Project Director - Major Developments

ADNOC Abu Dhabi UAE; Al Ruways Industrial City; On-site; AED 613,800 - 837,000; Full time

Job summary

ADNOC Group in Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates, seeks a Project Director – Major Developments to lead and deliver large-capital oil and gas projects from concept through handover. The role requires directing multidisciplinary engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning activities within approved budgets, schedules, and HSE standards.

The ideal candidate has 12+ years in oil and gas project engineering/execution, including 5 years leading teams of consultants and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or equivalent.
• PMP certification is required.
• Minimum 12 years of oil and gas project experience.
• 5+ years leading multidisciplinary teams of employees, consultants and contractors.
• Experience managing major capital projects from concept through commissioning.

Responsibilities

• Direct major oil and gas projects from proposal through handover.
• Lead conceptual development, feasibility studies, and early project definition.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary design activities across process, mechanical, piping, civil, electrical and instrumentation.
• Review proposals for practicality, safety, and alignment with business needs.
• Develop structured project plans with scope, cost, schedule and risk data.
• Manage Project Management Consultants and international contractors.

Skills

Major project management

Oil and gas projects

Project controls

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

PMP certification

Job description

Project Director – Major Developments

Role: Project Director - Major Developments

Location: Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates

Industry: Oil and Energy

Function: Project Management

Experience: Minimum 12 years in oil and gas project engineering and execution, including 5 years leading multidisciplinary teams, consultants, and contractors

Job Type: Full-time

Job Snapshot

Project Director - Major Developments in Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates is a senior Oil and Energy opportunity responsible for directing complex multidisciplinary engineering projects from initial concept through design, procurement, construction, commissioning, start-up, and handover.

ADNOC Group is hiring an experienced project professional to deliver new plants, surface facilities, and modifications to existing systems within approved HSE, quality, cost, schedule, and technical-integrity targets.

The role requires strong leadership across engineering, commercial, finance, contracts, construction, operations, and project-control functions. The successful candidate will manage Project Management Consultants, multinational contractors, and internal stakeholders while protecting shareholder objectives and ensuring commercially sound project development.

Country: United Arab Emirates
City: Abu Dhabi Emirate
Salary: 55000-75000 (Estimated salary range based on similar jobs in the city; please confirm the final offer with the employer)
Gender: Any
Candidate Nationality: Any

Context

The Project Director - Major Developments will assume overall accountability for assigned capital projects throughout the complete project lifecycle.

The position will convert early business requirements into clearly defined, technically feasible, and economically justified execution plans.

The role will coordinate multidisciplinary engineering, tendering, procurement, construction, commissioning, and operational-readiness activities. It will also control project budgets, contracts, risks, technical standards, contractor performance, and management reporting to ensure each development contributes safely and efficiently to field and production objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Direct major oil and gas engineering projects from initial proposal through final acceptance and handover.
• Lead conceptual development, feasibility assessment, technical studies, and early project definition.
• Establish clear project objectives, scope boundaries, execution strategies, and success criteria.
• Provide senior technical input into design concepts, specifications, materials selection, and engineering alternatives.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary design activities covering process, mechanical, piping, civil, structural, electrical, instrumentation, control, and associated systems.
• Review technical proposals and determine whether they are practical, economical, safe, and aligned with business requirements.
• Refine initial ideas into structured project plans supported by reliable scope, cost, schedule, risk, and feasibility information.
• Develop project strategies in consultation with user departments, finance, commercial support, operations, and technical functions.
• Approve project work programmes, contractor terms of reference, engineering standards, procedures, and execution requirements.
• Establish the technical and administrative basis for the project execution phase.
• Manage Project Management Consultants and confirm effective engineering coordination, site supervision, and project administration.
• Direct project-management teams across engineering, procurement, construction, pre-commissioning, commissioning, and start-up.
• Coordinate internal and external interfaces that may affect scope, schedule, cost, safety, or technical performance.
• Lead multinational contractors and ensure responsibilities are clearly assigned and monitored.
• Maintain compliance with company project-management systems, engineering standards, approved procedures, and recognised international practices.
• Ensure relevant codes, specifications, and technical requirements are incorporated into project deliverables.
• Initiate and manage the prequalification of consultants, contractors, vendors, and bidders.
• Review technical and commercial tender documentation before issue.
• Participate in technical evaluations, contract recommendations, procurement decisions, and Tender Board meetings.
• Review and endorse purchase orders, subcontracts, award recommendations, and variation orders.
• Ensure procurement and contracting decisions remain aligned with project strategy and approved budgets.
• Exercise overall control over project expenditure, commitments, forecasts, and contractual liabilities.
• Review authorisations for expenditure and verify that proposed spending is justified.
• Monitor project cash flow, financial forecasts, currency requirements, import‑duty matters, and related commercial considerations.
• Identify potential cost overruns, scope changes, and commercial exposure at an early stage.
• Implement corrective measures to protect project economics and shareholder value.
• Manage project changes through controlled scope, cost, schedule, and approval processes.
• Assess the consequences of modifications, rework, delays, and contractor underperformance.
• Prevent avoidable financial losses and production impacts through timely intervention.
• Establish and maintain a project‑specific HSE programme.
• Ensure contractors comply with approved risk assessments, method statements, permits, and safety procedures.
• Monitor construction and commissioning activities to ensure work is performed safely.
• Conduct or oversee HSE inspections, audits, and performance reviews.
• Require prompt corrective action where unsafe practices or compliance deficiencies are identified.
• Set project quality requirements and ensure consistent application throughout execution.
• Review quality plans, inspection programmes, testing arrangements, and acceptance criteria.
• Appraise contractor performance in relation to safety, quality, cost, schedule, technical delivery, and administration.
• Escalate poor performance and require effective recovery plans.
• Maintain the technical integrity of surface facilities throughout design, construction, commissioning, and handover.
• Ensure proposed equipment, materials, layouts, and systems meet reliability, operability, maintainability, and lifecycle requirements.
• Authorise technical comparison studies where alternative solutions may improve cost or execution.
• Evaluate workshop versus field fabrication, concrete versus steel construction, and other project options.
• Select or recommend alternatives based on safety, technical feasibility, schedule, cost, and operational value.
• Develop commissioning, start‑up, handover, and operational‑readiness strategies.
• Advise management of forecast project‑completion dates.
• Support preparation of start‑up plans, staffing requirements, training needs, and operational mobilisation.
• Coordinate phased completion and partial acceptance of plant areas with end users.
• Ensure outstanding work, punch‑list items, testing records, and technical documentation are controlled before handover.
• Prepare weekly project highlights and comprehensive monthly progress reports.
• Report engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, financial, HSE, and quality performance.
• Provide management with accurate forecasts, emerging risks, critical decisions, and recovery requirements.
• Present project status to senior management, governance committees, and Tender Boards.
• Lead or participate in divisional and companywide committees.
• Provide specialist guidance and lead discussions within the assigned area of project responsibility.
• Recommend acceptance or rejection of contractor work programmes, project proposals, execution plans, and technical submissions.
• Exercise delegated financial and supervisory authority in accordance with approved management limits.
• Direct and develop multidisciplinary project personnel.
• Coach project engineers and discipline leads in technical, commercial, and execution matters.
• Capture lessons learned and ensure effective transfer to future projects.

