Associate Director – Mechanical Building Services for Metro Stations

About the Role

We are seeking a highly experienced Mechanical Building Services Specialist to lead the comprehensive design of mechanical systems for metro/rail stations based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The role involves leading all phases of mechanical station fit-out design including HVAC systems, environmental controls, smoke and stairwell pressurization, technical space cooling, and BMS/SCADA integration.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead HVAC and ventilation system design for underground, at-grade and elevated metro stations encompassing load calculations, plant sizing (chilled water, DX, VRF), AHU/FAHU/FCU equipment selection, filtration methods, and pressurization of platforms and back-of-house areas.
• Engineer smoke control and TVS systems including fan, shaft and damper sizing and arrangement, smoke layer management, pressurization of stair and lift lobbies, PSD heat load coordination and emergency mode control logic.
• Design cooling and environmental control solutions with N+1 redundancy for technical rooms such as S&T/relay/SCADA/UPS, communications and data rooms, including thermal runaway mitigation and alarm setups.
• Ensure equipment suitability in high ambient climates handling derating, coil selection, corrosion protection, economizer assessments, sand ingress prevention, acoustic and indoor air quality standards.
• Manage digital design delivery using Revit, AutoCAD, Navisworks for BIM coordination, clash detection, interface documentation and BEP compliance.
• Prepare comprehensive design documentation including Basis of Design reports, detailed calculations, P&IDs, control sequences, layouts, equipment schedules, specifications, and Bill of Quantities.
• Conduct advanced analyses such as CFD/FDS for smoke and comfort, SES or equivalent ventilation modeling, and coordinate fire strategy and egress workshops.
• Coordinate and manage approvals with Saudi authorities, lead multidisciplinary design reviews, and implement value engineering and risk management processes.
• Provide on-site construction support including response to RFIs, review of vendor submittals, witnessing factory and site acceptance tests, and commissioning assistance.
• Lead, mentor, and manage engineering and design teams, oversee workload planning, ensure QA/QC of deliverables and contribute to proposal development and effort estimation.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering strongly preferred with recognized professional registration e.g., CEng or PE.
• 12 to 18+ years of building services experience focused on major rail/metro station HVAC and ventilation design consultancy work, preferably with GCC experience.
• Demonstrated expertise in station HVAC, smoke control, and pressurization systems compliant with NFPA and EN standards.
• Proficient in critical technical room cooling design with resilience features such as N+1 and duty/standby configurations.
• Experienced in writing control philosophies and sequences, and integrating systems via BMS and SCADA platforms.
• Skilled in BIM coordination and delivering IFC-ready packages using software tools like Revit and Navisworks.
• Competent in HVAC analysis and design tools such as HAP, IES, TRACE, CFD, FDS, SES, and strong computer literacy including MS Office.
• Excellent interpersonal and leadership abilities with experience managing stakeholders and leading workshops with clients and regulatory authorities.

Preferred Additional Skills

• Exposure to district cooling system interface design and energy optimization in high ambient temperatures.
• Knowledge of tunnel ventilation systems and evacuation procedures for multiple station corridors.
• Experience with project approvals through Riyadh Civil Defense and Saudi Building Code authorities.
• Familiarity with RAMS (EN 50126/8/9) and design based on reliability standards.

About the Company

Join a global organization with over 69,000 professionals committed to positively impacting communities worldwide. Be part of a collaborative and talented team driven by innovation and excellence.