Interim Chief Executive Officer — Scale-up
United Arab Emirates·Technology & Digital Platforms·Posted 25 August 2026
Series B logistics-technology startup, DIFC domiciled
Actively sourcing
A demand profile the Exchange is actively sourcing against. The sponsor is not confirmed on this board, and we say so rather than implying a signed mandate. Registering interest puts you in front of the sponsor when the brief converts.
The problem this seat exists to solve
The founder is stepping back from day-to-day leadership to focus on product and fundraising. Investors want an operating CEO in place for the twelve months to the next round, with the founder remaining on the board.
The remit
- Run the business day to day while the founder leads product and fundraising
- Build the commercial operating cadence a Series C investor will diligence
- Recruit the leadership layer the company lacks
- Work with the board on the permanent leadership structure
What the sponsor will not compromise on
- Operating CEO or COO experience in a venture-backed business past product-market fit
- Experience of working alongside a founder who remains on the board — the hardest part of this role
- Regional experience in the Gulf or wider MENA
- Willingness to take a meaningful equity component
Terms
- Engagement
- Twelve months, full time, based in Dubai.
- Compensation
- AED 90,000 – 130,000 a month plus equity.
- Cross-border
- A DIFC executive role requires residency and, for a regulated function, DFSA approval. Sponsorship is available.
Before you apply — this is an executive role
An interim mandate needs work authorisation. A board seat in the United Arab Emirates usually does not.
This is the single most common way a cross-border interim engagement falls apart after it has been agreed. The visa-free position that applies to a non-executive director attending board meetings does not extend to an executive or operating role.
- Position in the United Arab Emirates
- A non-resident non-executive director attending board meetings travels on a visit visa. A resident director role, or any controlled function at a DIFC or ADGM firm, typically requires residency and a work permit.
- On this brief
- A DIFC executive role requires residency and, for a regulated function, DFSA approval. Sponsorship is available.
Also open in the United Arab Emirates
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