Head of Private Equity - Leading Investment Manager

Job Description

Head of Private Equity - Leading International Investment Manager

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

A leading international investment manager is seeking to appoint a Head of Private Equity to lead its private equity investment activities across global markets. Based in Abu Dhabi, the successful candidate will be responsible for originating, executing, and managing private equity investments, while helping shape the overall investment strategy and portfolio construction framework.

This is a senior leadership position offering the opportunity to work alongside a highly sophisticated investment team with significant capital deployment capacity across a broad range of sectors and geographies.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the sourcing, evaluation, execution, and monitoring of private equity investments globally.
• Develop and execute the private equity investment strategy in line with broader portfolio objectives.
• Identify and cultivate relationships with leading General Partners, investment banks, advisors, corporates, and industry stakeholders.
• Lead due diligence processes, including commercial, financial, operational, legal, and ESG assessments.
• Oversee financial modelling, valuation analysis, investment committee materials, and transaction negotiations.
• Manage direct investments, co-investments, secondary opportunities, and fund commitments.
• Monitor portfolio company performance and work closely with management teams and boards where appropriate.
• Provide recommendations to senior management and investment committees on new investment opportunities and portfolio management decisions.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing investment team.
• Maintain a deep understanding of global private equity markets, sector trends, and macroeconomic developments.
• Represent the organisation externally with investors, fund managers, advisors, and portfolio companies.

Candidate Profile:

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics, Business, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related discipline. MBA, CFA, or equivalent postgraduate qualification preferred.
• 15+ years of relevant experience within private equity, principal investing, sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, investment management, or investment banking.
• Demonstrated track record of leading and executing complex private equity transactions across multiple sectors and geographies.
• Experience managing significant pools of capital and building diversified investment portfolios.
• Strong financial modelling, valuation, and transaction execution capabilities.
• Deep network across the global private equity ecosystem, including GPs, advisors, intermediaries, and corporate stakeholders.
• Experience leading investment professionals and managing high-performing teams.
• Strong commercial judgement, investment acumen, and strategic thinking capabilities.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Previous exposure to emerging markets and international investing is highly advantageous.