Program Director - Airport

Role overview

The Program Director will lead governance and end-to-end delivery for major, strategically important programs. This role is accountable for keeping several connected projects aligned with business goals while ensuring outcomes are delivered on time, within budget, and with the expected business value.

Core duties

• Lead a team responsible for a wide portfolio of accounts and projects, including task assignment, direction setting, and role clarity.
• Create, refine, and roll out project delivery standards and working processes.
• Take charge of recovery actions when projects encounter serious delivery issues or crises.
• Complete regular, timely, and objective performance reviews for direct reports using standard templates where required.
• Develop trusted working relationships with clients and internal teams to shape practical delivery approaches that follow industry standards and best practice.
• Support business development teams in pursuing and converting new opportunities.
• Represent delivery at management level and participate in recurring management meetings.
• Improve revenue and margin performance across multiple projects and accounts through disciplined delivery.
• Ensure the quality of deliverables and delivery-related communications across the program portfolio.
• Use client feedback and market trends to guide others in meeting current and future client needs.
• Keep teams informed about progress against goals and make sure the implications are clearly understood.

Program leadership and strategy

• Set out the program vision, objectives, and delivery roadmap.
• Make sure the program remains aligned with organizational strategy and expected business outcomes.
• Provide direction to program managers, project managers, and cross-functional contributors.

Governance and oversight

• Put governance structures, reporting routines, and decision pathways in place for the program.
• Track progress against KPIs, budget, and defined risk thresholds.
• Present updates, risks, and issues to the Executive Sponsor and Steering Committee.

Stakeholder management

• Manage senior stakeholders, vendors, and external partners effectively.
• Build productive internal relationships that support collaboration across the organization.
• Maintain open communication and escalate concerns promptly when needed.

Financial and resource management

• Prepare and oversee the program budget.
• Allocate and use resources efficiently across connected projects.
• Drive cost efficiency while maximizing value delivery.

Risk, issues, compliance, and improvement

• Identify, assess, and reduce program risks and issues before they impact delivery.
• Ensure the program follows compliance requirements, regulations, and quality standards.
• Promote ongoing improvement in delivery methods and practices.

Benefits realization

• Ensure the program delivers the intended business benefits and measurable value.
• Track performance against benefits realization plans.
• Support transition into business-as-usual operations and adoption of outcomes.

Qualifications and experience

The ideal candidate should be able to balance detail orientation with a broad strategic view, work effectively under pressure, and demonstrate strong interpersonal and influencing ability while managing multiple priorities professionally.

• A bachelor’s degree in Business, IT, Engineering, or a related discipline is required; a postgraduate qualification is preferred.
• At least 12 years of experience in project or program management, including a minimum of 5 years in senior leadership positions.
• A strong history of delivering complex transformation programs over multi-year timelines.
• Professional certification in program or project management methodologies such as MSP, PgMP, PRINCE2, PMP, or Agile is expected.
• Experience in large-scale environments with multiple vendors is required.

Skills and competencies

• Leadership and team direction
• Stakeholder negotiation and management
• Program and portfolio delivery
• Strategic planning and alignment
• Analytical thinking and problem solving
• Communication and executive influence
• Budget control and financial awareness
• Program governance and PMO knowledge
• Risk management and escalation handling

Personal attributes

• Calm, resilient, and adaptable in demanding environments.
• Inclusive and collaborative leadership style.
• High integrity, accountability, and focus on results.
• Ability to motivate and inspire diverse teams.

Additional information

This role is based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and is an onsite, full-time position.