Senior Project Director - Client Portfolio

AECOM Middle East Ltd; Al Ghuweifat; On-site; AED 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

AECOM is seeking a Senior Project Director - Client Portfolio in Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates, to lead a portfolio of complex construction projects. You will oversee strategic client relationships, ensure delivery quality, and drive profitability across multiple programs with senior-level priorities and governance.

The role requires extensive leadership, risk management, and a proven track record in managing multi-project portfolios, aligning client strategies with business objectives

Qualifications

• Extensive senior-level project and portfolio management experience.
• Strong expertise in client portfolio management and complex project delivery.
• Proven ability to manage risk, profitability, and client relationships.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of major clients with multiple concurrent projects and programs.
• Maintain senior-level relationships with clients and support repeat business through strong execution.
• Deliver revenue targets and protect project profit margins through disciplined oversight.
• Monitor project performance and take corrective actions for margin protection.
• Provide leadership on risk, contractual exposure, and mitigation strategies.
• Mentor project managers and coordinate with senior business leadership on strategy.

Skills

Portfolio management

Client relationship management

Revenue management

Project governance

Risk management

Strategic decision‑making

Team leadership

Job description

Senior Project Director - Client Portfolio Job Snapshot

Role: Senior Project Director - Client Portfolio

Location: Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates

Industry: Construction

Function: Project Management

Experience: Extensive senior-level project and portfolio management experience

Job Type: Full-time

Position Overview

Senior Project Director - Client Portfolio in Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates is a senior Construction opportunity for an accomplished project leader with strong expertise in client portfolio management, complex project delivery, commercial performance, risk control, claims avoidance, and supervision of multiple project managers. AECOM is hiring a senior professional to oversee strategic client relationships, protect project profitability, direct high-risk assignments, and drive consistent delivery across multiple concurrent projects and programs.

Job Details

Country: United Arab Emirates

City: Abu Dhabi Emirate

Industry: Construction

Function: Project Management

Salary: 40000-60000 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 Senior Project Director will take responsibility for a portfolio of complex clients and projects, with direct accountability for delivery quality, revenue performance, profitability, risk management, and long‑term client retention. The position requires strategic oversight across multiple project managers and assignments rather than day‑to‑day management of a single project. A major focus of the role will be ensuring projects are executed without avoidable commercial erosion, write‑downs, claims exposure, or uncontrolled risk. By guiding project managers, recognizing emerging uncertainty, and maintaining strong client relationships, the role will support repeat business and sustainable growth across the portfolio.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of major clients with multiple concurrent projects and programs.
• Maintain senior‑level relationships with clients and support repeat business through consistently strong project execution.
• Deliver assigned revenue targets associated with key client accounts and portfolio performance.
• Protect planned project profit margins through disciplined commercial and operational oversight.
• Monitor project financial performance and take corrective action where margin erosion or potential write‑downs are identified.
• Direct delivery of complex assignments involving significant risk triggering factors and heightened management attention.
• Provide decision‑making leadership on project risk, uncertainty, contractual exposure, and mitigation strategy.
• Guide project managers in identifying emerging risks before they affect programme, cost, quality, or client relationships.
• Establish appropriate mitigation plans and ensure critical risks are actively managed through closure.
• Direct project teams to minimize exposure to claims, disputes, avoidable liabilities, and commercial losses.
• Supervise project managers responsible for multiple projects or coordinated programs of work.
• Review project performance across schedule, budget, resources, risk, commercial status, and client satisfaction.
• Challenge recovery plans where projects deviate from agreed financial or operational targets.
• Support senior‑level resolution of difficult client, contractor, commercial, and delivery issues.
• Ensure project managers maintain appropriate governance, reporting, documentation, and escalation procedures.
• Strengthen consistency in project execution across the portfolio through shared standards and management discipline.
• Mentor project managers and provide leadership on complex decision‑making and stakeholder management.
• Coordinate with business leadership on client strategy, workload, revenue forecasting, and portfolio priorities.
• Identify opportunities for account growth while protecting delivery capability and commercial performance.
• Maintain clear visibility of portfolio risks, opportunities, financial exposure, and future workload.

Ideal Profile

The role is suited to an established project management leader with substantial experience directing multiple complex construction, engineering, or infrastructure projects and managing senior client relationships. Candidates should demonstrate a strong record of commercial delivery, including maintaining planned margins, minimizing write‑downs, managing project risk, and protecting organizations from unnecessary claims exposure. Experience supervising project managers and overseeing portfolios or programs of concurrent assignments is essential. The successful professional should be comfortable making senior decisions where uncertainty, commercial exposure, client expectations, and project performance must be balanced. Strong capability in revenue management, project governance, risk assessment, financial oversight, stakeholder management, and executive‑level communication will be important. The preferred candidate will bring sound judgment, decisive leadership, strong commercial awareness, and the ability to maintain trusted client relationships while holding project teams accountable for performance.

Skills Set

• Project portfolio management
• Program management
• Project management
• Client portfolio management
• Client relationship management
• Revenue management
• Profit margin management
• Commercial management
• Project financial control
• Risk management
• Risk Triggering Factors
• Claims avoidance
• Claims exposure management
• Project governance
• Project performance monitoring
• Portfolio reporting
• Financial forecasting
• Project recovery planning
• Stakeholder management
• Senior client management
• Project manager supervision
• Team leadership
• Commercial risk assessment
• Contractual risk management
• Strategic decision‑making
• Business growth
• Repeat business development
• Project controls
• Complex project delivery
• Executive reporting

Why Join Us

This position offers the opportunity to influence not only individual project outcomes but the performance of an entire client portfolio. Senior leaders who can combine strong project governance with commercial discipline, risk awareness, and trusted client relationships play a critical role in generating repeat business and protecting long‑term profitability. AECOM provides exposure to complex regional portfolios, senior client relationships, multidisciplinary project teams, and sophisticated project governance environments. The role offers an experienced leader the opportunity to shape delivery standards, mentor project managers, strengthen strategic accounts, and contribute directly to sustainable business growth.

About the Company

AECOM is a global infrastructure consulting and professional services firm delivering planning, design, engineering, program management, project management, and construction management services. Its multidisciplinary teams support major buildings, transportation, water, energy, and environmental developments, helping clients deliver complex, resilient, sustainable, and commercially successful projects.