Associate Director Electrical Engineer

Buro Happold Limited; Riyadh; Hybrid; SAR 400,000 - 660,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working arrangements

Attractive salary and benefits package

Continuous development programme

Two professional memberships

Job summary

Buro Happold seeks an Associate Director in Electrical Engineering to lead a project portfolio in the Riyadh Buildings practice. You will translate business objectives into technical delivery, manage resources, and build strong client relationships to ensure sustainable performance across major programmes.

The role requires senior leadership, chartered registration, and a track record of delivering complex multidisciplinary projects in Saudi Arabia and the wider region.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related discipline as required for professional registration.
• Demonstrated leadership of a substantial engineering team, complex project portfolio or major multidisciplinary programme.
• Strong technical judgement across electrical building services systems and ability to direct specialist input.
• Experience establishing technical assurance and overseeing delivery through project leaders.
• Proven capability in portfolio forecasting, fee development, resource planning and commercial recovery.
• Experience developing strategic client relationships and leading technically credible bids within delegated authority.
• Strong understanding of Saudi Arabian delivery conditions, regulatory interfaces and authority requirements.
• Evidence of developing leaders, strengthening team capability and planning succession.
• Saudi Council of Engineers registration or accreditation appropriate to activities undertaken.

Responsibilities

• Lead an agreed electrical project portfolio or major programme, overseeing quality, delivery, client outcomes and commercial results.
• Set portfolio delivery and assurance arrangements, assigning responsibilities and aligning reviews with complexity and risk.
• Provide senior technical direction on complex electrical strategies and significant decisions within delegated authority.
• Oversee major technical, regulatory and delivery risks, ensuring mitigation, escalation and specialist support.
• Lead workforce and resource planning, balancing capability, capacity, demand and development needs.
• Manage portfolio forecasts, fee performance, resourcing costs and commercial exposure, agreeing corrective action with project leaders.
• Develop strategic client relationships and resolve escalated delivery, technical and commercial issues.
• Lead significant bids and fee proposals, establishing scope, assumptions, exclusions, resources and delivery commitments.
• Embed sustainability, resilience, maintainability, adaptability and whole-life value in project strategies and reviews.
• Develop Associates and Senior Engineers through coaching, succession planning and performance management.
• Coordinate across disciplines and regional teams to secure specialist capability and improve multidisciplinary delivery.
• Sponsor improvements in technical standards, digital engineering, assurance and lessons learned across the practice.

Skills

Leadership

Technical judgment

Portfolio forecasting

Strategic client relationships

Digital workflows evaluation

Team development

Regulatory and technical governance

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Saudi Council of Engineers registration

Professional membership (IET/CIBSE)

Chartered Engineer status or equivalent

Job description

Want to work with the most sought-after minds and most talked-about projects? Your interest in Electrical Engineering might just make you our newHere at Buro Happold, expect the exceptional.From the projects you will work on to the clients we work with. From career-defining opportunities to an inclusive and diverse practice where we all contribute to a more equitable world. From our reputation to our relationships. Wherever your Buro Happold career takes you, it will be anything but ordinary.

Buro Happold has a clear strategic plan, strong learning culture and entrepreneurial mindset that will allow you to thrive.

You'll be part of something bigger than us all where sustainability, equity, social and performance outcomes matter. All of Buro Happold is committed to doing the right thing, even when that's the hardest thing. This is a genuine opportunity to make impact and leave a lasting legacy.As an Associate Director in Electrical Engineering, you will lead a project portfolio, major programme or substantial electrical engineering team within our Riyadh Buildings practice. You will translate business objectives into coordinated technical delivery, effective resource deployment, strong client relationships and sustainable commercial performance. You will provide senior technical oversight, develop project leaders and help shape the discipline's capability and market positioning.This is an exciting opportunity for a commercially focused and technically accomplished leader to drive the successful delivery of complex multidisciplinary projects while contributing to the continued growth and development of our Buildings business across Saudi Arabia and the wider region.

Your key dutiesResponsibilities:

• Lead an agreed electrical project portfolio or major programme, overseeing quality, delivery, client outcomes and commercial results.
• Set portfolio delivery and assurance arrangements, assigning responsibilities and aligning reviews with complexity and risk.
• Provide senior technical direction on complex electrical strategies and significant decisions within delegated authority.
• Oversee major technical, regulatory and delivery risks, ensuring mitigation, escalation and specialist support.
• Lead workforce and resource planning, balancing capability, capacity, demand and development needs.
• Manage portfolio forecasts, fee performance, resourcing costs and commercial exposure, agreeing corrective action with project leaders.
• Develop strategic client relationships and resolve escalated delivery, technical and commercial issues.
• Lead significant bids and fee proposals, establishing scope, assumptions, exclusions, resources and delivery commitments.
• Embed sustainability, resilience, maintainability, adaptability and whole-life value in project strategies and reviews.
• Develop Associates and Senior Engineers through coaching, succession planning and performance management.
• Coordinate across disciplines and regional teams to secure specialist capability and improve multidisciplinary delivery.
• Sponsor improvements in technical standards, digital engineering, assurance and lessons learned across the practice.

Your skills and experience

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related discipline appropriate to professional registration.
• Demonstrated leadership of a substantial engineering team, complex project portfolio or major multidisciplinary programme.
• Strong technical judgement across electrical building services systems and the ability to direct specialist input.
• Experience establishing technical assurance and overseeing delivery through project leaders.
• Proven capability in portfolio forecasting, fee development, resource planning and commercial recovery.
• Experience developing strategic client relationships and leading technically credible bids and negotiations within delegated authority.
• Strong understanding of Saudi Arabian delivery conditions, regulatory interfaces and authority requirements.
• Ability to evaluate digital workflows, technical capability and design review effectiveness.
• Evidence of developing leaders, strengthening team capability and planning succession.
• Chartered Engineer status, or equivalent recognised professional registration.
• Membership of the IET, CIBSE or an equivalent recognised professional institution.
• Relevant leadership, commercial management and technical governance development, with specialist accreditation desirable where relevant.
• Saudi Council of Engineers registration or accreditation appropriate to the activities undertaken, where required.

What we offer you

Bring your knowledge and expertise to one of the world's most respected consultancies.

• Hybrid working arrangements.
• Attractive salary and benefits package.
• A strong commitment to your continuous development. Whatever stage in your career, we have a learning and development programme that will enable and empower you.
• Entitlement to two professional memberships or subscriptions.

A place for everyone

Buro Happold values flexible approaches to working as an important part of helping our people achieve balance and perform at their best. We welcome applications from those who are seeking flexibility in their careers.

Our exceptional portfolio of projects is the result of the diversity of thought, identities, backgrounds and experiences that shape us. Appreciating each other's differences is key. We want employees to feel they do not have to hide elements of their identity to thrive.

We are working to address the underrepresentation of marginalised groups within the built environment and are particularly keen to hear from individuals who feel they are underrepresented in our industry. We have much to learn from one another, and embracing difference enables us to develop the most innovative and elegant solutions.

Please let us know if there are any adjustments we can make to the application process to support you.

Contact [e-mail] and we will work with you throughout your application journey.