Programme Director

About the Company

A top-tier international infrastructure consultancy is searching for a seasoned Programme Director to lead the implementation of a substantial rail infrastructure programme in Saudi Arabia.

Role Overview

This strategic leadership position involves overseeing a multi-billion-dollar portfolio of rail and metro projects from inception through completion. The role demands directing programme delivery, governance, and maintaining client relationships across several concurrent projects to ensure successful outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a comprehensive portfolio of rail and metro infrastructure projects.
• Provide executive leadership in programme management, governance frameworks, and delivery assurance.
• Establish and enforce programme-wide standards, procedures, and delivery methodologies.
• Ensure projects are executed with top-tier safety, on schedule, within budget, and maintaining quality.
• Manage programme controls including planning, scheduling, budgeting, risk management, and reporting.
• Supervise multidisciplinary teams spanning civil works, track, stations, systems, signalling, telecoms, electrification, and related infrastructure.
• Develop and maintain high-level relationships with senior client executives and key stakeholders.
• Encourage collaboration across engineering, commercial, construction, and project controls sectors.
• Deliver strategic guidance on programme performance, risk evaluation, and mitigation strategies.
• Mentor and develop senior leadership within project teams.

Qualifications and Experience

This role requires a candidate with proven leadership in delivering large-scale rail or metro infrastructure programmes, ideally within client-side, delivery partner, or programme management environments. Experience managing complex, multidisciplinary infrastructure portfolios is essential.

Essential Skills

• Demonstrated leadership of major rail and/or metro infrastructure programmes.
• Experience within Programme Management, Delivery Partner, PMO, or Integrated Programme Management settings.
• Management of multiple concurrent projects within a programme or portfolio.
• Comprehensive understanding of the rail project lifecycle from planning to delivery and handover.
• Expertise in key railway infrastructure areas including civil infrastructure, rail systems, track, stations, signalling, telecommunications, electrification, and depot infrastructure.
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement skills at the executive client level.
• Strong leadership abilities managing international, multidisciplinary teams.
• Solid commercial acumen coupled with programme governance and risk management proficiency.

Preferred Experience

• Background in international engineering consultancies.
• Experience with Programme Management Consultancies (PMC) or Delivery Partner organisations.
• Work with major rail authorities, metro operators, high-speed rail programmes, or national railway infrastructure bodies.

Compensation and Benefits

This position offers the chance to spearhead one of the Middle East's largest rail infrastructure programmes. It provides long-term stability, an executive leadership role with substantial influence over delivery, a diverse portfolio of complex projects, and a family status benefits package.

Equal Opportunity Statement

This opportunity is ideal for an accomplished senior rail programme leader with experience in Programme Management, Delivery Partner roles, or PMO environments who excels in complex, client-facing leadership roles and has a track record of delivering large-scale rail and metro infrastructure projects.