Ideal Profile

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or an equivalent recognised qualification.
• PMP certification is required.
• Minimum 12 years of professional experience in oil and gas project engineering, execution, or project management.
• At least 5 years of experience leading multidisciplinary employees, consultants, and contractors.
• Proven experience managing major capital projects from concept through commissioning and start‑up.
• Strong background in new plants, production facilities, surface infrastructure, or major brownfield modifications.
• Experience directing engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning activities.
• Strong understanding of project controls, planning, scheduling, budgeting, forecasting, and cost management.
• Sound knowledge of contracts, tendering, procurement, variations, claims, and commercial governance.
• Demonstrated experience managing Project Management Consultants and international contractors.
• Ability to review engineering design, technical specifications, cost estimates, and execution strategies.
• Strong knowledge of HSE management for major oil and gas projects.
• Experience establishing quality‑control and technical‑integrity requirements.
• Ability to assess project risks and implement practical mitigation and recovery measures.
• Strong commercial judgement when reviewing expenditure, contract recommendations, and project changes.
• Experience supporting operational readiness, commissioning, start‑up, and facility handover.
• Confidence presenting complex project issues to senior management and governance committees.
• Strong leadership, negotiation, communication, and stakeholder‑management skills.
• Ability to make timely decisions with significant technical, financial, and operational consequences.
• Excellent written and verbal English communication.
• Strong commitment to safe execution, ethical conduct, accountability, and project delivery excellence.

Skills Set

• Major project management
• Oil and gas projects
• Capital project delivery
• Field development
• Project engineering
• Concept development
• Feasibility studies
• Multidisciplinary engineering
• EPC execution
• Design management
• Procurement management
• Construction management
• Commissioning
• Plant start‑up
• Project handover
• Project Management Consultants
• Contractor management
• Tender management
• Bidder prequalification
• Contract administration
• Variation management
• Cost control
• Budget management
• Financial forecasting
• Project controls
• Schedule management
• HSE leadership
• Quality management
• Technical integrity
• Surface facilities
• Risk management
• Operational readiness
• Management reporting
• Tender Board participation
• PMP

Why Join Us

This role provides leadership responsibility for strategically important development projects that can influence production capacity, operational reliability, and long‑term asset performance. The Project Director will shape investment decisions and direct complex work across engineering, commercial, construction, HSE, finance, and operations. The position offers exposure to major capital programmes, technically demanding facilities, multinational delivery teams, and high‑value contracts.

It is a strong opportunity for an established project leader seeking broad authority, visible business impact, and long‑term career development within Abu Dhabi's Oil and Energy sector.

About the Company

ADNOC Group is an integrated energy organisation headquartered in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Its activities span exploration, production, processing, refining, petrochemicals, logistics, distribution, and the development of large‑scale energy infrastructure.

The organisation delivers major engineering and field‑development projects through structured governance, multidisciplinary technical teams, international contractors, and rigorous project‑control systems. Its approach emphasises safe execution, commercial discipline, technical integrity, operational readiness, and sustainable long‑term value.