Government Relations Manager

About the Role

Taj HR is seeking a Government Relations Manager for a full-time position in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This role is responsible for overseeing all regulatory, permitting, and licensing activities required across the company's development and property portfolio. The Manager ensures timely and compliant engagement with relevant Saudi government authorities, which is critical for safeguarding project delivery timelines and operational licenses.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the end-to-end process for all regulatory certificates, permits, and licenses across projects within target timelines.
• Obtain building permits, Civil Defence certificates, completion certificates, and occupancy approvals.
• Manage the issuance of required governmental approvals, certifications, and registrations for all departments.
• Monitor and track all permit and approval statuses using a structured tracker.
• Manage electricity connections with SEC (Saudi Electricity Company) and coordinate water and sewage connections with NWC (National Water Company) within target timelines.
• Ensure all public utility activations are completed prior to project handover.
• Build and maintain productive relationships with key regulatory bodies including Municipality (Baladiya), Civil Defence, MOMRA, SEC, NWC, and other relevant authorities.
• Liaise with ministries and government entities to resolve project-specific regulatory issues and represent the company professionally in all government interactions.
• Monitor legislative and regulatory changes affecting development activities and communicate updates to management.
• Develop and maintain GR department policies and procedures in line with Saudi law and company objectives.
• Manage formal correspondence and official letters with government entities.
• Direct, manage, and develop the GR Coordinator, allocating tasks and ensuring understanding of KPIs and accountability frameworks.

Qualifications and Experience

• 5-10 years of experience in government relations or a related field.
• Demonstrated ability to manage regulatory, permitting, and licensing processes.
• Strong understanding of Saudi government authorities and regulatory frameworks.
• Proven track record of building and maintaining relationships with government entities.

Reporting and Authority

The Government Relations Manager reports directly to the CTSO. The role includes financial authority as per the company's Delegation of Authority (DoA) and the authority to engage and negotiate directly with government authorities on the company's behalf. This position also holds authority to approve GR-related correspondence and formal letters, and to sign off on permit applications and regulatory documentation via DocuSign. The Manager does not have authority to commit the company to financial, legal, or contractual obligations without CTSO approval.

Performance Indicators

• Building permits obtained within 4–6 weeks of application.
• Civil Defence certificate secured within 2–4 weeks of project completion.
• Completion certificates obtained within 4–6 weeks of practical completion.
• SEC electricity activation completed within 6–8 weeks of connection application.
• Water and sewage connections completed within 6–8 weeks of NWC application.
• 100% of regulatory submissions made within required timelines.
• Zero regulatory or authority-related project delays attributable to the GR function.
• Zero fines or penalties for regulatory non-compliance.

Internal and External Communications

Internal communications involve regular reporting to the CTSO on permit status, escalation of regulatory issues, and strategic alignment. The role also coordinates with the Construction Team for project delivery, Design & Engineering for planning and design approvals, UAPM Operations for operational license and connection coordination, and Finance for government fee processing and budget tracking.

External communications are maintained with Baladiya (Municipality) for building permits, completion certificates, and occupancy approvals; Civil Defence for fire safety certificates and inspections; MOMRA for regulatory compliance and planning approvals; SEC (Saudi Electricity Company) for power connection applications and activations; NWC (National Water Company) for water and sewage connections; and other relevant ministries and regulatory bodies as applicable.