Lead Materials Engineer

About the Role

Parsons is seeking a Lead Materials Engineer to join our team in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This full-time position involves overseeing materials engineering aspects for significant infrastructure projects, ensuring compliance with international standards and local regulations. The role requires a strong background in construction materials and quality assurance processes.

Key Responsibilities

• Review and approve specifications and materials for various infrastructure components, including rail/railway infrastructure, stations, tunnels, viaducts, depots, trackwork, roads, and utilities.
• Evaluate a wide range of construction materials such as concrete, cement, aggregates, reinforcement, structural steel, asphalt, earthworks materials, waterproofing systems, grouts, coatings, sealants, and geosynthetics.
• Ensure materials comply with project specifications, approved designs, applicable international standards, and Saudi regulatory requirements.
• Assess proposed material substitutions, alternative products, and innovative or sustainable materials.
• Advise design, construction, procurement, and quality teams on material suitability, durability, availability, and lifecycle performance.
• Review and approve contractor material submittals, quality plans, inspection and test plans, and testing procedures.
• Oversee laboratory and field testing for various construction materials and review concrete mix designs, trial mixes, test results, material certificates, and laboratory reports.
• Investigate material defects, failures, and nonconforming work, including concrete cracking, low strength, surface defects, settlement, poor compaction, waterproofing failures, and pavement deterioration.
• Ensure materials and construction processes comply with project specifications, relevant international standards, and applicable local regulations.
• Review and assess suppliers, manufacturers, material sources, quarries, concrete plants, asphalt plants, precast facilities, and testing laboratories.
• Provide technical support to project managers, engineers, construction teams, and quality personnel.
• Participate in design reviews, construction meetings, inspections, audits, technical workshops, and defect investigations.
• Prepare technical reports, material evaluations, audit reports, investigation reports, and compliance summaries.
• Mentor materials engineers, inspectors, laboratory technicians, and junior staff.

Qualifications and Experience

• Minimum 10 years of experience in the design, selection, maintenance, testing, and troubleshooting of construction materials.
• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Construction Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience working on major civil, infrastructure, or heavy construction projects.

Required Skills

• Strong knowledge of construction materials, material testing methodologies, and quality assurance processes.
• Good understanding of international standards and specifications related to material engineering.
• Experience reviewing concrete mix designs, earthworks materials, construction products, and material compliance requirements.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and technical evaluation skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

Desired Skills

• Knowledge of rail, metro, transit, or transportation systems engineering principles and practices.

Work Environment

This is a full-time position based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, offering an opportunity to contribute to significant infrastructure development projects with Parsons.