Project Director - Sports Venues

Parsons; Dubai; On-site; AED 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Parsons Corporation is seeking a Project Director - Sports Venues in Dubai to lead major stadium, arena, and entertainment facility developments from initiation through handover. You will direct multidisciplinary teams across design, procurement, construction, and commissioning while maintaining client alignment with senior stakeholders.

The role requires extensive experience in leadership of large capital projects, a strong grasp of project controls, risk, and safety, and a track record of

Qualifications

• Minimum 20 years of experience planning, managing, and delivering major capital developments.
• At least 10 years of experience as a Project Director or equivalent.
• Experience delivering stadiums, arenas, entertainment facilities, airports, or complex public-use developments.

Responsibilities

• Lead major stadium, arena, and sports venue developments from project initiation through final handover.
• Establish the delivery strategy, governance structure, management framework, and executive reporting requirements.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for the client, operators, authorities, project partners, and senior stakeholders.
• Provide leadership across design, procurement, construction, commercial management, testing and commissioning, and vendor coordination.
• Direct contractor engagement and ensure milestones, schedule, and budget controls are met.

Skills

Stadium project leadership

Sports venue development

Executive project management

Project governance

Programme delivery

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Bachelor's degree in Construction Management

Master's degree in related discipline

PMP or equivalent accreditation

Job description

Project Director - Sports Venues

Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Industry: Construction

Function: Project-Program Management

Experience: Minimum 20 years, including 10 years in project leadership

Job Type: Full-time

Job Snapshot

Project Director - Sports Venues in Dubai, United Arab Emirates is an executive Construction opportunity responsible for leading major stadium, arena, and entertainment facility developments from initiation through operational handover.

Parsons Corporation is hiring an accomplished project leader to direct multidisciplinary design, procurement, construction, commercial management, testing and commissioning, venue activation, and stakeholder coordination across complex public-use developments.

Job Details

Country: United Arab Emirates

City: Dubai

Industry: Construction

Function: Project-Program Management

Salary: 65000-90000

(Estimated salary range based on similar jobs in the job city; please confirm the final offer with the employer.)

Gender: Any

Candidate Nationality: Any

Job Type: Full-time

Role Context

The Project Director - Sports Venues will hold overall accountability for the successful delivery of high-profile sporting and entertainment facilities. The position will provide executive direction across design, construction, contracts, procurement, cost, planning, risk, quality, safety, sustainability, operational readiness, and handover.

Acting as the principal interface with the client and senior stakeholders, the Project Director will align project teams around clear priorities, resolve strategic issues, and maintain control of demanding delivery milestones. The role will also ensure that spectator facilities, hospitality environments, athlete areas, media infrastructure, venue technology, food and beverage operations, security systems, and supporting utilities function as one coordinated development.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead major stadium, arena, and sports venue developments from project initiation through final handover.
• Establish the delivery strategy, governance structure, management framework, and executive reporting requirements.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for the client, operators, authorities, project partners, and senior stakeholders.
• Provide leadership across technical, commercial, contractual, procurement, operational, and project controls functions.
• Mobilize multidisciplinary project teams and define responsibilities, decision‑making authority, and performance expectations.
• Direct design management activities covering architecture, structural engineering, MEP services, civil works, landscape, ICT, security, and venue technology.
• Ensure architectural and engineering solutions satisfy operational needs, spectator experience objectives, event requirements, and lifecycle performance.
• Coordinate designers, consultants, contractors, specialist suppliers, venue operators, and supporting infrastructure teams.
• Oversee procurement strategies, tender packaging, contractor appointments, technical evaluations, and long‑lead equipment planning.
• Direct contractor engagement and package delivery to maintain contractual milestones and programme objectives.
• Maintain executive oversight of project schedules, budgets, forecasts, risks, changes, and performance indicators.
• Review programme status and intervene when delays, interface conflicts, resource shortages, or commercial issues threaten delivery.
• Lead the resolution of critical design, construction, contractual, and stakeholder matters.
• Ensure robust change control procedures are applied to scope revisions, design decisions, and emerging project requirements.
• Oversee cost management, payment assessments, variation reviews, claims exposure, and commercial reporting.
• Provide strategic direction for risk identification, mitigation planning, contingency management, and escalation.
• Ensure integration of spectator seating, concourses, hospitality suites, VIP areas, athlete facilities, media zones, and back‑of‑house operations.
• Coordinate food and beverage facilities, public amenities, security systems, crowd‑management infrastructure, and venue support services.
• Confirm that broadcast, communications, information technology, audiovisual, access control, and venue technology systems are properly integrated.
• Guide stakeholder engagement with regulatory authorities, utility providers, emergency services, transport agencies, and venue operators.
• Ensure project activities comply with statutory approvals, applicable codes, international standards, and contractual requirements.
• Establish quality assurance processes and monitor compliance across consultants, contractors, and specialist vendors.
• Champion health, safety, and environmental performance throughout design, construction, commissioning, and handover.
• Lead testing and commissioning governance across building services, life‑safety systems, utilities, and specialist venue systems.
• Direct operational readiness planning, staff training, trial events, venue activation, defect resolution, and opening preparations.
• Ensure operations manuals, asset registers, warranties, spare parts, training records, and as‑built documentation are complete.
• Approve executive reports, management dashboards, decision papers, progress presentations, and stakeholder communications.
• Maintain alignment between project scope, commercial objectives, operational expectations, and scheduled completion.
• Develop senior team members and promote accountable, collaborative, and performance‑focused project leadership.
• Protect project quality and client objectives while maintaining disciplined control of schedule, budget, risk, and safety.

