ELV & Security Lead

GHD; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 350,000 - 550,000; Full time

Job summary

GHD is seeking an experienced ELV & Security Lead in Abu Dhabi to manage and mentor the ELV team across the Middle East. You will drive technical excellence, oversee multi-discipline projects, and maintain strong client relationships while aligning with regulatory standards.

The role requires 12+ years in ELV design and delivery, with significant UAE/Middle East experience, and a proven track record in leadership and business development within complex projects.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Telecommunications Engineering or related discipline.
• 12+ years in ELV design consultancy and project delivery, including 7+ years in the Middle East.
• Proven experience leading ELV teams and managing multidisciplinary delivery.
• Strong client-facing experience with ability to build long-term relationships.
• Extensive knowledge of Telecommunications, ICT, Security, AV, PAVA, and Smart Building systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of ELV engineers and BIM resources.
• Act as the primary client interface for ELV services and nurture repeat business.
• Establish relationships with clients, authorities, and project partners in the region.
• Provide technical leadership and oversight for all ELV projects and ensure quality.
• Identify capability gaps and drive recruitment, training, and development.
• Drive BIM adoption, digital engineering, and best-practice across the discipline.
• Ensure delivery aligns with budgets, schedules, risks, and QA standards.
• Lead work-winning activities including proposals, cost estimates, and presentations.
• Represent GHD in meetings with clients, authorities, and contractors.

Skills

Leadership

Client relationships

Team mentoring

Communication

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Electrical/Telecommunications Engineering

Tools

Revit

AutoCAD

BIM workflows

Digital engineering platforms

Job description

Job description

With more than 14,000 people around the globe, GHD is a leading engineering, architecture, and environmental consulting firm. Through our commitment to making water, energy, and urbanisation sustainable for generations to come, we deliver iconic projects that shape communities, support economic growth, and create lasting value for our clients.

About the Team

Our Engineering team is built around highly experienced professionals who develop long-term client relationships and deliver technical excellence across diverse sectors. Our strong market presence and trusted reputation have resulted in enduring client partnerships and significant repeat business.

Due to continued growth and a strong pipeline of projects, our Abu Dhabi team is seeking an experienced ELV & Security Lead to provide technical, operational, and people leadership across our Middle East business.

This is a highly client-facing leadership role responsible for managing and developing the ELV team, driving technical excellence, maintaining strong client relationships, supporting business growth, and ensuring successful delivery across a diverse portfolio of projects.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of ELV engineers and BIM resources, fostering a high-performance and collaborative culture.
• Act as the primary client interface for ELV services, building trusted relationships and supporting repeat business opportunities.
• Establish strong relationships with key clients, stakeholders, utility authorities, and project partners across the region.
• Provide technical leadership and oversight for all ELV projects, ensuring quality, consistency, and compliance with project requirements.
• Identify technical capability gaps and implement recruitment, training, mentoring, and development initiatives to strengthen the team's expertise.
• Drive technical excellence across Telecommunications, ICT, Security Systems, Structured Cabling, AV, PAVA, Smart Building, and Integrated Technology systems.
• Support business planning and contribute to achieving key business KPIs, including utilisation, revenue, profitability, project performance, and client satisfaction.
• Collaborate with Project Directors, Project Managers, Discipline Leads, and Business Group Leaders to ensure effective project delivery and resource allocation.
• Oversee project budgets, schedules, risk management, and quality assurance activities.
• Review and approve technical deliverables, reports, specifications, calculations, and design documentation.
• Lead work-winning activities, including client engagement, proposal development, fee estimation, technical presentations, and strategic pursuits.
• Ensure compliance with local regulations, authority requirements, international standards, and client expectations.
• Support recruitment, succession planning, workforce planning, and career development initiatives within the ELV team.
• Promote innovation, digital engineering, BIM adoption, and continuous improvement across the discipline.
• Represent GHD in meetings with clients, authorities, contractors, and other key stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Telecommunications Engineering, or a related discipline.
• 12+ years of experience in ELV design consultancy and project delivery, including at least 7 years in the Middle East, preferably within the UAE.
• Proven experience leading ELV teams and managing multidisciplinary project delivery.
• Strong client-facing experience with a demonstrated ability to build and maintain long-term client relationships.
• Proven experience managing project financial performance, resource utilisation, project delivery metrics, and business KPIs.
• Extensive knowledge of Telecommunications, ICT, Security Systems, AV, PAVA, Structured Cabling, Smart Buildings, and Integrated Technology systems.
• Strong understanding of UAE authority requirements, including TDRA, Etisalat, Du, SIRA, ADM, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Proficiency in Revit, AutoCAD, BIM workflows, and digital engineering platforms.
• Excellent leadership, communication, stakeholder management, negotiation, and business development skills.
• Strong ability to inspire teams, influence decisions, and drive successful project and business outcomes.

Success in this Role

The successful candidate will be recognized for:

• Building and leading a high-performing ELV team.
• Developing future technical leaders and closing capability gaps.
• Strengthening strategic client relationships and increasing repeat business.
• Driving technical excellence and quality across all project deliveries.
• Achieving business KPIs related to utilisation, revenue, profitability, and client satisfaction.
• Supporting work-winning initiatives and expanding GHD's market presence.
• Delivering exceptional outcomes for clients while contributing to GHD's long-term growth strategy in the Middle East.