Development Manager

Overview

Blacksand seeks a Development Manager based in Riyadh, KSA, to oversee property development projects from initial land acquisition through to finalized occupied assets. This role entails managing all stages of the development process in alignment with approved business cases and ensuring smooth transitions through the company’s development gateway framework.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead designated development projects through comprehensive gateway approval phases, achieving sign-offs and closing conditions at each step.
• Translate investment intentions into detailed briefs for design teams, encompassing product mixes, project phasing, and operational models.
• Supervise consultant and contractor engagements, including scope definition, selection processes, and monitoring performance relative to timelines and fees.
• Steer design decisions to manage costs effectively—prioritizing early capital expenditure control while factoring constructability and lifecycle costs.
• Collaborate closely with Asset Management and Operations to integrate operational prerequisites into design phases from the outset.
• Maintain comprehensive project data and reporting systems to support decision-making with credible evidence.
• Oversee procurement and construction management through to project handover, liaising with regulatory authorities, partners, and legal and financial teams to secure agreements.

Candidate Profile

• Holds a degree in architecture, engineering, quantity surveying, construction management, planning, or real estate.
• Chartered status or actively pursuing chartership; ideally registered with the Saudi Council of Engineers.
• Minimum of five years' experience managing development, design, or project activities within mixed-use, residential, retail, or hospitality sectors.
• Proven experience handling developments valued at 100 million SAR or higher.
• Strong commercial acumen with familiarity in development appraisals, Excel, and related program/appraisal tools.
• Practical knowledge of local KSA authority approval processes and insights into the local consultancy and contractor markets.
• Fluency in English is required; Arabic language skills are a distinct advantage.
• Additional qualifications or experience in ISO 19650/BIM standards, Modern Methods of Construction, hospitality or operator-managed projects, or postgraduate studies in real estate or business are beneficial.