Senior Director, Technical Operations Middle East Region

This role covers Middle East Region and is accountable for business indicators such as volume, revenue, and operating income, as well as geographical, supply chain complexity, and bottler maturity considerations. The incumbent works closely with the VP Franchise and the Franchise Leadership Team.

The primary focus is end-to-end Middle East operations across Technical, Innovation, and Supply Chain (TI&SC) workstreams in partnership with the Franchise team and bottlers.

• Provide technical leadership and execution support to Middle East operations across all TI&SC functional areas, partnering with franchise units and bottling partners.

• Be responsible for business continuity and risk management strategies, adapting global frameworks to the specific context of Middle Eastern markets.

• Work with bottling partners and franchise leaders to make sure demand is met with enough production capacity in place.

• Ensure strong governance over capital investment (CAPEX) projects, supply chain initiatives, and productivity programs.

• Lead technical franchise initiatives to set challenging targets for bottling operations while driving efficient execution.

• Monitor and improve key performance metrics regarding cost, efficiency, quality, sustainability, and network capacity.

• Drive the implementation of global standards including KORE, food safety, QSE, and innovation, ensuring compliance across the region.

• Act as a key technical contact for regional and global stakeholders and contribute to the wider technical operations agenda within the Eurasia & Middle East Operating Unit.

• Lead and develop the Technical Operations team for the Middle East, set objectives, and ensure high-performance culture.

• Facilitate best practice sharing and strong technical partnership across multiple countries and with all bottling partners.

• Ensure top quartile performance in all technical functions, including manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and innovation delivery.

• Oversee implementation of major capital projects and productivity initiatives in line with business requirements.

• Maintain a strong technical governance framework and ensure ongoing compliance with group policies, local regulations, and international standards.

• Drive operational excellence, continuous improvement, and innovation in all technical, quality, and supply chain activities.

• Provide technical insight and support for business analysis, decision-making, and risk mitigation efforts.

• University degree (preferably in engineering, technical, or supply chain fields).

• 10-15 years of relevant experience in technical operations, supply chain, and/or quality management, preferably in the beverage or FMCG industry.

• Prior experience in multinational environments and managing technical teams across multiple countries.

• Advanced knowledge of technical and supply chain standards, quality assurance systems, and risk management.

• Demonstrated leadership, change management, and communication skills.

• Advanced English required; additional fluency in regional languages (e.g. Arabic) is an advantage.

• Strong analytical and stakeholder management skills, with an ability to work across different markets and cultures.