Senior Director Development (Saudi National)📣 Job Ad

About the Role

The Management Recruitment Group (MRG) is seeking a Senior Director Development to join a major destination developer in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This full-time, client-side development role focuses on supporting the growth of a large-scale residential portfolio within one of the Kingdom’s long-term development programs. The position offers significant influence over product, strategy, positioning, feasibility, and overall development direction for a portfolio that includes villas, townhouses, apartments, and wider residential communities.

Role Context and Focus

This role is primarily focused on the early and mid-development stages. The Senior Director Development will be instrumental in shaping projects from the initial development brief, feasibility studies, and product definition, through design management, approvals, procurement strategy, and ensuring delivery readiness. This position requires a commercial mindset, the ability to challenge assumptions, and a balanced approach to market demand, product strategy, design quality, cost, program, governance, and long-term value. It is not a pure project management, design, or construction delivery role.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead residential development projects from feasibility through to delivery readiness.
• Shape product strategy, unit mix, phasing, and development briefs.
• Drive feasibility, business planning, and commercial optimization.
• Manage design development, consultant coordination, approvals, and procurement strategy.
• Represent the business in senior stakeholder discussions.
• Balance market positioning, design, cost, program, and profitability.
• Support improved development processes across the portfolio.
• Ensure projects are commercially sound and properly set up for delivery.

Candidate Requirements

• Over 10 years of strong client-side residential development experience.
• Experience across villas, townhouses, apartments, mixed residential communities, or large-scale residential masterplans.
• Proven capability in feasibility, product definition, design management, commercial decision-making, and stakeholder coordination.
• A genuine development management background, distinct from pure project management, design, consultancy, contractor, or PMC experience.
• Ability to navigate complex approvals, governance, and multidisciplinary stakeholder environments.
• Strong commercial awareness and the ability to challenge product, cost, program, and design assumptions.
• Relevant degree required; real estate or commercial qualifications are considered an advantage.

Work Environment

The successful candidate will work closely with internal development, design, commercial, delivery, sales, and governance teams, as well as external consultants and stakeholders. The environment is complex and fast-moving, requiring strong judgment, credibility, and patience to drive progress through multiple internal and external interfaces.

Application

This role is suitable for a residential development professional seeking to join a high-profile client-side environment and contribute to shaping communities at a formative stage.