Director Operations & Event Delivery📣 Job Ad

About the Role

Qiddiya | القدية is developing a significant entertainment, sports, and culture destination in Riyadh Province, Saudi Arabia. As this large-scale project progresses, we are seeking an experienced Director - Operations & Event Delivery to lead operational planning and execution for the Cultural and Heritage program. This is a full-time position based in Riyadh, requiring over 10 years of relevant experience.

Role Purpose

The Director - Operations & Event Delivery will be responsible for the planning and execution of all event operations and site-wide delivery within the Cultural and Heritage program. The objective is to ensure the safe, efficient, and high-quality delivery of cultural programming, guest experiences, and large-scale event operations, aligning with the overall asset objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end planning and execution of all event operations for the Cultural and Heritage program, including festivals and year-round activities.
• Develop detailed operational delivery models based on programming, marketing, and commercial plans.
• Manage event operations plans, schedules, and resource requirements, ensuring seamless execution of all programming.
• Oversee logistics, site readiness, and event overlay, including temporary infrastructure and services, ensuring readiness across event cycles.
• Coordinate site setup, dismantling, and transitions between programming phases, including movement planning for access, transport, parking, and crowd flow.
• Establish and enforce Health, Safety, and Security (HSE) frameworks, overseeing crowd management, emergency response, and incident management protocols.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and coordinate with security agencies and government entities.
• Deliver a high-quality, safe, and seamless visitor experience, monitoring on-ground performance and addressing operational issues in real-time.
• Manage operational vendors, contractors, and service providers, ensuring performance meets required standards.
• Lead operational feasibility assessments for programming, commercial, and marketing initiatives, ensuring alignment with operational capabilities.
• Coordinate with Asset & Site Management on facilities and infrastructure readiness, and support long-term site usage planning.
• Align operational plans with Asset Management direction and Qiddiya Group functions, providing operational input for planning and budgeting.
• Define and track operational KPIs, monitor performance, and implement continuous improvement initiatives.

Qualifications and Requirements

Candidates should possess 12–15+ years of experience, with a significant portion in leadership roles focused on large-scale operations and event delivery. Proven experience is required in:

• Planning and delivering large-scale events, festivals, or destination operations with high visitor volumes.
• Managing complex, multi-site environments with diverse activities and stakeholders.
• Leading end-to-end event operations, from planning through to live delivery.
• Crowd management, HSE, and security operations for large public events.
• Operational planning and logistics, including transport, access, and site movement.
• Vendor and contractor management across multiple service lines.
• Operating in high-pressure, real-time environments requiring critical decision-making.
• Managing and coordinating with government authorities, regulatory bodies, and security agencies.
• Leading large, cross-functional operational teams and on-ground workforces.
• Experience in pre-opening and activation phases of large-scale venues or destinations is preferred.
• Experience transitioning from readiness to live operations and managing ongoing operational cycles is also preferred.

Key Success Metrics

Success in this role will be measured by:

• Operational delivery against plan.
• Visitor experience and satisfaction levels.
• Health, safety, and security performance.
• Efficiency of event execution.
• Readiness and successful delivery of major events.