Opportunities in Middle East

The client is seeking a Head of Desk to help establish and lead the Dubai desk for an energy trading house. This role will support day-to-day desk setup and management while also executing trades within the energy sector, operating in a fast-moving, volatile market environment.

Key responsibilities include managing trading positions, monitoring market dynamics and emerging energy-sector trends, and adjusting strategies as needed. The role will also involve conducting detailed analysis of global energy markets using both fundamental and technical approaches to formulate and refine trading strategies, as well as developing and implementing risk management practices to protect trading positions in line with internal risk policies and external regulations.

The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in energy trading, with a strong understanding of global energy markets and pricing dynamics, and may have prior experience setting up desks. The role requires strong risk management skills and the ability to make data-driven decisions under pressure, along with proficiency in trading platforms, data analysis tools, and financial modeling.

the client offers 360° search solutions to global commodities markets, supporting a broad range of participants across physical trading. the client is partnering with a dynamic and rapidly expanding physical commodities trading group in search of an experienced cement trader to set up and run a global cementitious products trading team based in dubai.

Key responsibilities include driving the growth and development of trading operations focused on cement and related products such as clinker, gypsum, slag, and fly ash. the role will involve building, nurturing, and maintaining robust global relationships with cement suppliers and customers, with an emphasis on Latin America, Africa, and Asia; conducting in-depth market analysis to monitor cement market trends, supply-demand shifts, and pricing strategies; and leading procurement and sales negotiations while managing regional complexities and regulatory requirements.

Required qualifications include 10+ years of proven experience trading cementitious products such as cement, clinker, fly ash, and gypsum, along with a demonstrated track record of successful negotiations and strong relationship management in the cement industry. the role also expects in-depth knowledge of global cement market dynamics, trade practices, and regulatory environments, as well as an established portable book of business reflecting prior client relationships and revenue generation.

The client is seeking a Chief Financial Officer to lead the organization’s financial strategy and oversight. The role will support effective financial planning, governance, and decision-making to strengthen organizational performance.

The Chief Financial Officer will be responsible for managing financial operations and providing executive-level guidance on budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting. The position will also involve partnering with senior stakeholders to ensure financial controls, risk management, and sound financial stewardship.

The client may expect the selected leader to collaborate closely with the search team and provide leadership throughout the hiring process. More information about scope and specific expectations will be shared as the search progresses.

the client is an international company with significant operations in Egypt. the role will drive financial strategy, budgeting, forecasting, and long-term planning, while leading core financial operations across accounting, treasury, tax, internal controls, and reporting. The position will also focus on optimizing cash flow, working capital, and the company’s capital structure.

Key responsibilities include partnering with operational and commercial teams to strengthen profitability, cost efficiency, and financial discipline. The role will assess investment opportunities such as new assets, fleet expansion, and infrastructure projects, and will strengthen financial systems and processes to support compliance with local and international standards. It will manage relationships with financial institutions, auditors, regulators, and other external stakeholders.

The successful candidate will hold a degree in Finance or Accounting and, ideally, an MBA or a recognized professional qualification such as CPA, ACCA, or CMA. They will bring progressive financial leadership experience, including experience at the CFO or Finance Director level, and will have a proven track record in transport, shipping, maritime, or logistics with a strong understanding of asset-heavy operations, international trade, and project-based financing. Fluency in English is mandatory, and Arabic proficiency is considered an advantage.

The client is seeking a COO to lead core industrial operations in a large-scale, asset-heavy manufacturing environment. Reporting directly to group leadership, the COO will have full accountability for plant operations and will serve as the architect of operational excellence across the organization.

Key responsibilities include leading a large industrial site with a workforce of more than 1,100 employees, with further headcount growth planned; driving world-class manufacturing standards across production, quality, maintenance, supply chain, and HSE; and elevating export-grade quality, consistency, and compliance for demanding international markets. The role will also strengthen operational governance through KPIs and performance discipline, optimize complex industrial processes to improve productivity at scale, and help prepare the platform for capacity expansion and long-term scalability.

