Area Director – Riyadh

Black & White Engineering Limited; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 600,000 - 800,000; Full time

Job summary

Black & White Engineering Limited in Riyadh is seeking an Area Director to lead the Riyadh office across delivery, people development and commercial performance. You will mentor a multidisciplinary engineering team and drive client relations to fuel growth.

You will shape the office strategy, oversee forecasting and profitability, and collaborate with regional leadership to expand presence in Saudi Arabia.

Qualifications

• Experience leading multidisciplinary MEP engineering teams.
• Proven delivery of large, complex building projects, ideally data centres.
• Strong commercial acumen with project profitability, forecasting and financial oversight.
• Experience developing client relationships and contributing to growth.
• Excellent leadership, coaching and people development skills.
• Understanding of project governance, quality management and risk.
• Experience working across international projects and multidisciplinary teams.
• Degree in engineering; Chartered status desirable.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Riyadh office across performance, delivery, and planning.
• Mentor and develop a multidisciplinary engineering team, including recruitment and succession planning.
• Drive forecasting, fee management, and project profitability while mitigating risk.
• Build long-term relationships with clients, partners and stakeholders across Saudi Arabia.
• Shape the office business plan and regional strategy with leadership.
• Represent Black & White Engineering with clients and at industry events.

Skills

MEP leadership

Data centre delivery

Commercial acumen

Client relationships

Leadership coaching

Governance & risk

International projects

Engineering degree

Chartered Engineer

Education

Engineering degree

Chartered Engineer status desirable

Job description

Are you an experienced engineering leader ready to take charge of one of the Middle East’s fastest growing Data Centre teams? Then this role is for you.

As Area Director, you will lead our Riyadh office across every aspect of its performance, developing our people, strengthening client relationships and driving commercial performance to ensure exceptional project delivery across a multidisciplinary engineering team. Working closely with regional leadership, you will help shape business strategy and expand our presence across Saudi Arabia.

What’s in it for you?

Office leadership

You will lead the Riyadh office across every aspect of its performance, from project delivery and quality standards to commercial oversight and business planning. This is a genuine leadership role with real influence over how the office grows.

You will lead, mentor and develop a multidisciplinary engineering team, taking ownership of recruitment, succession planning and talent development. You will have the opportunity to build and shape your own high-performing team.

Commercial oversight

You will drive profitable project delivery while maintaining high technical and quality standards. You will take responsibility for forecasting, fee management, project profitability and risk mitigation, alongside effective resource planning across the office.

Client relationships and growth

You will build long-term relationships with key clients, partners and stakeholders across Saudi Arabia. You will support business development, help win new work and identify opportunities for continued growth.

Strategic influence

You will develop and execute the office business plan alongside regional leadership, helping shape business strategy across the Middle East. You will also represent Black & White Engineering with clients, industry bodies and at professional events, and work alongside technical experts across our global offices.

• Significant experience leading multidisciplinary MEP engineering teams.
• Proven background delivering large, complex building projects, ideally within Data Centres or mission critical environments.
• Strong commercial acumen, with experience managing project profitability, forecasting and financial performance.
• Experience developing client relationships and contributing to business growth.
• Excellent leadership, coaching and people development skills.
• Sound understanding of project governance, quality management and risk management.
• Experience working across international projects and multidisciplinary teams.
• Degree qualified in an appropriate engineering discipline.
• Chartered Engineer status, or working towards it, is highly desirable.

You will also join a community that focuses on learning and development through regular knowledge-sharing sessions and investment in accredited professional courses. You can set the pace for your own development, and whatever path you choose, you will receive the right support.

About Black & White Engineering

Black & White Engineering is a multi-award-winning engineering consultancy with more than 1,300 employees across the UK, Europe, Middle East, Asia Pacific and North America.

We specialise in the full spectrum of engineering design consultancy for the data centre sector, including Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing (MEP), Civil & Structural, Design Management, Sustainability, BIM, Power Systems and other infrastructure-related services.

Our engineering approach is grounded in practicality, technical excellence and operational efficiency. With rapid growth across regions, many colleagues have progressed from engineering roles into leadership positions — your future development is supported and recognised.