate workloads and resource planning across the portfolio.

Vendor & Project Management

• Manage relationships with technology vendors, consultants, and service providers.
• Negotiate contracts, licensing agreements, maintenance renewals, and service agreements.
• Lead regional IT projects from planning through implementation.
• Monitor project budgets, timelines, and deliverables to ensure successful execution.

Budget & Asset Management

• Prepare and manage the regional IT operating and capital expenditure budgets.
• Monitor IT spending and identify cost-saving opportunities.
• Maintain accurate inventories of IT hardware, software licenses, and technology assets.
• Ensure efficient lifecycle management of IT equipment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Information Systems, Business Administration, or a related discipline.
• Master's degree is an advantage.
• ITIL, Microsoft, Cisco, VMware, Azure, AWS, PMP, or cybersecurity certifications are desirable.

Experience

• Minimum 5 years of progressive IT leadership experience managing multi-site IT operations.
• Previous experience within the hospitality industry is highly preferred.
• Experience supporting multiple hotel brands and corporate offices.
• Proven experience managing regional IT infrastructure, networks, cybersecurity, and enterprise systems.
• Experience leading IT projects, system implementations, and digital transformation initiatives.

Technical Knowledge

Strong knowledge of:

• Microsoft Windows Server environment
• Microsoft 365
• Active Directory
• Azure Cloud Services
• Virtualization technologies
• Enterprise networking
• Firewalls and cybersecurity
• Backup and disaster recovery solutions
• Cloud infrastructure
• Hospitality technology systems (PMS, POS, CRS, IPTV, key card systems)
• IT service management frameworks (ITIL)
• Project management methodologies

Competencies

• Strategic thinking
• Leadership and people development
• Business partnering
• Problem solving and analytical thinking
• Project management
• Stakeholder management
• Vendor negotiation
• Customer service orientation
• Decision making
• Communication and presentation skills
• Adaptability and resilience
• Budget and financial management