The ideal candidate is a senior operations leader with 15+ years of experience in complex industrial manufacturing, ideally in roles such as COO, Operations Director, Plant Director, or VP Operations. Exposure to export-oriented manufacturing and relevant sectors such as heavy electrical, power equipment, cables, or metals is preferred, along with proven ability to lead large blue-collar teams (1,000+), demonstrate structured and execution-driven leadership, and credibly engage both shopfloor teams and senior stakeholders; fluency in Arabic is a strong plus. This role is expected to be hands-on, with a strong presence on the plant floor, actively driving operational change.

the client is seeking an experienced General Manager Sales for Egypt to lead commercial operations and accelerate market growth. In this senior role, you will define and execute the commercial strategy for the country, combining strategic vision with day-to-day operational accountability across a complex sales organization in a matrixed multinational environment.

You will lead and inspire the sales function to drive revenue growth, margin expansion, and market share gains across projects, distribution, retail, and specification-driven channels. Responsibilities include delivering commercial results with sales excellence, compliance, and governance; driving market expansion and strategic partnerships with developers, contractors, distributors, and key clients; developing and empowering a high-performing sales team with succession depth; and representing the business externally while shaping the commercial roadmap for sustainable growth.

The successful applicant will bring proven experience as a Sales Director, ideally within a multinational construction or building materials context in Egypt. You will have a master’s degree in engineering or business administration, strong strategic thinking with a hands-on, results-oriented approach, and solid technical knowledge of construction and building materials. Fluency in Arabic and English is essential, and you are expected to collaborate effectively across sales, operations, and supply chain teams, including logistics, while demonstrating a track record of sustained revenue growth, market expansion, and strong team performance.

The client is seeking a Chief Financial Officer to help lead and oversee the organization’s financial strategy and operations. The selected leader will be responsible for ensuring sound financial management and supporting informed decision-making across the organization.

The role will typically include managing key finance functions, overseeing budgeting and forecasting activities, and supporting financial planning to align with organizational goals. The Chief Financial Officer is also expected to provide strong leadership to promote effective controls, reporting, and risk management practices.

In this senior executive position, the Chief Financial Officer will work closely with internal stakeholders and support an active hiring process. Additional details about specific responsibilities and qualifications are expected to be communicated as the search progresses.

The client is conducting a search for a Vice Chancellor. The position is part of an institutional leadership selection process, supported by an external advisory firm.

Leads of the search are overseeing candidate identification and evaluation, with support from named individuals involved in the process. The Vice Chancellor role is expected to provide strategic leadership and help guide the organization’s overall direction.

Additional details about the selection process and the specific scope of responsibilities are expected to be shared as the search progresses.

The client is seeking a Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) to lead a newly created people and culture agenda during an accelerated transformation, efficiency optimization, and growth phase following a recent transaction. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, the CHRO will be a core member of the executive leadership team and will partner closely with senior leaders and the private equity sponsor. The role will help drive organisational efficiency, enable change management, and build scalable people capabilities to support expansion across APAC and the Middle East, with a mandate to increase equity value and prepare for a potential future re-listing.

The CHRO remit will cover the full spectrum of human resources, including organisational design, leadership and succession planning, total rewards and incentives, performance management, and talent strategy. The CHRO will also oversee HR operations and governance, aligning people strategy to the investment thesis to ensure the right structure, talent, and incentives support operational excellence and sustained long-term value creation. A key part of the role will be strengthening HR infrastructure, reporting, and governance to support readiness for future public market expectations in line with sponsor and re-listing standards.

The successful candidate will bring proven senior HR leadership experience in private equity-backed, highly commercial, or transformation-led environments. The role requires a commercially minded HR leader with a strong track record of partnering with CEOs and investors to deliver value creation and enterprise-wide change, linking people strategy to financial outcomes. Experience supporting regional growth across APAC and/or the Middle East and operating with clear IPO or re-listing ambition will be highly valued, along with the ability to act as a trusted advisor at executive and sponsor-level forums.

