Senior Project Manager - Rail Depot

Parsons; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 360,000 - 600,000; Full time

Job summary

Parsons is seeking a Senior Project Manager to lead depot delivery for a major rail project in Abu Dhabi, UAE. You will oversee design, planning, procurement, construction, systems integration, testing, and handover of depot facilities within a high‑speed rail programme.

The role requires extensive railway project management experience across design, planning, procurement, and regulatory interfaces, with a focus on safety, quality, and stakeholder coordination.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline or Chartered Engineer status.
• Minimum 15 years of experience managing design and/or construction of rail projects.
• Experience coordinating multidisciplinary rail packages and depot interfaces.
• Strong ability to lead teams within complex stakeholder environments.

Responsibilities

• Plan, coordinate, and manage depot project delivery from concept through completion.
• Oversee design and construction activities for the rail depot package.
• Monitor performance against delivery programmes and approved strategy.
• Monitor schedule, cost, standards, and design coordination.
• Prepare construction tender documentation.
• Coordinate approvals with the Client and authorities.
• Ensure compliance with regulations, safety, and quality requirements.
• Manage interfaces between work packages and systems.

Skills

Depot delivery

Rail project management

Multidisciplinary coordination

Schedule management

Cost management

Stakeholder communication

Construction oversight

Design and construction oversight

Education

Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline

Chartered Engineer status

Tools

PMP

CCM

Job description

Senior Project Manager - Rail Depot Job Snapshot

Role: Senior Project Manager

Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE

Industry: Transportation-Trucking-Railroad

Function: Project-Program Management

Experience: Minimum 15 years of relevant experience

Job Type: Full Time

Position Overview Parsons is seeking an experienced Senior Project Manager to lead depot delivery for a major rail project in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Acting on behalf of the Client, the role will manage the design and construction of depot facilities within a high-speed rail programme, coordinating activities from concept through completion. The position requires strong railway project management expertise across design, planning, procurement, construction, systems integration, testing, commissioning, stakeholder interfaces, and eventual operational requirements.

Job Details Country: UAE City: Abu Dhabi Industry: Transportation-Trucking-Railroad Function: Project-Program Management Salary: Not disclosed Gender: No Preference Candidate Nationality: Not specified Job Type: Full Time Work Arrangement: On-site

What You 'll Be Doing

• Plan, coordinate, and manage depot project delivery from concept through completion.
• Oversee design and construction activities associated with the rail depot package.
• Monitor PMEC and Contractor performance against established delivery programmes and the approved packaging strategy.
• Monitor schedule, cost, applicable standards and codes, design coordination, and overall package performance.
• Oversee preparation of construction tender documentation.
• Coordinate required approvals with the Client and relevant local regulatory authorities.
• Monitor compliance with applicable industry regulations, environmental standards, and safety requirements.
• Oversee necessary permits and authority approvals associated with depot delivery.
• Implement project quality requirements and monitor compliance with established specifications and standards.
• Conduct and coordinate periodic inspections to verify the quality of project delivery.

Rail Depot Delivery

The Senior Project Manager will take a leading role in delivering depot facilities within the wider high-speed rail programme. This requires management of multidisciplinary rail packages and close attention to the interfaces between depot infrastructure, railway systems, construction activities, and operational requirements. The role will maintain visibility across design, procurement, construction, systems integration, testing, commissioning, and handover activities while ensuring that individual packages remain aligned with wider programme objectives.

Package and Interface Management

• Manage interfaces between work packages and systems to support effective integration.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary rail activities affecting depot delivery.
• Monitor dependencies between design, construction, systems, and operational workstreams.
• Work with project personnel, consultants, contractors, and subcontractors to resolve interface issues.
• Support coordinated decision‑making where changes affect multiple packages.
• Maintain alignment between depot activities and the wider rail programme.

Project Governance and Controls

Oversee establishment and implementation of key project management and governance documentation, including the Project Management Plan, Health and Safety Plan, Quality Assurance and Quality Control Plan, Systems Integration Plan, and Testing and Commissioning Plan. The Senior Project Manager will monitor overall package performance and provide the Client with clear reporting on progress, significant milestones, emerging risks, and conditions that could affect project cost or schedule.

Cost, Schedule and Change Management

• Monitor project delivery against approved cost and schedule objectives.
• Identify potential delays, cost pressures, and changes affecting depot delivery.
• Work with project teams and delivery partners to develop appropriate corrective action plans.
• Support mitigation of potential cost overruns and schedule delays.
• Manage significant scope changes within the wider programme environment.
• Maintain effective change control and associated reporting.
• Apply strong commercial and financial awareness to package management decisions.

Stakeholder Leadership

The position will lead coordination across a complex multi‑organizational environment involving the Client, consultants, contractors, subcontractors, regulatory authorities, and multidisciplinary project teams. Clear and regular communication will be required to maintain stakeholder alignment, address delivery challenges, and ensure that complex technical matters can be communicated effectively to both technical and non‑technical leadership.

Technical Excellence and Quality

• Promote technical excellence throughout depot design and construction.
• Support the Client 's and Parsons ' quality improvement processes.
• Monitor compliance with project standards and specifications.
• Promote collaboration and established project delivery practices.
• Encourage continuous improvement across the project team.
• Support technically informed decisions throughout the project lifecycle.
• Maintain focus on safe, compliant, and integrated project delivery.

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.
• Demonstrated project management experience involving railway or transit depot design and construction.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary rail packages and interfaces, particularly depot packages.
• Proven construction management experience.
• Strong commercial and financial awareness within a project or package delivery environment.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams within complex stakeholder environments.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal and stakeholder coordination capabilities.
• Ability to communicate complex technical subjects clearly to non-technical leadership.
• Ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary project teams.
• Strong capability in Client presentations, technical reporting, and internal and external correspondence.
• Ability to operate effectively within a multi‑organizational project environment.
• Ability to manage tasks independently while taking direction where required.
• Engineering or relevant technical background.
• Strong problem‑solving capability and ability to respond proactively to project challenges.

What Desired Skills You 'll Bring

• Master 's degree is preferred.
• Relevant project or construction management certification such as PMP, CCM, or equivalent.
• High‑speed rail project experience is highly desirable.
• GCC or UAE project experience is desirable.

Leadership Profile

The successful candidate will bring a proactive approach to complex rail project delivery and a strong understanding of railway engineering interfaces. The role requires the ability to build productive professional relationships, lead multidisciplinary teams, address emerging challenges, and maintain momentum within a demanding major‑project environment.

About Parsons

Parsons delivers major transportation and infrastructure programmes through multidisciplinary engineering, project management, and construction teams. The company emphasizes technical excellence, collaborative delivery, innovation, quality improvement, professional growth, employee wellbeing, and inclusion.