Director Land & Public Realm Optimisation

About Jacobs Engineering Group Inc.

Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. is a key delivery partner for one of Saudi Arabia’s flagship giga projects, a central pillar of Vision 2030. This landmark development, located approximately 45 km southwest of Riyadh, is designed as the Kingdom’s future capital of entertainment, sports, and culture. It aims to diversify the economy and enhance quality of life through world-class attractions, residential communities, and natural landscapes, while generating significant employment and enabling long-term, sustainable growth.

Role Overview: Director, Land & Public Realm Optimisation

The Director, Land & Public Realm Optimisation supports City Operations by reviewing proposed land and public realm assets prior to their acceptance into the portfolio. This full-time role, based in Riyadh, All SA Regions, involves evaluating parks, plazas, landscaped areas, pedestrian spaces, and other public assets. The objective is to ensure these assets provide genuine public value, are operationally necessary, appropriately sized, cost-efficient, and sustainable throughout their lifecycle. The position acts as City Operations’ independent assurance function, providing evidence-based recommendations on acceptance, redesign, alternative ownership or management models, and vesting decisions to minimize operational liabilities and support long-term portfolio optimization.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and oversee the Land & Public Realm Vesting Framework, governance standards, and decision-making processes.
• Assess public purpose, beneficiary groups, and ownership responsibilities for proposed land assets.
• Review land size, configuration, and functional need to ensure operational value and efficiency.
• Lead evaluations of parks, public spaces, plazas, green corridors, and other public realm assets.
• Conduct whole-life cost and affordability assessments to ensure long-term financial sustainability.
• Evaluate operational suitability, maintainability, accessibility, safety, and service requirements.
• Provide vesting recommendations, conditions, and assurance for acceptance, redesign, or alternative ownership models.
• Assess and recommend appropriate ownership, funding, and management arrangements to minimize unnecessary liabilities.
• Maintain a citywide public realm portfolio register, dashboards, and reporting to support strategic decision-making.
• Lead stakeholder engagement, cross-functional coordination, and specialist teams to drive sustainable land and public realm optimization.

Required Experience

• A minimum of 15 years of experience in a relevant field.

Work Environment and Culture

Jacobs fosters a culture of caring, promoting inclusivity and positive mental health. The company encourages employees to maximize their potential through support, resources, and flexible working arrangements. Onsite employees are expected to attend a Jacobs Workplace on a full-time basis, as required by the nature of their role.