Road Transportation Director (Mekkah)📣 Job Ad

About the Role

Systra is seeking an experienced Road Transportation Director to oversee projects in Makkah. This full-time position requires a professional with over 10 years of experience to lead the end-to-end delivery of significant transport initiatives. The role involves managing complex programs, aligning stakeholders, and ensuring projects meet performance objectives and deliver projected benefits on time.

Role Context and Responsibilities

This position offers advisory leadership across the entire project lifecycle, from design review and commercial support to implementation monitoring for bus and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) programs. The Director will be responsible for developing corridor and network strategies, demand forecasting, service plans, and operational models, including fleet planning and depot strategy. A key aspect of the role involves direct interface with public authorities, operators, consultants, and community stakeholders to facilitate governance, approvals, and public communications.

• Manage program controls, including schedule, cost, risk, and quality, by establishing PMO structures, KPIs, stage-gates, and reporting dashboards.
• Review and assure designs for road infrastructure, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), fare collection, and priority measures, coordinating with various engineering and urban design disciplines.
• Drive operational readiness planning (ORAT), service change management, and transition to operations, including safety management systems and incident response.
• Champion user experience, accessibility, equity, and reliability through data-driven service performance management.
• Integrate sustainability and resilience outcomes, such as emissions reduction and energy efficiency, aligning with ESG and client policy targets.
• Mentor teams, build client relationships, and identify business development opportunities, including proposals and thought leadership.

Qualifications and Experience

The ideal candidate will possess over 20 years of overall experience, with at least 15 years in relevant fields such as construction management, real estate development, or transport and mobility operations. Experience in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is mandatory. Proven leadership in delivering large, complex urban mobility programs, either in an advisory or client-side capacity, including PMO setup and governance, is essential. Demonstrated experience in greenfield implementation, bus priority measures, station/stop design interfaces, and ITS/fare systems for bus operations is required.

Required Skills and Competencies

Candidates must have strong stakeholder management skills at senior levels, including engagement with elected officials, transport agencies, operators, and community groups. Excellent communication abilities are necessary to synthesize complex technical information into clear recommendations and executive reports. Familiarity with ITS/SCADA, AVL/RTPI, Automated Fare Collection (AFC), and data governance is expected. A good understanding of safety standards, accessibility guidelines, and design codes relevant to urban bus/BRT systems is also required. Proficiency in MS Office and data visualization tools like Power BI/Tableau is necessary, with desirable exposure to GIS and modeling platforms.

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Transport Planning, Urban Planning, or a related field; a Master’s degree is preferred.
• Professional accreditation such as PMP, PRINCE2, PE/CEng, or PTP/CMILT is strongly preferred.
• Evidence of leading multidisciplinary teams and delivering outcomes within complex governance environments.

Company Overview

Systra is a global leader in engineering and consultancy for public transport and sustainable mobility. With a workforce of over 10,300 employees, Systra is dedicated to designing safe and sustainable transport solutions that connect people, foster social inclusion, and improve access to employment, education, and leisure worldwide. For 65 years, the Group has partnered with cities and regions to develop, improve, and modernize infrastructure and transport systems throughout their life cycle, operating in over 80 countries and generating 74% of its turnover internationally. Systra supports clients in their digital, ecological, and energy transitions to shape the future of mobility.