Manager- Rail Projects Governance and Monitoring

Roads and Transport Authority; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 420,000 - 820,000; Full time

Job summary

Roads and Transport Authority in Abu Dhabi seeks an experienced leader to govern rail planning and development projects, establishing governance frameworks, ensuring standards compliance, and driving continuous improvement. You will oversee technical assurance, quality management, risk reviews, change management, and the reporting dashboards that track progress and readiness for handover.

A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in civil/railway/transport engineering (or related fields) and 12+ years of

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in civil/railway/transport engineering or related fields.
• Minimum 12+ years of experience with a Master's degree (14+ with a Bachelor's).

Responsibilities

• Develop governance frameworks, technical assurance methodologies and QA processes.
• Lead governance reviews across planning, design, implementation and handover phases.
• Oversee compliance with approved standards, specifications and implementation requirements.
• Direct project risk reviews, change requests, and technical deviations evaluation.
• Maintain rail project dashboards and governance reporting for progress and readiness.

Skills

Governance

Quality assurance

Risk management

Project governance

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in civil/railway/transport engineering (or related fields)

Job description

Job description

Job Purpose

Lead the governance, technical assurance, and quality management of rail planning and development projects by establishing governance frameworks, overseeing compliance with approved standards throughout the project lifecycle, managing project risks and technical changes, and driving continuous improvement to ensure consistent, safe, and high-quality delivery of railway infrastructure projects.

Roles and Responsibilities

Strategy

• Develop and implement governance frameworks, technical assurance methodologies, and quality management processes for rail planning and development projects in alignment with RTA strategies and international railway best practices.
• Establish governance mechanisms for applying approved technical standards, reviewing design deviations, and managing requests for technical amendments across departmental projects.
• Lead the development and periodic review of governance policies, procedures, technical guidelines, and approval processes supporting project delivery.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives by analyzing governance findings, project performance trends, technical audits, and lessons learned to strengthen project governance.
• Benchmark governance practices, project assurance methodologies, and technical review processes against leading railway authorities to enhance departmental performance.

Operations

• Lead governance reviews throughout the planning, design, implementation, commissioning, and handover phases, ensuring projects satisfy governance requirements before progressing through approval gates.
• Direct technical assurance activities by overseeing compliance with approved technical standards, specifications, and implementation requirements across all rail development projects.
• Oversee monitoring of project quality, technical compliance, and implementation progress through site reviews, governance assessments, and technical audits.
• Lead governance of Pilot, PAC and FAC processes, ensuring projects achieve operational, safety, and regulatory readiness before acceptance.
• Direct department-wide project risk reviews, ensuring technical, program, quality, and implementation risks are identified, monitored, mitigated, and escalated appropriately.
• Lead governance of project change requests, technical deviations, claims, and design modifications by evaluating their technical, financial, operational, and schedule implications before approval.
• Oversee development and maintenance of rail project dashboards, ensuring timely reporting of project progress, governance status, technical performance, risks, and key decision points.
• Direct investigation of technical non-conformities and governance findings, ensuring corrective and preventive actions are implemented and monitored to closure.
• Oversee governance of project documentation, commissioning records, and Supply, Installation and Commissioning Files to ensure complete project close-out and successful asset handover.
• Lead implementation of contractor and consultant performance evaluation frameworks, ensuring governance requirements are consistently applied across all projects.

Product/Process Improvement

• Drive initiatives that strengthen governance effectiveness, technical assurance practices, and project quality across the Rail Planning and Development Department.
• Promote digital governance tools, dashboards, and performance reporting solutions that improve project visibility and decision‑making.
• Standardize governance reviews, technical approval procedures, documentation requirements, and quality assurance practices across departmental projects.
• Lead post‑project evaluations and lessons learned programs to continuously improve governance frameworks, technical standards, and project delivery methodologies.
• Evaluate new governance initiatives, technical methodologies, and improvement opportunities to enhance departmental efficiency and project outcomes.

Physical Working Conditions

• Conduct site visits, inspections, and consultant reviews during all project phases, including construction, testing, and commissioning.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree/ Master’s degree in civil engineering, railway engineering, transportation engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, Mechatronics Engineering or Electromechanical Engineering
• Must have minimum 12+ Years of experience in case of Master’s degree (14+ years in case of Bachelor’s degree) in related field