Materials Engineer

About the Role

WSP is seeking an experienced Materials Engineer to join their Construction Supervision team in Riyadh. This full-time role focuses on a major Roads & Highways infrastructure project. The successful candidate will oversee all materials-related activities, ensuring compliance with project specifications, quality standards, contract requirements, and industry best practices.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage all materials engineering and quality assurance activities across the project.
• Review and approve material submittals, technical specifications, suppliers, and manufacturers in accordance with contract requirements.
• Ensure all construction materials comply with approved standards, project specifications, and relevant authority requirements.
• Review and assess mix designs for asphalt, concrete, treated materials, and other road construction components.
• Supervise material testing activities conducted by contractors and third-party laboratories.
• Monitor quality control and quality assurance processes to ensure compliance with approved Inspection and Test Plans (ITPs).
• Review laboratory and field test reports and provide technical recommendations.
• Conduct audits and inspections of batching plants, asphalt plants, quarries, borrow areas, and material production facilities.
• Evaluate sources of construction materials and verify their suitability for project use.
• Review Requests for Information (RFIs), technical queries, material approvals, method statements, and contractor submissions.
• Support the Resident Engineer and Project Management Team in resolving material-related non-conformances and quality issues.
• Ensure compliance with contract specifications for various materials including earthworks, subgrade, aggregate, asphalt mixes, concrete, cementitious materials, geosynthetics, road marking, safety barrier, drainage, and utility materials.
• Investigate material failures and provide corrective actions and recommendations.
• Prepare technical reports, quality assessments, non-conformance reports (NCRs), and material approval recommendations.
• Coordinate with contractors, laboratories, suppliers, authorities, and multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Monitor compliance with project quality, environmental, health, and safety requirements.
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to Materials Inspectors, Laboratory Technicians, and junior engineering staff.

Technical Requirements

• Extensive knowledge of materials engineering principles related to roads and highways construction.
• Strong experience in quality assurance and quality control procedures for transportation infrastructure projects.
• Proven expertise in reviewing and approving material submissions and technical specifications.
• Thorough understanding of laboratory and field testing requirements for road construction materials.
• Experience reviewing and assessing asphalt mix designs, concrete mix designs, pavement materials, earthworks materials, aggregate sources, quarry and borrow pit operations, and material compliance certifications.
• Familiarity with international and regional standards including AASHTO, ASTM, BS EN, and relevant local authority specifications.
• Strong understanding of pavement materials, geotechnical materials, concrete technology, and asphalt technology.
• Ability to identify quality risks and recommend practical engineering solutions during construction.

General Qualifications

• A minimum of 10 years of experience in roads and highways construction supervision projects.
• Proven experience working for reputable engineering consultancy firms in construction supervision and/or design supervision environments.
• Demonstrable experience on large-scale roads and highways construction supervision projects.
• Experience managing laboratory testing, material approvals, quality assurance, and contractor compliance.
• Previous GCC or Middle East project experience is highly desirable.
• Strong technical expertise in construction materials and quality management.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to quality.
• Effective communication and report writing skills.
• Ability to manage multiple stakeholders in a complex project environment.
• Strong leadership and mentoring capabilities.
• Ability to work effectively within multidisciplinary project teams.

About WSP

WSP is a global engineering and professional services firm. This role offers an opportunity to contribute to a significant infrastructure project within a leading consultancy environment.