Project Director

About the Opportunity

Join Parsons and take your career to new heights as a Project Director overseeing a prestigious mixed-use development in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This leadership role involves full project and construction management responsibilities as the Client's primary representative within the Project Management Consultant (PMC) team. Parsons fosters an innovative, inclusive culture that empowers you to unleash your potential and redefine what's possible.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead daily operations of the project within the PMC team, championing the Client's interests.
• Develop and enforce project governance frameworks, protocols, and reporting systems.
• Create and update comprehensive execution plans covering scope, schedule, budget, quality, risk, and communication.
• Chair internal PMC and Client progress meetings, ensuring clear decision-making and task follow-ups.
• Oversee integrated master scheduling across design, procurement, construction, commissioning, and handover phases.
• Track contractor and consultant programmes to identify and address deviations from milestones.
• Supervise cost management activities, including budget monitoring, change evaluations, and value engineering.
• Manage scope control, mitigate claims, and ensure alignment with business cases and operator requirements.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary design reviews encompassing architectural, structural, MEP, and specialty systems for diverse components like hotels, serviced apartments, offices, and retail.
• Collaborate with Lead Design Consultant (LDC) and specialists to finalize hotel designs, ensuring compliance with brand standards and technical specifications.
• Lead technical assessments and resolve design conflicts across project components and interfaces.
• Support timely approvals with local authorities and involved stakeholders.
• Supervise main contractor construction activities to ensure adherence to contracts, specifications, schedules, and quality standards.
• Manage PMC construction supervision teams including engineers, inspectors, planners, quantity surveyors, and quality/safety personnel.
• Monitor progress specifically on shell & core and fit-out works, especially for the designer hotel and serviced apartments.
• Ensure effective site logistics management to minimize disruptions and rework.
• Review and sanction critical construction documents such as method statements and technical queries.
• Promote a robust safety culture and ensure full compliance with health, safety, and environmental (HSE) regulations and quality assurance processes.
• Track non-conformance reports, implement corrective actions, and support internal and external audits.
• Facilitate liaison between client, LDC, contractors, authorities, and other external stakeholders including utility providers and regulatory bodies.
• Coordinate design reviews, mock-ups, brand compliance, operational needs, and pre-opening activities with designers and operators.
• Work with leasing and asset management teams to address tenant fit-out and office/retail requirements.
• Maintain risk registers and issue logs to identify, assess, and mitigate project risks.
• Prepare comprehensive progress reports and dashboards for client and PMC leadership, highlighting key performance indicators.
• Anticipate and manage potential project delays, claims, and disputes, facilitating resolution and settlement.
• Plan and oversee testing, commissioning, snagging, and handover activities, ensuring all systems meet operator standards and regulatory approvals.
• Support smooth transition to operations and management of defect liability periods.

Candidate Profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Architecture, Construction Management, or related fields.
• Preferred Master’s degree in Project or Construction Management.
• Professional certifications like Project Management Professional (PMP), PRINCE2 Practitioner, or equivalents.
• Membership in a recognized professional body is advantageous.
• At least 20 years of extensive experience in construction and project management.
• Demonstrated success in PMC or client-side roles managing large-scale mixed-use and hospitality projects.
• Hands-on experience delivering 4- and 5-star hotels and serviced apartments, ideally involving international operators.
• Proven managed projects within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, preferably Saudi Arabia.
• Strong expertise in design coordination, review processes, and management of lead designers and specialists.
• In-depth knowledge of shell & core and fit-out phases, including complex MEP and vertical transportation systems.
• Client-centric mindset with high accountability, resilience, and ability to thrive under pressure.
• Detail-oriented, structured, with a strong focus on quality and safety standards.
• Excellent collaboration skills and capability to build effective professional relationships.

Additional Information

Parsons is committed to diversity and equal opportunity, offering positions irrespective of race, color, religion, gender (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability, or genetic information. The company prioritizes employee wellbeing and offers abundant growth opportunities to encourage career advancement. Candidates should be vigilant about fraudulent recruitment and consult official sources to verify legitimacy.