Senior Manager – Operations (PRO, Mainland, Freezone & Visa Services)

Location: Dubai, UAE

Reports to Chief of Staff & CEO

About Sarie

Sarie is a Dubai-based, tech-enabled corporate services platform — not a traditional PRO or typing centre. We help businesses set up and operate across mainland and free zone jurisdictions in the UAE, covering company formation, licensing, PRO services, and visa/residency processing. With a growing team and a platform built underway to unify operations across mainland, freezone, and visa workflows.

Role Summary

We're hiring a Senior Manager – Operations to own operational excellence across Sarie's core service lines: mainland company services, freezone processing, and residency visa services. This is a hands-on senior manager role — you'll be responsible for the accuracy, speed, and consistency of case execution across the team, while further perfecting the processes, SOPs, and quality controls that let Sarie scale without breaking client trust.

You'll work closely with our freezone, mainland, and visa specialists day-to-day, and with the Chief of Staff and CTO on standardizing workflows to a unified operations platform.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Delivery

• Own end-to-end case quality and turnaround times across mainland licensing, freezone company formation/renewals, and residency visa processing (entry permits, status change, medical, Emirates ID, visa stamping)
• Act as the final escalation point for complex or stuck cases across government channels (DED, GDRFA, MOHRE, and freezone authorities)
• Monitor case pipelines daily and proactively flag bottlenecks before they become client-facing issues
• Be the escalation point for any client issues, and preemptively handle any issues from impacting client engagement and relationship management.

Team Mentorship

• Manage and develop the freezone, mainland, and visa specialist team — set targets, review workload distribution, and coach on government process changes
• Run regular team check-ins to track case status, blockers, and capacity
• Build a culture of accountability and accuracy — every submission right the first time

Process & SOP

• Document and standardize SOPs for each service line (mainland, freezone, visa) so quality doesn't depend on any one individual
• Identify recurring errors or rejections from government portals and build checks to prevent recurrence
• Partner with the CTO on mapping current workflows into the new ops platform, ensuring the system reflects how work should actually run — not just how it runs today

Compliance & Government Relations

• Stay current on regulatory changes across DED, GDRFA, MOHRE, and partner free zones (Meydan, IFZA, Ajman FZ, Ajman NuVentures, SPC Free Zone, Shams)
• Maintain strong working relationships with government portal contacts and typing centre networks
• Ensure all client documentation and submissions meet compliance standards before filing

Reporting

• Provide weekly operational reporting to the CEO/Chief of Staff: case volumes, turnaround times, rejection rates, team capacity
• Flag systemic risks (authority delays, policy changes, recurring rejections) early

Requirements

• 8+ years' experience in UAE corporate services, PRO operations, or a similar government-liaison-heavy role, including at least 2 years in a team-lead or managerial capacity
• Deep working knowledge of DED mainland licensing, free zone company setup (multiple free zones), and UAE residency visa processes
• Hands-on experience with government portals (DED, GDRFA, MOHRE, freezone authority systems)
• Strong process discipline — comfortable building and enforcing SOPs, not just executing cases
• Proven ability to manage a team and hold people accountable to turnaround/quality standards
• Excellent Arabic and English communication skills preferred
• Comfortable working in a fast-moving, less-corporate environment where you'll help shape the systems, not just follow them

What Success Looks Like (First 6 Months)

• Client testimonials
• Well Documented SOPs in place for all three service lines
• Measurable reduction in rejection rates and case turnaround times
• A functioning weekly reporting rhythm the leadership team can rely on
• Direct input into the ops platform build, ensuring it's built around real operational needs

Why Join Sarie

• Work shoulder-to-shoulder with the founders — not five layers away from them
• Get in early on a brand that's actually building something credible in a space full of noise
• Build the systems — don't just run the playbook someone else wrote
• Grow as fast as we do — regional expansion means your role won't stay the same for long
• No politics. No guessing games. Just clarity, ownership, and respect.

Experience:

• PRO, Mainland, Freezone & Visa Services: 8 years (Required)

Language:

• English & Arabic (Preferred)

License/Certification:

• Driver's License & Own Car (Required)

Work Location: In person