Director - Asset Management - Technical Operations

About Qiddiya

Qiddiya is set to become Saudi Arabia's premier destination for entertainment, sports, and culture—spanning 360 square kilometers near Riyadh. The project features F1-grade racetracks, theme parks, stadiums, healthcare facilities, and top-tier performance venues, aiming to craft a world-class destination.

As the development expands beyond construction into long-term asset management and operations, emphasis is shifting towards operational excellence, tenant engagement, commercial success, and sustainable asset stewardship. This phase is critical in ensuring that facilities are not only world-class in design and construction but also excel in maintenance, operation, and optimization for the long term.

Role Summary

The Technical Director will lead owner-side management of all technical facets concerning hospitality assets within Qiddiya’s portfolio. Responsibilities include overseeing hotel handovers, managing defects, governing engineering functions, reviewing preventive maintenance strategies, planning property operations and maintenance expenditures (POMEC), conducting technical audits, assessing building systems, planning asset lifecycles, implementing sustainability initiatives, and providing operational technical support.

The role demands strategic leadership throughout the asset lifecycle to guarantee proper commissioning, effective maintenance, and efficient operation of assets. The Technical Director will evaluate operator engineering standards, maintenance regimes, capital investment plans, technical benchmarks, energy consumption, and asset status to secure compliance with owner targets and best industry practices.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead owner-side assessments of hotel handovers, ensuring full commissioning and readiness of all building systems, life safety, MEP infrastructure, specialized systems, and support facilities.
• Oversee the management of defects, snagging, warranty claims, and closure processes.
• Coordinate operational readiness reviews encompassing engineering, facilities management, maintenance workshops, spare parts inventory, and documentation.
• Guide technical operations across hospitality assets by monitoring engineering performance, asset reliability, equipment uptime, and related operational risks.
• Evaluate operator maintenance reports, compliance levels, and critical equipment conditions; assist in resolving complex technical challenges impacting service quality or compliance.
• Review and optimize preventive planned maintenance (PPM) strategies, ensuring alignment with manufacturers’ recommendations and lifecycle goals.
• Champion governance frameworks for technical operations and maintenance performance reporting.
• Lead reviews of annual POMEC and capital expenditure proposals, ensuring alignment with asset condition and long-term value preservation.
• Establish technical standards and governance policies for building systems including HVAC, electrical, plumbing, fire safety, BMS, vertical transportation, water treatment, and specialized hospitality equipment.
• Support the implementation of sustainability initiatives, monitoring energy, water, waste, and carbon footprints in line with industry frameworks like LEED, BREEAM, Green Key, GRESB, and relevant Saudi regulations.
• Conduct technical due diligence and asset condition assessments, delivering recommendations to mitigate risks and enhance asset longevity.
• Serve as the principal technical liaison with hotel operators, facilities management providers, consultants, contractors, and internal stakeholders.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Building Services Engineering, Facilities Management, or a related field.
• Preferred professional engineering certification or equivalent registration.
• A minimum of 15 years of professional expertise, with at least 10 years focused on hospitality engineering, hotel technical services, facilities management, or asset management.
• Experience managing operations for luxury hotels, resorts, and large-scale integrated developments.
• Proven track record in leading hotel handovers, commissioning, operational readiness, and defect resolutions.
• Expertise in reviewing PPM systems, maintenance strategies, and establishing engineering governance.
• Strong knowledge of POMEC processes, lifecycle asset management, and capital expenditure planning.
• Background working with international hotel brands and operators, with added preference for GCC region and large destination developments.

Preferred Skills

• In-depth technical knowledge of hotel building systems and engineering operations.
• Lifecycle asset management and capital budgeting expertise.
• Advanced skills in maintenance management methodologies.
• Ability to critically evaluate operators and consultants while fostering collaborative partnerships.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and report interpretation capabilities.
• Financial literacy regarding POMEC, CAPEX, lifecycle costs, and return on investment assessments.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills including senior management reporting.
• Governance, risk, and compliance mindset focused on sustainable asset performance.
• Capability to translate technical information into commercial and operational implications.

Performance Indicators

• Delivering hospitality asset handovers with minimal defects or technical disruptions.
• Completing technical readiness reviews in advance of hotel openings.
• Maintaining PPM compliance above defined portfolio benchmarks.
• Reducing critical equipment failures and downtime across all properties.
• Timely review and approval of POMEC and capital expenditure submissions.
• Ensuring capital projects are executed within budget, scope, and technical guidelines.
• Resolving findings from technical audits within agreed timelines.
• Establishing and upholding asset lifecycle management plans for all operational assets.
• Improving energy efficiency and sustainability performance metrics.
• Minimizing maintenance backlogs and deferred maintenance risks.
• Effectively managing warranty claims and technical risk mitigation efforts.

Benefits

• Opportunities for professional growth within a high-profile hospitality investment organization.
• Dynamic and collaborative workplace culture.
• Exposure to prominent hotel and mixed-use schemes in Saudi Arabia.
• Competitive remuneration with performance-linked incentives.