Construction Director - Airport Delivery

Parsons; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Parsons Corporation in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, seeks a Construction Director - Airport Delivery to lead execution of major airport and infrastructure works. The role requires directing contractors, site teams, consultants, and multidisciplinary functions while safeguarding safety, quality, schedule, and contractual performance.

The ideal candidate has extensive international airport mega-project experience, senior leadership background, and strong program governance capabilities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, Engineering Management, or related discipline.
• Minimum 25 years of experience in construction management and major infrastructure delivery.
• Experience leading international airport, aviation, transportation, or mega infrastructure programs.
• Senior leadership experience as Construction Director or Project Director preferred.
• Knowledge of international standards, governance, and contract frameworks (FIDIC advantageous).

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for construction delivery across the airport development program.
• Lead construction managers, discipline heads, site teams, and contractor organizations.
• Ensure activities align with schedules, budgets, and operational readiness.
• Oversee delivery of terminals, airfield, and supporting infrastructure.
• Coordinate interfaces between multiple contractors and disciplines.
• Review performance against safety, quality, productivity, and schedule targets.
• Escalate and resolve high-impact construction issues with senior stakeholders.
• Maintain governance, reporting, and decision-making throughout delivery.

Skills

Construction management

Airport infrastructure

Leadership

Contract management

Project controls

Safety management

Scheduling

Stakeholder management

Risk management

Quality assurance

Education

Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, Engineering Management, or related

Job description

Construction Director - Airport Delivery Job Snapshot Role: Construction Director - Airport Delivery Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Industry: Construction Function: Management Experience: Minimum 25 years Job Type: Full-time Position Overview

Construction Director - Airport Delivery in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is a senior Construction opportunity leading the execution of major airport, airfield, terminal, utility, and infrastructure works across a complex development program. Parsons Corporation is hiring an accomplished construction leader to direct contractors, site teams, consultants, and multidisciplinary delivery functions while maintaining control of safety, quality, schedule, operational readiness, and contractual performance.

Country: Saudi Arabia City: Riyadh Industry: Construction Function: Management Salary: 55000-75000 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 Construction Director will hold executive responsibility for construction delivery across a major airport development involving passenger terminals, concourses, runways, taxiways, cargo facilities, aircraft stands, roads, utilities, operational buildings, and supporting infrastructure. The position requires strong command of multiple contractors, overlapping work packages, technical interfaces, project controls, safety performance, and operational readiness. By establishing clear delivery priorities and resolving critical construction issues early, the director will help maintain momentum across the program while protecting quality, budget, schedule, and airport operational requirements.

Key Responsibilities

Provide overall strategic leadership for construction delivery across the airport development program.

• Establish construction management strategies, execution plans, governance structures, and delivery objectives.
• Lead construction managers, discipline heads, site teams, technical support functions, and contractor organizations.
• Ensure construction activities remain aligned with approved schedules, budgets, project objectives, and operational readiness requirements.
• Provide executive advice to Project Directors and senior management on major construction decisions.
• Oversee delivery of passenger terminals, concourses, airport buildings, and operational facilities.
• Direct construction of runways, taxiways, cargo aprons, aircraft stands, and related airfield infrastructure.
• Manage delivery of external works, roads, utility networks, logistics facilities, and supporting infrastructure.
• Monitor program-wide progress against contractual milestones, approved schedules, and critical completion dates.
• Identify significant construction delays and lead recovery planning with contractors and project controls teams.
• Establish appropriate sequencing strategies for complex and interdependent work packages.
• Review resource requirements and contractor deployment against delivery priorities.
• Provide senior oversight of main contractors, subcontractors, specialist suppliers, and construction consultants.
• Evaluate contractor performance against safety, quality, productivity, schedule, and contractual expectations.
• Lead contractor performance reviews and major progress meetings.
• Escalate and resolve high-impact construction issues requiring executive intervention.
• Coordinate interfaces between multiple contractors working within shared or adjacent construction areas.
• Ensure approved construction methodologies are practical, safe, and aligned with project requirements.
• Establish construction quality objectives and maintain effective technical governance across delivery teams.
• Ensure completed works comply with approved designs, project specifications, international standards, and regulatory requirements.
• Oversee QA-QC strategies, inspection programs, technical assurance, and corrective action processes.
• Review significant non-conformances and ensure effective remediation before they affect subsequent works.
• Promote consistent lessons learned and continuous improvement across construction packages.
• Provide visible leadership in Health, Safety, and Environmental performance.
• Ensure contractors implement approved construction safety plans, risk assessments, emergency procedures, and environmental controls.
• Monitor compliance with airport-specific safety requirements and operational constraints.
• Support initiatives aimed at reducing incidents and strengthening safety performance across all work areas.
• Act as the senior construction interface with the client, airport authorities, government agencies, utility providers, consultants, and specialist suppliers.
• Lead strategic construction coordination meetings involving major stakeholders.
• Manage complex interfaces between Civil, Buildings, MEP, ICT, Airfield, Utilities, and airport operational systems.
• Ensure interface issues are identified early and resolved before affecting construction progress.
• Coordinate with design and engineering teams when field conditions require technical changes or clarification.
• Oversee development and implementation of construction execution plans.
• Monitor productivity, resource deployment, workfront availability, and milestone achievement.
• Work closely with Project Controls teams on progress reporting, forecasting, schedule recovery, and risk management.
• Review major construction risks and establish appropriate mitigation strategies.
• Support executive decisions involving cost, schedule, sequencing, logistics, and delivery priorities.
• Ensure construction planning supports testing, commissioning, operational readiness, and transition into airport operations.
• Oversee completion and handover activities across terminal, airfield, infrastructure, and building packages.
• Coordinate closely with operations, facilities management, asset teams, and commissioning personnel.
• Monitor readiness of airport facilities before transfer to operational teams.
• Ensure punch lists, outstanding works, technical documentation, and handover requirements are properly controlled.
• Support project closeout and final transition from construction into operations.
• Prepare executive construction reports covering progress, productivity, risks, opportunities, and mitigation measures.
• Monitor construction KPIs and intervene where performance falls below required targets.
• Present construction status and strategic recommendations to senior project leadership and client representatives.
• Maintain effective governance, reporting, escalation, and decision-making processes throughout construction delivery.

