Hire an experienced Project Manager to oversee residential renovation projects, coordinating contractors, timelines, budgets, and project delivery from acquisition to completion.
Challenges
Budget constraints — the offered salary was below the market rate for experienced Project Managers in Dubai.
Language requirement — the client required Russian-speaking candidates only, significantly reducing the available talent pool
Process
1. Candidate profiling Worked closely with the client to define the ideal candidate profile. Identified the key hiring criteria:
Engineering background
Russian fluency
Hands-on experience managing residential renovation and property flipping projects
Based in Dubai
Valid UAE driving license
2. Market mapping
Assessed the local talent market and identified a limited pool of qualified professionals.
Developed a targeted sourcing strategy focused on candidates already working in Dubai.
Prioritized quality over volume due to the niche requirements.
3. Multi-channel candidate search
Advertised the role on Indeed and LinkedIn to maximize market reach.
Conducted proactive outreach to passive candidates through LinkedIn and professional networks.
Combined inbound applications with direct sourcing to build a qualified pipeline.
4. Assessment Conducted structured interviews to evaluate:
Experience managing renovation projects
Knowledge of the Dubai construction and renovation market
Project coordination and stakeholder management skills
Motivation and long-term fit with the company
5. Successful placement
Identified a candidate who closely matched all key requirements.
Guided the candidate through the interview process and offer negotiation.
Successfully hired a Russian-speaking Project Manager with an engineering background and relevant renovation experience.
Our results
Successfully placed a Russian-speaking Project Manager with a strong engineering background and relevant renovation project experience within 3 weeks.
3 weeks
From search kickoff to closed role
Strong engineering background
Due to the focus on strongly established companies with good reputation, I managed to find a strong candidate with good referrals from ex employers
10 shortlisted candidates
I focused on candidates who strongly match the agreed criteria