Director Special Projects & Performance

Role Summary The Director, Special Projects & Performance is a senior regional leadership role within the CIO office at talabat. This role operates across all eight talabat markets with focus on both food and Quick commerce - driving business performance, owning cross-market strategic initiatives, and serving as a key thought partner to the CIO and market Managing Directors. The role leads a team of around five people, with direct responsibility for their development, performance, and growth. While the role carries significant strategic weight, it is equally operational - with a clear expectation to drive execution on the ground, work directly alongside market teams, and see initiatives through from diagnosis to execution. It demands someone who can move fluidly between senior stakeholder engagement and hands-on problem solving, who can diagnose what is broken in a market and lead the effort to fix it - and who thrives in environments where the problems are real and the stakes are high. What's On Your Plate? Regional Performance & P&L Management • Oversee business performance across all talabat markets, tracking trends, anomalies, and opportunities across Food and Q-commerce • Partner with market MDs and regional finance teams on annual budgeting, forecasting, and Best Estimate (BE) cycles • Hold markets accountable to financial targets; proactively surface risks and corrective actions when performance deviates • Prepare data-driven performance reviews and strategic recommendations for ExCo Strategic Partner to the CIO • Act as the right hand to the CIO - synthesising complex business situations into clear recommendations for leadership • Prepare the CIO for exco reviews, regional check-ins, and senior leadership forums with sharp analysis and structured narratives • Drive cross-market alignment on strategic priorities, ensuring decisions translate into coordinated execution on the ground • Represent the CIO in cross-functional and cross-market discussions as required Market Turnaround & Special Projects • Travel regularly to markets to work directly alongside MDs and their teams on performance turnaround initiatives • Diagnose root causes of underperformance and co-develop actionable recovery plans • Lead end-to-end strategic and special projects across markets, from scoping and structuring through to delivery Innovation & AI • Identify and drive innovation opportunities across markets • Work with regional and market teams to test, scale, and embed new tools and ways of working • Lead AI adoption efforts across performance functions, identifying high-value use cases and owning rollout Team Leadership • Build and lead a lean, high-performing team - setting clear goals, providing sharp feedback, and holding a high bar for output • Develop team members into strong, independent contributors capable of operating at the market level • Foster a culture of ownership, intellectual rigour, and continuous improvementCompany Description What Are We Looking For? • 10+ years of experience in high-growth tech, market leadership / chief of staff roles, strategy, management consulting, or investment banking • Willingness and ability to travel regularly across the MENA region, being fully hands-on and working on the frontline • Strong financial acumen - P&L ownership, financial modelling, budgeting • Highly analytical • Proven ability to operate at ExCo level and manage senior stakeholders across multiple markets • Experience leading turnaround projects or cross-functional strategic initiatives end to end • Comfortable with ambiguity - able to structure and move quickly without waiting for perfect information • AI fluency - experience applying AI tools to enhance analytical and operational efficiency