Crowd Specialist

BuroHappold; Saudi Arabia; On-site; SAR 450,000 - 750,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work

Attractive salary and benefits

Development programme

Professional memberships

Job summary

Buro Happold is seeking a Crowd Specialist in Transport & Mobility to lead multidisciplinary crowd movement and people-flow workstreams on major projects in Jeddah and across the Middle East.

You will mentor teams, contribute to work winning, and provide technical guidance on crowd strategy, modelling and safety. A senior role offering hybrid working arrangements and opportunities to shape regional practice.

Qualifications

• Experience leading multidisciplinary crowd and people-movement projects, including major events and master plans.
• Proven ability to manage client relationships, risk, programme and commercial performance.
• Strong knowledge of crowd modelling tools and translating results into design/operational guidance.

Responsibilities

• Lead crowd movement streams as Project Director or discipline lead for projects in Jeddah and the Middle East.
• Coach and mentor junior team members and drive regional talent development.
• Support work winning, bid shaping and client interviews with public and private sector stakeholders.

Skills

Crowd dynamics

Pedestrian movement

Master planning

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering/planning related field

Tools

MassMotion

Legion

Pathfinder

STEPS

Pedestrian Dynamics

Job description

Want to work with the most sought-after minds and most talked-about projects? Your experience of working on complex Transport Projects in the Middle East might just make you our new Crowd Specialist in Transport & Mobility.

Here 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'll be anything but ordinary.

Your next role

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 real legacy.

Your key duties

• Lead multidisciplinary crowd movement and people-flow workstreams as Project Director or discipline lead, taking overall responsibility for programme, commercial performance, risk management and client liaison on major projects in Jeddah and across the Middle East region.
• Provide day-to-day leadership, coaching and mentoring to junior and mid-level team members, supporting their technical development, line management needs and long-term progression as part of building a high-performing regional crowd team.
• Actively contribute to work winning across Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East, including identifying opportunities, shaping technical approaches, preparing and reviewing proposals, and participating in client interviews and presentations with public and private sector stakeholders.
• Provide technical expertise in crowd movement, pedestrian dynamics and people-movement planning, including crowd strategy development, pedestrian modelling, egress and emergency analysis, operational planning inputs, and design advice for complex developments and major event environments.
• Provide strategic advice to clients and stakeholders on crowd-related solutions, ensuring integration with master planning, transport strategy, architecture, venue planning, public realm design and operational requirements.
• Ensure the quality of projects and deliverables is best-in‑class, with robust internal review processes, clear technical accountability, and consistent application of regional and global best-practice methodologies.
• Develop and maintain positive relationships with clients and stakeholders across Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, acting as a trusted adviser and key point of contact on priority crowd and people-movement commissions.
• Work closely with Buro Happold global crowd specialists and wider regional teams to share knowledge, align technical standards, strengthen delivery capability and embed international best practice across Middle East projects.
• Review, direct and compile high-quality technical reports, modelling outputs and presentations, and present clear, risk-based recommendations to clients, design teams, operators, authorities and other senior stakeholders.
• Support the growth of the regional crowd dynamics offer by helping define service lines, strengthen capability, recruit key talent and position the team for long-term success in Jeddah and across the wider Middle East market.

Your Skills And Experience

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, transport planning, urban planning, architecture or a related field, with strong exposure to people-movement, crowd safety or complex buildings and public-realm environments.
• 15+ years of experience in crowd dynamics, pedestrian movement or related fields, with a proven track record of leading and directing complex crowd and people-movement projects in the Middle East, including major events, strategic masterplans, station and venue studies, and advisory commissions.
• Demonstrable experience acting as Project Director or equivalent on multidisciplinary crowd, mobility and master planning projects, including responsibility for commercial performance, programme, risk and senior client relationships.
• Deep knowledge and hands‑on experience with advanced crowd and pedestrian simulation software and tools (such as MassMotion, Legion, Pathfinder, STEPS, Pedestrian Dynamics or similar), and the ability to interpret model outputs into clear design and operational guidance.
• Recognised crowd and people-movement thought leader, able to shape technical approaches, challenge conventional practice and deliver innovative, human-centred solutions in high-density, complex or high-risk environments.
• Strong understanding of crowd psychology, behaviour under normal and emergency conditions, and contemporary crowd management and event safety principles, with insight into how these can be applied across KSA and the wider Middle East region.
• Proven record in work winning; identifying opportunities, contributing to bid strategy, leading proposal preparation, and participating in client presentations and interviews for major crowd, venue and people-movement commissions.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal and stakeholder-management skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships with clients, authorities, operators and partners, and to present complex technical material in a clear and compelling way.
• Strong critical‑thinking, analytical and problem‑solving skills, including experience working with large data sets, observational studies and operational inputs to support robust crowd assessments and movement strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, manage and mentor teams, developing junior staff and fostering a high-performance, collaborative culture across Jeddah and the wider Middle East region.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a multi‑disciplinary team, coordinating closely with transport planners, master planners, architects, engineers and operational specialists on complex programmes.
• Ability to prioritise workload effectively, manage multiple projects simultaneously, and meet tight deadlines in a fast-paced consultancy and major‑projects environment.

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 memberships to professional bodies or subscriptions
• An international culture that wherever your career takes you at Buro Happold, you won't be far from the exceptional.

A place for everyone

Buro Happold values individual's flexible approaches to working patterns as an important part of the way you work and achieve balance. 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 don't have to mask elements of their identity to thrive.

We are working to change the lack of representation of marginalised groups in the built environment and are particularly keen to hear from anyone who feels they are underrepresented in the industry. We have much to learn from one another. Embracing difference allows us to develop the most innovative and elegant solutions.