Location : Saudi Arabia
Industry: Infrastructure & Construction
Availability: ASAP (Immediate Availability or Short Notice Preferred)
Position Context
As part of the delivery of major infrastructure developments and giga projects in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, we are seeking an experienced Operations Director to lead and optimize engineering operations across multiple business units.
The role will be responsible for overseeing multidisciplinary engineering activities, ensuring operational excellence, project delivery performance, financial profitability, and sustainable business growth across Design, Infrastructure, and Structural Engineering disciplines.
Key Responsibilities
Operational Leadership
- Lead and oversee all engineering operational activities across Design, Infrastructure, and Structural disciplines.
- Manage and support Discipline Directors and Project Leadership Teams.
- Ensure alignment between operational execution and corporate strategic objectives.
- Drive a culture of operational excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Project Delivery & Performance
- Ensure successful project delivery in terms of quality, schedule, budget, and client satisfaction.
- Oversee complex multidisciplinary project portfolios and major infrastructure programs.
- Establish and maintain effective project governance and performance monitoring frameworks.
- Identify, assess, and mitigate technical, contractual, operational, and commercial risks.
Financial Management
- Drive operational profitability and overall business performance.
- Manage and monitor operational P&L responsibilities.
- Optimize resource allocation and utilization across projects and business units.
- Support budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning activities.
Business Development & Client Management
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with strategic clients, partners, and stakeholders.
- Contribute to business development initiatives, tender submissions, and technical proposals.
- Support market expansion and growth objectives within Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East region.
- Represent the organization at executive-level meetings and industry engagements.
People Leadership & Talent Development
- Lead and develop large multidisciplinary teams and senior management personnel.
- Implement succession planning and leadership development initiatives.
- Foster a high-performance culture focused on collaboration, innovation, and professional growth.
- Support talent retention and organizational capability development.
Candidate Profile
- Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering (mandatory).
- Master’s Degree or MBA is considered an advantage.
- Minimum 20 years of experience within Engineering Consultancy, Design Engineering, or EPCM environments.
- Proven experience delivering large-scale international mega projects and giga projects.
- Strong background within the Infrastructure & Construction sector.
- Significant Middle East experience is required, with Saudi Arabia experience highly preferred.
- Previous experience within leading international engineering consultancies such as:
- Buro Happold
- Arup
- WSP
- AECOM
- or equivalent organizations.
- Demonstrated success managing large multidisciplinary teams and complex project organizations.
- Fluent English is mandatory.
- Arabic is preferred but not mandatory.
Key Competencies
Technical & Operational
- Engineering consultancy operations management.
- Infrastructure, transportation, utilities, and structural engineering projects.
- Large-scale project and portfolio management.
- Contract management (FIDIC and consultancy agreements).
- Financial management and P&L responsibility.
- Risk management and mitigation.
- Resource planning and workforce optimization.
- Project governance and performance management.
- Operational excellence and process improvement.
- Business growth and organizational development.
Leadership & Management
- Executive leadership.
- Strategic planning and decision-making.
- Organizational transformation and change management.
- Senior stakeholder management.
- Team development and succession planning.
- Negotiation and conflict resolution.
- Cross-functional leadership.
Soft Skills
- Results-driven mindset.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
- Executive presence and influence.
- High level of accountability and ownership.
- Resilience and adaptability.
- Commercial awareness.
- Ability to perform effectively in fast-paced, complex, and multicultural environments.