Director Operational Readiness

About the Role

Qiddiya Investment Company is seeking a Director - Operational Readiness to lead the strategy, governance, and performance of an assigned operational readiness portfolio. This full-time position is based in Riyadh, Riyadh Province, and involves translating business objectives into integrated readiness plans that ensure safe, compliant, and controlled activation.

Role Purpose and Scope

The Director will provide leadership across various operational readiness workstreams, including operating model development, workforce, processes, technology, facilities, service mobilization, and transition planning. The role focuses on optimizing readiness outcomes through effective assurance, risk management, stakeholder alignment, and evidence-based decision-making for complex programs and assets.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the operational readiness strategy and integrated governance for the assigned portfolio, aligning priorities and performance with business objectives.
• Establish portfolio-wide readiness standards, assurance requirements, decision gates, reporting protocols, and escalation routes.
• Direct workstream managers and advisers in integrating operating models, workforce, processes, technology, facilities, supply chain, and service mobilization.
• Provide leadership on readiness planning, sequencing, resource prioritization, dependency management, and recovery actions.
• Align senior stakeholders on activation priorities, material risks, delivery trade-offs, and required evidence for operational decisions.
• Drive readiness performance through clear measures, disciplined governance, and timely executive reporting.
• Oversee operational requirements through design, procurement, commissioning, handover, mobilization, and opening.
• Review and challenge readiness evidence, commission targeted assurance, and direct recovery priorities when safety, compliance, service quality, or operational continuity is at risk.
• Lead cross-functional coordination of plans, schedules, dependencies, interfaces, and acceptance criteria.
• Present readiness recommendations, activation options, constraints, and residual risks to authorized decision-makers.
• Build productive relationships with delivery teams, operators, consultants, contractors, and service providers to resolve readiness issues.
• Develop readiness capability, oversee assigned teams, and ensure structured knowledge transfer into business-as-usual operations.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, engineering, operations management, project management, or a related discipline. A relevant postgraduate qualification is desirable.
• Relevant project, program, risk, facilities management, or operational readiness certification is desirable.
• A minimum of 12 years of experience leading complex operational readiness, mobilization, transition, or program portfolios in large-scale development, infrastructure, real estate, destination, venue, or similar operating environments.
• Demonstrated success in establishing governance and assurance, integrating cross-functional plans, managing senior stakeholders, leading multidisciplinary teams, resolving critical dependencies, and guiding organizations through handover, activation, and transition into stable operations.

Work Environment

The role requires adherence to company policies, safety requirements, confidentiality, and document-control practices. The Director will maintain clear records, support continuous improvement initiatives, and operate within approved delegated authorities, recommending activation decisions to authorized decision-makers.