UAE Business Setup & Visa Operations Manager Location: Dubai, UAE (Hybrid) Salary Range: AED 10,000–12,000 per month (based on experience and performance)
Company Description Dubai Shift is a premium UAE company setup and relocation advisory serving UK founders, investors, and global families. We deliver clean, compliant, high-precision execution across freezones, mainland, residency visas, and banking — while building a trusted, authoritative brand within the UAE ecosystem.
We are hiring a UAE Business Setup & Visa Operations Manager — a high-impact, multi-dimensional role for someone who wants to work closely with the founder, take ownership across execution and communication, and help build something meaningful from the inside. This is not a narrow operations role. It is designed for someone who wants real responsibility, visibility, and long-term growth.
Who This Role Is Designed For This role is ideal if you:Have solid experience in UAE business setup and visa operations Have worked with freezones such as DMCC, SPC Freezone, Meydan, Dubai Silicon Oasis, or TECOM zones (Dubai Media City, Dubai Internet City, Knowledge Park) Are an excellent communicator — clear, confident, and professional Enjoy working in a founder-led, ambitious startup environment Are comfortable taking responsibility beyond a rigid job description Care deeply about client experience and customer delight, not just task completion Are proactive, curious, and enjoy learning directly from senior stakeholders Want a role where your contribution is visible across the business, not buried in a silo Have demonstrated leadership behaviours in past roles — such as ownership, mentoring, driving performance, or being trusted with responsibility beyond your title Applicants with prior experience in hospitality, concierge, airline, guest relations, or premium client-facing roles are strongly encouraged to apply — especially if you have since moved into UAE operations or freezone roles. This role suits someone young (or young in mindset), hungry to create real impact, and motivated by building — not just processing.
Core Responsibilities Business Setup & Licensing (Primary Responsibility) Lead end-to-end UAE business setup workflows Coordinate with DMCC, SPC, Meydan, SRTIP, TECOM, and DSO teams Manage amendments, renewals, and approvals Track turnaround times and follow up proactively Residency & Immigration Operations Manage visa initiation and portal submissions Oversee ICP and GDRFA workflows Coordinate establishment cards, medicals, and Emirates ID appointments Track residency timelines and resolve issues calmly and efficiently Banking Coordination Prepare clean onboarding documentation packs Liaise professionally with UAE banks for appointments and follow-ups Communicate confidently with relationship managers and internal teams Expanded Role: Client Experience, Brand & Ecosystem Exposure When not directly supporting client setup execution, this role will also:Work closely with the founder on client experience and customer delight Act as a trusted internal coordinator across clients, partners, and stakeholders Support Dubai Shift’s brand and content initiatives by:Assisting with interviews and conversations with senior personnel at freezones, banks, and ecosystem partners Capturing insights, updates, and on-the-ground intelligence Translating operational knowledge into content or practical support for the marketing team Occasionally support social or thought-leadership initiatives where your unique access and operational insight add value These are high-leverage activities, not administrative tasks — and are a core part of why this role is high-impact. How You’ll Work You will work very closely with the founder and clients You’ll have visibility across operations, client delivery, partnerships, and brand At this stage, all primary client communication is founder-led, and you will learn through structured collaboration and shadowing Over time, this role can evolve into a senior leadership position as the firm scales Experience & Skills Required3–7 years of hands-on experience in UAE business setup, licensing, and visa operations Practical experience working with UAE freezones (e.g. DMCC, SPC Freezone, Meydan, TECOM zones, Dubai Silicon Oasis, SRTIP) Direct experience using ICP and/or GDRFA immigration portals Strong understanding of end-to-end company setup and residency workflows Excellent spoken and written English, with confidence liaising professionally with banks, freezones, and senior stakeholders Highly organised, detail-oriented, and reliable Comfortable taking ownership in a fast-moving, founder-led environment Bonus (strongly valued):Prior experience in hospitality or premium client-facing roles (hotels, airlines, concierge, guest relations, luxury services) Ability to translate operational work into a calm, reassuring, high-quality client experience Candidates with both UAE operations experience and hospitality-style client-facing experience will be particularly well-suited — though hospitality experience is not required if you demonstrate strong communication and service mindset.
Why This Role Is Special Manager title with real ownership — trusted to run execution and make decisions Direct founder exposure across operations, clients, strategy, and growth Clear, earned growth path — responsibility increases steadily with performance Leadership runway — as the business scales, team members will be added under you Asset-building role — you’ll build people, processes, and systems that compound in value Merit-based progression — growth, influence, and income increase with results, not politics High-trust, low-drama environment — calm problem-solvers thrive here Clear path to senior leadership as Dubai Shift grows This role is for someone who wants to turn strong execution into long-term responsibility, leadership, and professional growth.
Leadership, Growth & Mindset (Very Important) This role is designed for someone who wants to grow quickly into leadership by taking real ownership. As Dubai Shift scales, performance is visible. The faster you execute well, solve problems, and take responsibility, the faster we add team members under you so you can build and lead an execution team. This is a genuine growth path — not a title-only promise. We are looking for someone who:Thrives in a fast-moving startup environment Is comfortable with pace, responsibility, and intensity Solves problems quickly and calmly, without drama or blame Is good with numbers, timelines, and operational metrics Takes full accountability, including owning and fixing mistakes Does not wait to be told what to do or shift responsibility Can inspire confidence, clarity, and performance in others Enjoys building systems and teams, not just completing tasks We value people who:Take ownership rather than wait for instruction Learn quickly from mistakes and adapt Care about building things properly, not just quickly Think in terms of systems, people, and long-term outcomes This role requires both energy and experience. It suits someone ambitious, committed, and ready to give their best in a high-ownership role, rather than someone seeking a slower-paced, purely corporate position. If you enjoy responsibility, momentum, and building something meaningful — you will thrive here.
How to Apply Email your CV to:📧 [اضغط هنا لمشاهدة البريد اﻹلكتروني]lease include:Subject line: Operations Manager – Dubai The freezones you’ve worked with and the type of work you handled A short (1-page) cover letter explaining why this role appeals to you and how you take ownership Your visa status and earliest start date