Project Director

Overview

This role is for a senior FM leadership position based at the company headquarters in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Project Director is responsible for guiding facilities management delivery across a major project or portfolio, ensuring services are safe, compliant, and consistently high-performing across both hard and soft services.

Role purpose

The position carries overall accountability for client advisory, governance, service performance, financial oversight, resource planning, and risk management. Success in this role means aligning delivery with client expectations, contractual obligations, standards, and agreed SLAs/KPIs.

Technical and governance expertise

The role requires strong knowledge of facilities management standards and compliance frameworks, including SFG20, NFPA, SBC, CIBSE, ASHRAE, BICSc, and relevant ISO systems such as ISO 41001, ISO 9001, ISO 45001, ISO 14001, and ISO 55001 where applicable. Experience is also needed in contract governance, assurance and audit processes, lifecycle and readiness planning, risk management, and protocols for VVIP or critical environments.

Key responsibilities

• Serve as the most senior client contact, chair governance discussions, provide strategic advice, and handle engagement with high-level and VVIP stakeholders.
• Direct the full delivery of facilities management consultancy assignments, making sure contractual, technical, and operational outcomes are achieved.
• Guide, supervise, and develop consultants in line with the agreed team structure.
• Lead mobilization and transition activities, shape the resource plan, support succession planning, and help build a strong performance-driven culture.
• Oversee maintenance across hard services such as HVAC, plumbing, electrical systems, ELV, civil works, BMS, and fire protection, along with soft services such as housekeeping, pest control, waste handling, and landscaping.
• Manage and monitor FMSP and subcontractor performance to ensure compliance with contractual and statutory expectations.
• Track KPIs and service metrics, use them to strengthen governance, and improve overall delivery.
• Maintain control over handed-over assets, lifecycle planning, inspections, and O&M or replacement strategies.
• Apply FM compliance and governance standards, including the PMS procedure, observation logging, NCR tracking, and continuous improvement practices.
• Direct financial and commercial controls, including budgeting, forecasting, cost management, variations, claims, approvals, and commercial risk mitigation.
• Own the project risk register, ensure business continuity readiness, manage escalation and incident processes, and follow through on lessons learned.
• Prepare executive-level monthly and quarterly reports and lead digital enablement and performance improvement initiatives.

Required experience

The role calls for at least 15 years of experience in facilities management across hard and soft services. Candidates should also bring 5 to 7 years of experience in a client-side consultancy or managing-agent environment, working with FM contractors and multidisciplinary teams. The ideal background includes leadership of large, high-profile, or VVIP facilities in government or corporate settings. Hands-on exposure to CAFM/CMMS platforms such as Maximo or similar tools, Power BI, enterprise reporting solutions, portfolio risk tools, ERP interfaces, and governance systems is also expected.

Academic background

A bachelor’s degree in Facilities Management, Engineering, or a related discipline is mandatory. An MBA in Facilities Management or Project Management is preferred.

Language requirements

English proficiency at IELTS 6 level or an equivalent standard is required. Arabic will be considered an added advantage.

Additional profile notes

The source also refers to a background in asset management, maintenance management, or related engineering environments; senior advisory or strategic asset management experience; and work across large-scale FM operations, commercial sites, mixed-use developments, airports, healthcare facilities, or industrial environments. Strong capability in asset lifecycle management, reliability engineering, maintenance planning, and performance optimization is also highlighted.

Ideal soft skills

The position demands strong leadership, excellent stakeholder handling, confident communication, commercial awareness, analytical thinking, sound decision-making, structured problem-solving, team mentoring, discipline in governance and follow-up, adaptability, and effective time management.

Job details

This is a full-time onsite role in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Important note

The source text ends with a recruitment note encouraging applicants with landscaping consulting leadership experience to apply, which appears inconsistent with the rest of the role description. The main role content, however, clearly defines a senior facilities management Project Director position.