Ideal Profile

The position is suited to an executive construction professional with extensive experience directing large and technically complex infrastructure programs.

• Bachelor 's degree in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, Engineering Management, or a related discipline.
• Minimum 25 years of experience in construction management and major infrastructure delivery.
• Demonstrated experience leading international airport, aviation, transportation, or mega infrastructure programs.
• Previous senior leadership experience as Construction Director, Project Director, or an equivalent position.
• Strong record of managing large construction organizations involving multiple contractors, consultants, and work packages.
• Experience working within Delivery Partner, PMC, EPC, or client-side project environments.
• Extensive knowledge of construction management methods, sequencing, site operations, logistics, and delivery controls.
• Strong understanding of airport infrastructure construction and operational constraints.
• Ability to manage major civil, building, MEP, utility, airfield, and systems interfaces.
• Strong knowledge of construction planning, contract management, project controls, and risk management.
• Experience managing high-value and high-risk construction programs.
• Proven ability to lead contractor performance reviews and resolve complex delivery issues.
• Strong understanding of international construction standards and governance requirements.
• Excellent leadership, negotiation, decision-making, communication, and stakeholder management capability.
• Ability to operate effectively with client executives, airport authorities, contractors, consultants, and government stakeholders.
• Master 's degree in Engineering Management, Construction Management, or Project Management is preferred.
• Professional Engineer, Chartered Engineer, or equivalent professional registration is advantageous.
• Extensive international airport mega-project experience is highly desirable.
• Knowledge of ICAO, FAA, and aviation infrastructure requirements is beneficial.
• Strong understanding of FIDIC contract frameworks is advantageous.
• Experience managing Design-Build, EPC, PMC, or Delivery Partner contracts is preferred.
• Previous involvement in airport operational readiness, transition, testing, commissioning, and handover programs is highly valuable.

Skills Set

• Construction management
• Airport construction
• Construction leadership
• Program delivery
• Construction strategy
• Construction execution planning
• Airport infrastructure
• Passenger terminal construction
• Airfield construction
• Runway construction
• Taxiway construction
• Cargo facility construction
• Aircraft apron construction
• Utility infrastructure
• Road construction
• External infrastructure
• Contractor management
• Subcontractor management
• Construction sequencing
• Resource planning
• Progress monitoring
• Schedule recovery
• Construction productivity
• Construction risk management
• Construction quality
• QA-QC governance
• Non-conformance management
• HSE leadership
• Airport safety
• Environmental management
• Multidisciplinary coordination
• MEP coordination
• ICT coordination
• Civil works coordination
• Airfield systems coordination
• Utilities coordination
• Project controls
• Construction forecasting
• Contract management
• FIDIC
• Design-Build
• EPC
• PMC
• Delivery Partner
• Testing and commissioning
• Operational readiness
• Airport handover
• Project closeout
• Stakeholder management
• Executive reporting
• Construction KPIs
• Technical governance

Why Join Us

This role offers the opportunity to direct construction across a major airport development where complex buildings, airfield infrastructure, utilities, roads, and operational systems must be delivered as one coordinated program. The scale of responsibility provides significant influence over contractor performance, construction strategy, safety culture, technical quality, and transition into airport operations. For an established construction executive, the position provides a platform to lead high-value infrastructure delivery in Riyadh while strengthening experience in aviation mega-projects, multidisciplinary construction management, operational readiness, and executive-level program governance.

About the Company

Parsons Corporation delivers engineering, infrastructure, aviation, construction management, technology, and program delivery solutions for major developments worldwide. Its multidisciplinary teams support complex airport and transportation programs through integrated construction leadership, technical governance, project controls, safety management, and coordinated delivery from mobilization through final handover.