Engineering & Maintenance Director

KEOLIS Group; Dubai; On-site; AED 300,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading transportation company in Dubai is seeking a Director of Maintenance and Engineering to lead the strategic and operational oversight of its Engineering and Maintenance departments. This role is critical in ensuring high standards of operational efficiency and reliability across services. Candidates must hold an engineering degree and have at least five years in a senior leadership role, preferably in public transport or rail. Fluency in English is required, with knowledge of Arabic or French as an advantage.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years in a senior leadership role in public transport or rail industry.
• Fluent in English; knowledge of Arabic or French is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic and operational oversight of Engineering & Maintenance.
• Ensure achievement of maintenance KPIs across all services.
• Oversee financial management and budgets for the departments.
• Champion innovative technologies to enhance asset life.

Skills

Leadership in a dynamic environment

Digital tools and data analytics

Stakeholder engagement

Maintenance KPIs management

Education

Engineering Graduate in relevant fields

Master's degree in engineering (preferred)

Job description

The Director Maintenance and Engineering leads the strategic and operational oversight of the Engineering & Maintenance departments within Keolis MHI. This role is crucial in ensuring high standards of operational efficiency, maintenance excellence, safety, and reliability across all services provided by the organisation.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic

1. Develop and refine overarching strategies that guide the engineering and maintenance departments.
2. Champion innovative technologies and process improvements to enhance asset life and reduction of lifecycle cost.
3. Deliver maintenance KPIs, aligning with strategic objectives for profit improvement.
4. Champion the business continuity and enterprise risk management initiatives.

Financial

1. Oversee the financial management of Engineering and Maintenance departments, ensuring budgets are effectively managed and aligned with organizational goals.
2. Drive the strategic objectives of profit improvement through effective financial oversight and innovative cost management strategies.
3. Drive optimisation, where applicable, on the maintenance regime to optimize the cost.
4. Drive actions to manage the financial risks and to realise the opportunities.

Stakeholder / Customer

1. Ensure alignment with Operations department on broader corporate objectives and facilitate integration across all functional areas.
2. Serve as the primary executive contact for government contracts, regulatory agencies, and major suppliers or contractors.
3. Ensure that all contractual obligations are met and relationships with these entities are managed to foster mutual benefits.
4. Work collaboratively with RTA to agree on and implement system enhancements.

Operational

1. Ensure that maintenance KPIs for response, repair times and CFA availability are consistently achieved.
2. Oversee comprehensive maintenance programs for all rolling stock and infrastructure to maximize asset life and reliability.
3. Deliver improvements to reduce disruptions and enhance network resilience against failures and optimize system performance.
4. Develop and implement data‑driven strategies to enhance maintenance efficiencies.
5. Utilise digital tools and data analytics to monitor and improve performance based on contractual and leading indicators.
6. Develop detailed business strategies for maintenance including mileage management, alternate supplier development, and overhaul and maintenance optimisations.

DIMENSIONS

1. Leadership in a dynamic, high‑stakes environment.
2. Management of large, complex projects and initiatives across multiple departments.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education

• Engineering Graduate in Electrical, Civil, Electronics & Communications, Transportation/Automobile or Mechanical Engineering or related fields.
• Bachelor’s in engineering discipline (B.Tech / BE).
• Master’s degree in engineering (M.E./M.Tech) is preferred.

Experience

• At least 5 years in a senior leadership role such as a Director or Deputy Director or equivalent overseeing operations or maintenance within the public transport or rail industry, preferably the mass rapid transit systems or high‑speed railways.
• Working knowledge of rail system engineering and maintenance or busy mass rapid operations.

Skills / Training

• Fluent in English.
• Knowledge of Arabic or French will be an added advantage.