Programme Director, Airport Transformation

include: Define and communicate program vision, objectives, and roadmap; Ensure alignment with organisational strategy and business outcomes; Provide leadership to program managers, project managers, and cross-functional teams; Establish program governance structures, reporting frameworks, and decision-making protocols; Monitor program performance against KPIs, budget, and risk tolerances; Report progress, risks, and issues to the Executive Sponsor and Steering Committee; Manage senior stakeholders, vendors, and partners; Build strong relationships across the organisation to enable collaboration; Ensure transparent communication and timely escalation of issues; Develop and manage the program budget; Ensure optimal resource allocation and utilisation across projects; Drive cost optimisation and value realisation; Proactively identify, manage, and mitigate program risks and issues; Ensure adherence to compliance, regulatory, and quality standards; Champion continuous improvement in delivery practices; Ensure delivery of agreed business benefits and value; Monitor performance against benefit realisation plans; Drive adoption and transition to BAU operations. The role also includes: Managing the team across a broad portfolio of accounts/projects; Defining and implementing standards and processes for project execution; Successfully implementing recovery for project crisis situations; Conducting timely, fair and accurate project reviews; Building strong relationships with both clients and all parts of the business; Supporting new business teams; Representing delivery at a management level; Seeking to maximise revenue and margin across multiple projects/accounts; Holding responsibility for the quality of project deliverables and communications. This is a residential role based in Riyadh with the rhythm and intensity a programme of this scale demands. Compensation is benchmarked at the top of the global market for this calibre of executive. Requirements The ideal candidate must have done this before - not adjacent to it, not on a slice of it, but in the seat. Specifically: • 15+ years leading mega-programmes, with at least one full lifecycle delivery of an airport transformation at international hub scale (Heathrow, Changi, Hamad, Istanbul, Hong Kong, the GCC new-builds, or peer) • Demonstrable command of the airport operating model including: Airside, landside, terminal ops, passenger flow, baggage handling, AODB, common-use platforms, security and border integration • Comfortable in a multicultural delivery environment. GCC or KSA experience is a strong plus but not mandatory • Executive presence to hold the room with Saudi senior leadership, global contractors, and consortium partners, often in the same week NOTE: We are explicitly not looking for airline programme leaders. The operating logic of an airport is different and we need someone fluent in it from day one. Education and

Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Business, IT, Engineering, or related field (postgraduate qualification desirable) • 12+ years of experience in project/program management, with at least 5 years in senior leadership roles • Proven track record of delivering complex, multi-year transformation programs • Certification in program/project management methodologies (e.g., MSP, PgMP, PRINCE2, PMP, Agile) • Experience working in large-scale, multi-vendor environments Key Skills & Competencies: • Strong leadership, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills • Proven ability to lead large, complex programs with multiple dependencies • Strategic thinker with strong analytical and problem-solving skills • Excellent communication and influencing skills across all organisational levels • Financial acumen and experience managing multi-million-dollar budgets • Knowledge of program governance, risk management, and PMO frameworks