The client is seeking a Chief Financial Officer for its operations within the transport and logistics sector in Egypt. This role is based in Alexandria and offered on an expatriate contract. The position involves driving the company's financial strategy, including budgeting, forecasting, and long-term planning. Core responsibilities include leading financial operations such as accounting, treasury, tax, internal controls, and reporting, as well as optimizing cash flow and capital structure. The role also requires partnering with operational and commercial teams to enhance profitability and cost efficiency while ensuring compliance with local and international standards.

The CFO will assess investment opportunities, focusing on new assets, fleet expansion, and infrastructure projects. Additionally, they will be responsible for strengthening financial systems, managing relationships with financial institutions and regulatory entities, and developing a high-performing finance team. Cultivating a culture of excellence and accountability is a key expectation for this role. The client seeks a candidate who can lead financial strategy and operations effectively, fostering collaboration across various teams.

The ideal candidate will hold a degree in Finance or Accounting, with an MBA or recognized professional qualification such as CPA, ACCA, or CMA preferred. A minimum of 12-15 years of progressive financial leadership experience is required, including at least five years in a CFO or Finance Director role. Candidates must have a proven track record within the transport, shipping, maritime, or logistics industries, with expertise in asset-heavy operations and international trade. Fluency in English is mandatory, and proficiency in Arabic is advantageous.

The role of Head of People and Culture (HPC) is integral to the client's mission of nurturing just, inclusive, and sustainable societies across various continents. Reporting directly to the CEO, the HPC is a key member of the Core Leadership Team and bears collective responsibility for guiding strategic and functional human resource management. This position requires overseeing a global team of People and Culture Managers and collaborating with other organizational leaders to shape strategy, uphold a positive organizational culture, and ensure effective service and operations. The role is pivotal in integrating and advancing a global people and culture strategy that prioritizes Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), people management, and safeguarding practices.

The primary objective for the HPC is to craft and implement a comprehensive people and culture strategy to support the client's overarching Strategic Compass. This involves harmonizing or establishing standards and policies to foster a cohesive organizational culture and improve human resource services across all regions. The HPC is responsible for advising the CEO and the leadership team on culture change, talent attraction, organizational development, leadership, and global HR policies. Close collaboration with People and Culture Managers is essential to foster an inclusive workplace environment. An important facet of the role is the oversight of safeguarding practices, ensuring the design, implementation, and continual monitoring of safeguarding procedures, documentation, and training initiatives for staff and Safeguarding Focal Points.

The Site Director plays a crucial role in setting the clients objectives and establishing strategic plans that align with overall success and improvement. This position involves actively participating in the executive committee to ensure coordination and cooperation for the effective implementation and follow-up of initiatives. The Site Director develops strategies that optimize productivity, reduce costs, and improve operational efficiency across all departments, with a particular focus on the production unit. Additionally, they set objectives for the plant, approve policies and procedures for technical departments, and contribute to general policy formation when necessary.

In their role, the Site Director oversees the operational aspects of all technical departments, which includes production planning, machine and equipment utilization, and the preparation of reports and analyses comparing monthly technical performance against budgetary goals. They are responsible for promoting a culture of continuous improvement, mitigating risks, and driving the on-time completion of operations initiatives. Coordination with department managers ensures that manufacturing objectives are met in a timely and cost-effective manner. Supporting the Quality Management System, the Site Director is engaged in internal audits, quality improvements, and root cause analysis to address deviations and implement corrective actions.

Furthermore, the Site Director sets up key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor departmental progress and performance while ensuring the appropriate selection and evaluation of suppliers and service providers. They play a significant role in procuring machines and equipment, compiling new Drug Registration Files, and managing deficiency letters to achieve successful registrations. Additionally, the Site Director provides feedback to direct reports to enhance performance and motivates personnel through targeted training plans. Their leadership fosters an environment conducive to performance improvement and capability development.