Ideal Profile

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Architecture, Project Management, or a related discipline.
• Minimum 20 years of experience planning, managing, and delivering major capital developments.
• At least 10 years of experience as a Project Director or in an equivalent executive project leadership position.
• Demonstrated success delivering stadiums, arenas, entertainment facilities, airports, convention centers, or similarly complex public‑use developments.
• Strong understanding of stadium planning, design, construction, commissioning, activation, and operational handover.
• Proven ability to lead large multidisciplinary teams, consultants, contractors, suppliers, and specialist venue operators.
• Extensive experience managing client relationships and engaging government authorities, operators, and senior stakeholders.
• Strong commercial and contractual expertise covering procurement, claims, variations, cost control, and contractor performance.
• Advanced knowledge of project controls, including scheduling, forecasting, risk, change, quality, and executive reporting.
• Practical understanding of spectator experience, crowd circulation, hospitality facilities, VIP services, athlete operations, and media requirements.
• Experience coordinating venue technology, security systems, broadcasting infrastructure, ICT, and integrated operational platforms.
• Ability to manage complex technical and contractual interfaces across multiple packages and delivery partners.
• Strong decision‑making capability with the confidence to resolve strategic issues under demanding programme conditions.
• Excellent leadership, negotiation, stakeholder management, presentation, and communication skills.
• Ability to maintain executive focus on safety, quality, schedule, budget, sustainability, and operational performance.
• Master's degree in a relevant discipline is preferred.
• PMP, RICS, CEng, PE, or equivalent professional accreditation is desirable.

Skills Set

• Stadium project leadership
• Sports venue development
• Executive project management
• Project governance
• Programme delivery
• Client relationship management
• Stakeholder engagement
• Multidisciplinary team leadership
• Design management
• Construction management
• Procurement strategy
• Contract administration
• Commercial management
• Claims management
• Cost control
• Schedule management
• Project controls
• Risk management
• Change control
• Quality assurance
• HSE leadership
• Stadium operations
• Spectator experience
• Crowd management
• Hospitality facility planning
• VIP facility coordination
• Athlete facility delivery
• Media facility integration
• Broadcast infrastructure
• Venue technology systems
• ICT coordination
• Security system integration
• Testing and commissioning
• Operational readiness
• Venue activation
• Trial event planning
• Asset handover
• Executive reporting
• Negotiation
• Strategic decision‑making

Why Join Us

This position offers the opportunity to direct landmark sports and entertainment developments that will influence Dubai's events, tourism, and public infrastructure landscape. The Project Director will shape delivery strategy, guide executive decisions, and lead specialist teams responsible for creating safe, efficient, and internationally competitive venues. Major stadium programmes combine complex engineering, fixed opening dates, intensive stakeholder involvement, and demanding operational standards. This role provides a platform to lead high‑value developments while strengthening executive experience in venue delivery, programme governance, commercial management, and operational activation.

About the Company

Parsons Corporation delivers project management, engineering, programme controls, construction supervision, and technical advisory services for complex infrastructure and public developments. The company supports major projects through experienced leadership, multidisciplinary expertise, structured governance, and a sustained focus on safety, quality, innovation, and reliable delivery.