Project & Change Lead - Data & AI Services

We offer you an Ocean of Possibilities. Join our family.
JOB DESCRIPTION
Position Title: Project & Change Lead - Data & AI Services
Department: Data & AI / Shared Services
Location: Damen Shared Services, Abu Dhabi
Reports To: Head of Data & AI
Employment Type: Full-Time
JOB PURPOSE
As a Project & Change Lead - Data & AI Services, you play a key role in scaling and maturing Damen's Data Shared Service Center (Data SSC). Your primary responsibility is to lead onboarding projects for new data services and capabilities, ensuring successful implementation, stakeholder adoption, and operational integration.
You act as the link between business stakeholders, operational teams, and technology teams, coordinating activities across People, Process, and Technology. Success is measured not only by delivering projects on time, but by ensuring new services are understood, adopted, and embedded into daily operations.
Working closely with Product Owners, business stakeholders, IT teams, and shared service teams, you help transform new opportunities into structured, sustainable, and value-adding services. Knowledge of Data Governance and Master Data Management is beneficial but not essential for success in this role.
About the Organization
Damen is investing significantly in Data, Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, and Digital Transformation to support its long-term ambition of becoming a truly data-powered maritime solutions provider. Existing foundations have been established, and the next phase focuses on scaling enterprise capabilities, improving governance, strengthening data quality, and accelerating business adoption of Data & AI.
The Data Shared Service Center (Data SSC) is a key component of this journey, providing standardized, scalable, and sustainable data management services across multiple business domains. As Damen continues to expand its data capabilities, new services and data domains must be successfully onboarded, governed, and operationalized.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Project Delivery & Service Onboarding
Lead onboarding projects for new services, capabilities, and data domains within the Data Shared Service Centre
Develop project plans, manage timelines, risks, dependencies, and stakeholder expectations
Coordinate activities across business, operational, and technology teams to deliver successful outcomes
Monitor project progress and ensure smooth transition into operational service delivery
Change Management & Adoption
Drive stakeholder engagement, communication, and readiness activities to support adoption of new services
Facilitate workshops, alignment sessions, and change discussions across business functions
Support training and adoption activities that enable sustainable ways of working
Ensure new services are understood, accepted, and embedded into daily operations
Stakeholder & Cross-Functional Coordination
Collaborate with business stakeholders, product teams, and technical teams across Damen
Coordinate decisions, dependencies, priorities, and risks across multiple workstreams
Build alignment between business objectives and project outcomes
Provide clear visibility on project status, risks, issues, and achievements
Continuous Improvement
Support the development of operating procedures, service documentation, KPIs, and onboarding standards
Identify opportunities to improve onboarding efficiency and service quality
Capture lessons learned and incorporate improvements into future projects
Contribute to the growth and maturity of the Data Shared Service Centre
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES
Successful onboarding of new data objects and services into the Data SSC.
High levels of stakeholder adoption and engagement
Delivery of transformation initiatives within agreed scope, timeline, quality, and budget objectives
Effective implementation of change management and communication strategies
Improved consistency, transparency, and governance of Data SSC services
Increased operational efficiency through standardized service delivery models
Strong alignment between business objectives, governance requirements, and operational capabilities
Contribution to Damen's broader Data & AI transformation strategy
QUALIFICATIONS
Education:
Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Organizational Change, Information Management, Data Management, Information Systems, Project Management, or a related discipline
Project Management and/or Change Management certifications are preferred
Experience:
We are looking for a hands-on professional with 4-7 years of experience who can bring structure and momentum to a growing and evolving environment.
You bring:
Experience in Project Management, Project Coordination, Change Management, or Transformation initiatives
Proven track record of delivering projects involving multiple stakeholders and workstreams
Experience working within IT, Shared Services, Digital Transformation, Data, or Business Operations environments
Experience driving adoption of new processes, systems, or services
Exposure to enterprise platforms such as SAP, Workday, Salesforce, ServiceNow, or similar solutions
Business Knowledge:
Understanding of Project Management methodologies such as PMP, Agile, Prince2, Scrum, or similar frameworks
Understanding of Change Management approaches such as ADKAR, Prosci, or similar methodologies
Knowledge of stakeholder engagement, service onboarding, and organizational adoption
Familiarity with Shared Services operating models
Basic understanding of Data Governance and Master Data Management concepts is considered an advantage
Technical Skills:
Project Management
Change Management
Stakeholder Management
Risk & Dependency Management
Service Onboarding & Service Transition
Process Design & Improvement
SAP, Workday, Salesforce, ServiceNow, IFS or similar enterprise platforms
Microsoft 365
Reporting and Dashboarding Tools
Soft Skills:
Exceptional stakeholder management and influencing skills
Strong facilitation and workshop leadership capabilities
Excellent communication and presentation skills
Structured and analytical mindset
Strong problem-solving abilities
Ability to create clarity in complex environments
Collaborative and relationship-oriented approach
Strong organizational and planning capabilities
Professional proficiency in English, both written and spoken
WHO YOU ARE
You are a structured and pragmatic professional who knows how to deliver projects and drive change in complex environments. You are comfortable coordinating stakeholders, managing priorities, facilitating discussions, and helping teams adopt new ways of working. You bring a hands-on approach to project delivery and are able to balance business needs, operational requirements, and technology considerations.
You are proactive, collaborative, and results-oriented, with strong project management, stakeholder engagement, and change management skills. You enjoy creating clarity, building alignment, and turning plans into practical outcomes that deliver measurable value and support the successful onboarding of new services and capabilities across the organization.