Senior Project Manager - High-Speed Rail

Parsons; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 300,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

Parsons in Abu Dhabi, UAE is seeking a Senior Project Manager to deliver a major High-Speed Rail program. You will lead across design, planning, procurement, construction, systems integration, testing, commissioning, and interfaces, ensuring schedule, cost, quality, safety, and contractual adherence.

The role requires 15+ years of rail or transit project experience, strong leadership, and the ability to coordinate multidisciplinary teams and stakeholders across a multi-organization program.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in a relevant discipline and/or Chartered Engineer status.
• Minimum 15 years of experience managing design and/or construction of rail projects.
• Strong project management experience on major railway or transit projects.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary rail civil packages and interfaces.
• Proven construction management experience.
• Engineering or relevant technical background.
• Strong commercial and financial awareness within project or package delivery environments.
• Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience managing complex stakeholder environments.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to translate complex technical subjects for non-technical leadership.
• Ability to operate across multidisciplinary project teams.
• Strong client presentation and technical reporting capabilities.
• Effective internal and external correspondence skills.
• Ability to work within a multi-organizational project environment.

Responsibilities

• Plan, coordinate, and manage all phases of project delivery from concept through completion.
• Lead delivery activities associated with major rail project packages.
• Coordinate design, planning, procurement, construction, and operational requirements.
• Monitor project progress against milestones and delivery requirements.
• Report significant milestones and overall project status to Client management.
• Identify conditions that could affect project cost or schedule.
• Manage contract delivery within the wider program environment.
• Maintain change control and project reporting.
• Drive timely decisions and corrective actions.

Skills

Project management

Senior leadership

Stakeholder management

Communication

Contract administration

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Chartered Engineer

Job description

Senior Project Manager - High-Speed Rail Job Snapshot
Role: Senior Project Manager
Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE
Industry: Railroad Manufacture
Function: Project-Program Management
Experience: Minimum 15 years
Job Type: Full Time
Job Details Country: UAE City: Abu Dhabi Industry: Railroad Manufacture Function: Project-Program Management Salary: Not disclosed Gender: No Preference Candidate Nationality: Not specified Job Type: Full Time Work Arrangement: On-site

Position Overview

Parsons is seeking a Senior Project Manager in Abu Dhabi, UAE to manage the delivery of a major rail project on behalf of the Client. The role will provide leadership across the full project lifecycle, coordinating design, planning, procurement, construction, systems integration, testing, commissioning, and operational interfaces within a complex railway program. The Senior Project Manager will oversee multidisciplinary rail civil packages, monitor consultant and contractor performance, manage interfaces between work packages and systems, and maintain control of schedule, cost, quality, safety, approvals, and contractual requirements. High-Speed Rail experience is highly desirable for this senior project leadership opportunity.

Project Delivery Leadership

• Plan, coordinate, and manage all phases of project delivery from concept through completion.
• Lead delivery activities associated with major rail project packages.
• Coordinate design, planning, procurement, construction, and operational requirements.
• Monitor the PMEC and contractor against established delivery programs and packaging strategies.
• Track adherence to approved schedules, costs, technical standards, and applicable codes.
• Oversee design coordination activities across project disciplines.
• Monitor preparation of construction tender documentation.
• Coordinate required Client approvals and regulatory authority interfaces.
• Maintain focus on successful delivery of package objectives within the wider rail program.

Rail Package and Interface Management

A key responsibility will be maintaining effective integration between multidisciplinary rail packages, technical systems, contractors, consultants, and other project interfaces.

• Manage interfaces between work packages and systems.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary rail civil packages.
• Identify interface dependencies that could affect delivery.
• Support effective integration across technical and construction activities.
• Work with project staff, consultants, contractors, and subcontractors to resolve interface issues.
• Coordinate action plans addressing potential delays, cost overruns, and significant scope changes.
• Maintain alignment between individual package requirements and wider program objectives.

Schedule, Cost and Contract Management

• Monitor project progress against established milestones and delivery requirements.
• Report significant milestones and overall project status to Client management.
• Identify conditions that could affect project cost or schedule.
• Manage contract delivery within the wider program environment.
• Maintain effective change control and project reporting.
• Apply strong commercial and financial awareness to project and package decisions.
• Coordinate corrective actions when performance deviates from approved plans.
• Support management of significant changes to project scope.

Quality, Safety and Compliance

• Ensure adherence to applicable rail industry regulations.
• Monitor compliance with environmental standards and safety protocols.
• Oversee requirements for permits and approvals from relevant authorities.
• Implement established project quality standards.
• Conduct periodic inspections to verify compliance with specifications and requirements.
• Promote technical excellence throughout project delivery.
• Support Client and Parsons quality improvement processes.
• Maintain appropriate oversight of project quality and compliance activities.

Project Management Plans

• Project Management Plan.
• Health and Safety Plan.
• Quality Assurance and Quality Control Plan.
• Systems Integration Plan.
• Testing and Commissioning Plan.
• Other project plans and control documents required for successful delivery.

Stakeholder and Client Management

• Lead engagement with key project stakeholders.
• Maintain clear and regular communication with Client management.
• Coordinate effectively with consultants, contractors, subcontractors, and multidisciplinary teams.
• Present complex technical matters in clear terms for non-technical leadership.
• Prepare and deliver Client presentations and technical reports.
• Manage internal and external project correspondence.
• Build productive professional relationships across a multi-organizational project environment.
• Support a proactive and collaborative project culture.

Leadership and Continuous Improvement

• Provide leadership to multidisciplinary project teams.
• Promote collaboration between organizations and technical disciplines.
• Encourage continuous improvement and application of project best practices.
• Support resolution of complex technical and delivery challenges.
• Drive timely decisions and corrective actions.Maintain accountability for package delivery and project outcomes.
• Promote effective coordination across engineering, construction, commercial, and operational functions.

What Required Skills You 'LL Bring

• Bachelor 's degree in a relevant discipline and/or Chartered Engineer status.
• Minimum 15 years of experience managing the design and/or construction of rail projects.
• Strong project management experience on major railway or transit projects.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary rail civil packages and interfaces.
• Proven construction management experience.
• Engineering or relevant technical background.
• Strong commercial and financial awareness within project or package delivery environments.
• Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience managing complex stakeholder environments.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to translate complex technical subjects for non-technical leadership.
• Ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary project teams.
• Strong Client presentation and technical reporting capabilities.
• Effective internal and external correspondence skills.
• Ability to operate successfully within a multi-organizational project environment.
• Capacity to manage responsibilities independently while responding effectively to project direction.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making capabilities.

What Desired Skills You 'LL Bring

• Master 's degree in a relevant discipline.
• Project or construction management certification such as PMP, CCM, or equivalent.
• Proven High-Speed Rail project experience.
• Previous professional experience in the UAE or wider GCC region.

Role Impact

The Senior Project Manager will provide Client-facing leadership across a major railway program, connecting technical delivery, construction management, systems integration, commercial oversight, stakeholder coordination, quality, safety, and project controls. Effective management of these interfaces will be critical to maintaining coordinated delivery across complex High-Speed Rail packages and achieving the project 's cost, schedule, quality, and operational objectives.

About Parsons

Parsons delivers multidisciplinary engineering, infrastructure, transportation, and program management services for complex projects. Its teams support major rail and transit programs through engineering, project management, construction oversight, systems integration, stakeholder coordination, and delivery management.