Senior Manager Operational Readiness

About Qiddiya Investment Company

Qiddiya Investment Company (شركة قدية الاستثمارية) is seeking a Senior Manager - Operational Readiness to join their team in Riyadh, Riyadh Province. This full-time role is critical for ensuring the seamless transition of major assets and programs from project delivery to operational status within Qiddiya’s entertainment and cultural projects.

Role Purpose

The Senior Manager - Operational Readiness provides strategic leadership for operational readiness across assigned major assets and programs. This involves ensuring an integrated and controlled transition from project delivery into safe, compliant, and sustainable operations. The role sets readiness direction, governs assurance and activation recommendations, and aligns senior stakeholders on priorities, risks, and outcomes to support seamless launches, sustained operations, and exceptional guest experiences.

Core Responsibilities

• Define and implement operational readiness strategy, governance, standards, assurance methodology, and activation decision gates for assigned portfolios, aligned with Qiddiya’s strategic objectives.
• Lead integrated readiness planning and delivery across people, process, technology, facilities, safety, security, commercial, regulatory, and service workstreams, with sequenced plans and accountable owners.
• Provide senior oversight of milestones, interdependencies, risks, issues, decisions, and evidence-based completion status; establish and monitor readiness and operational performance KPIs.
• Collaborate with project delivery, operations, engineering, and stakeholder teams to embed operational requirements throughout design, procurement, commissioning, handover, mobilization, and opening plans.
• Chair senior readiness reviews, resolve cross-workstream dependencies, and direct mitigation and recovery plans for gaps affecting safety, compliance, guest experience, or activation dates.
• Advise executive leadership on readiness status, activation options, residual risks, performance findings, and required decisions, escalating trade-offs beyond delegated authority.

Specific Duties

• Oversee operating-model, workforce, standard operating procedure (SOP), operating supplies and equipment (OS&E), technology, facilities, and service mobilization readiness; ensure staff training and development prepare operational teams to meet defined performance standards.
• Govern readiness for permits, licenses, and regulatory interfaces through accountable functions, ensuring clear ownership, timely delivery, and visibility of unresolved compliance gaps.
• Lead readiness assessments, assurance reviews, inspections, rehearsals, and operational trials; recommend progression through key stage gates based on completion evidence and clearly stated residual risks.
• Oversee consultants, contractors, advisers, and operators supporting readiness, ensuring clear scope, deliverable quality, schedule, and accountability.
• Build team capability through direction, coaching, performance management, and consistent quality standards.
• Champion a guest-focused approach and continuous improvement, applying lessons learned, best practices, and industry standards to improve readiness plans and standardize delivery across the function.

Qualifications and Experience

• Candidates should possess 7-10 years of relevant professional experience.
• Ability to follow applicable company policies, safety requirements, confidentiality, and document-control practices.
• Maintain clear records and perform related duties consistent with the approved role scope.
• Work within approved delegated authorities; recommend activation decisions to authorized decision-makers.

Application Process

Interested candidates are encouraged to apply directly. Salary details will be discussed during the interview process.