Water DCS Projects Manager - Automation

Overview

This role involves leading the comprehensive delivery of intricate water Distributed Control Systems (DCS) and automation projects. The successful candidate will ensure seamless integration of control systems, software, hardware, and third-party components while maintaining compliance with safety, contractual, budget, schedule, quality, profitability, and customer satisfaction requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee project phases from contract handover, through engineering, procurement, production, integration, testing, commissioning to acceptance and warranty support.
• Develop and maintain execution plans, assign responsibilities, establish governance, and set performance metrics.
• Ensure project adherence to defined scope, timelines, budgets, quality standards, safety protocols, profitability goals, and cash flow requirements across various teams and locations.
• Manage delivery and integration of DCS, SCADA, PLC, RTU, communications, control panels, instrumentation, and third-party systems.
• Address brownfield project needs including legacy system migration, phased transitions, redundancy implementation, minimizing downtime, and ensuring operational continuity.
• Guarantee delivery of solutions that are dependable, maintainable, and aligned with client and operational criteria.
• Monitor financial aspects such as project revenue, expenses, profitability, billing cycles, cash collection, and forecasting.
• Handle contractual matters including obligations, variations, claims, change orders, and risk mitigation to protect company interests.
• Engage as the primary senior contact with customers, consultants, operators, and stakeholders; lead meetings, risk reviews, and track actions.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams—Engineering, Procurement, Planning, Production, Quality, Finance, Project Controls, Testing, Commissioning—and manage external partners including technology providers, system integrators, subcontractors, suppliers, and site services.
• Identify, manage, and mitigate technical, operational, commercial, contractual, quality, and HSE-related risks; ensure strict adherence to relevant standards and internal policies.
• Supervise factory acceptance tests (FAT), site acceptance tests (SAT), integrated testing, commissioning, and system performance validation.
• Manage resolution of technical issues and punch-list items within agreed timelines and facilitate training, documentation, spare parts provisioning, customer acceptance, and transition to warranty support.
• Recruit, develop, and manage team performance fairly and effectively to build a strong management line; administer delegations of authority per company policy.
• Maintain accountability for operational outcomes, anticipate challenges, make timely decisions, and achieve high-quality, cost-effective project delivery.
• Translate corporate goals into actionable business plans, monitor performance, provide progress reports, manage budgets, and optimize cost efficiency.
• Structure and evolve organizational roles and job descriptions to meet current and future needs.
• Drive process improvements through defined policies, procedures, and automation initiatives; navigate and leverage relevant IT solutions to spread culture of automation.
• Champion quality as the company's key competitive edge and lead efforts to uphold it.
• Adapt to emerging technologies, management practices, and business models.
• Ensure a safe, legally compliant, and secure working environment consistent with standard regulations.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a closely related discipline.
• 6 to 10 years of relevant professional experience in project management, engineering, and control system delivery.

About the Company

alfanar is a Saudi-based multinational specializing in manufacturing and trading a diverse range of electrical products across low, medium, and high voltages, alongside solutions in conventional and renewable energy, oil and gas, water treatment, infrastructure, technical services, and digital technology. Operating from a vast state-of-the-art manufacturing complex in Riyadh, alfanar emphasizes premium quality standards and continuous human capital development within a proactive, empowering work environment.