Digital and Cyber – DSR – Digital Strategy – Senior Associate

PwC Middle East; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 200,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading consulting firm in Riyadh is seeking a Senior Associate specialized in Smart Cities and Digital Strategy. This role involves crafting high-impact digital frameworks and masterplans, focusing on integrating cutting-edge technologies for urban innovation. Candidates should have a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, 3–6 years of consulting experience, and strong stakeholder management skills. Fluency in English is essential, with Arabic being an advantage. The position offers an opportunity to shape the future of smart city initiatives.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 3–6 years in management consulting focusing on smart cities.
• Fluency in English; Arabic proficiency is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Develop smart city technology masterplans for authorities.
• Lead design of smart city digital architectures.
• Advise clients on citizen-centric digital services.
• Manage vendor selection and procurement strategies.

Skills

Smart Cities Expertise

Digital Strategy Development

Data Governance

Stakeholder Management

AI and IoT Knowledge

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related field

Postgraduate degree in Information Systems or related

Professional certifications (PMP, ITIL, etc.)

Job description

Job Summary

We are seeking a Senior Associate with proven expertise in Smart Cities and Digital Strategy to work on high impact, strategic client engagements across the region focusing on shaping and delivering digital frameworks, platforms and governance models that form the backbone of world‑class, data‑driven and sustainable smart destinations. The ideal candidate will combine a deep understanding of urban innovation, digital strategy and emerging technologies to help shape the future of leading smart destinations.

This role will be based in Riyadh, KSA and focus on strategic planning, digital ecosystems design and implementation oversight for smart cities and districts ensuring integration of cutting‑edge technologies into cohesive, future‑ready city strategies. It requires an ability to translate visionary urban aspirations into practical, data‑enabled frameworks that enhance citizen experience, sustainability and economic competitiveness.

Roles & Responsibilities

Smart City and Digital Strategy Development

• Experience in development of smart city technology masterplans and digital transformation strategies for city authorities, governments and developers.
• Develop multi‑year digital transformation roadmaps that define phased technology, data and organisational initiatives with clear milestones and measurable impact on city performance and citizen experience.
• Conduct in‑depth competitive benchmarking and ecosystem analyses to evaluate leading global smart city destinations, governance models, and international frameworks and translate insights into actionable best practices tailored for the regional context.
• Define a cohesive digital vision and strategic direction for next‑generation, sustainable and human‑centric urban environments ensuring alignment between urban design, infrastructure, data and digital service delivery.
• Develop city‑wide digital and data frameworks/guidelines that foster interoperability, open data exchange, platform integration and innovation across all city domains.
• Advise clients on the design and delivery of citizen‑centric, digitally‑enabled services leveraging emerging technologies to improve quality of life, operational efficiency and inclusivity across sectors.
• Define, monitor and communicate measurable outcomes and success indicators for digital programmes ensuring alignment with national strategies, KPIs and global benchmarks.

Digital Platform and Ecosystem Design

• Lead the design of integrated smart city digital architectures encompassing smart city platforms and other related platforms ensuring scalability, interoperability and resilience across city domains.
• Ensure robust alignment with local as well as global leading cybersecurity, data governance and privacy standards, embedding trust at the core of digital initiatives.
• Collaborate with infrastructure, technology, and system integration partners to achieve seamless digital integration and operational interoperability across city domains.
• Manage vendor selection and procurement strategy including preparation of procurement documents, assessing proposals, defining SLAs and establishing vendor KPIs and performance frameworks.
• Ensure data governance, interoperability, open‑data framework and privacy/compliance frameworks promoting cross‑entity data sharing, transparency and compliance with local and international regulatory requirements.
• Drive innovation and scalability by supervising pilot programs, proof‑of‑concepts and phased roll‑outs of smart city digital services ensuring seamless transition from concept to full‑scale implementation and measurable impact.

Emerging Technology and Innovation

• Leverage cutting‑edge technologies such as AI, digital twins, IoT, advanced analytics and others to optimise city operations, enhance decision‑making and drive data‑informed governance across urban ecosystems.
• Conceptualise and deliver high‑impact innovation use cases that improve urban capabilities across multiple city domains.
• Foster partnerships with technology providers and startups to advise on accelerated adoption of next‑generation smart solutions.
• Continuously track global smart city trends and benchmark against leading cities/destinations to ensure strategies remain cutting‑edge, scalable and future‑ready.

Educational Qualifications & Certifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Urban Planning, Computer Science, Information Systems or related discipline.
• Postgraduate degree focused on Information systems, digital transformation, urban innovation, Smart cities or related discipline is desirable.
• Professional certifications (preferred): PMP, Prince 2, TOGAF, ITIL or credentials in Digital Strategy, Innovation or Emerging Technologies are an advantage.
• Fluency in English is essential; Arabic proficiency is an advantage.

Work Experience

• Minimum of 3–6 years of experience in management consulting or related strategic advisory roles, with a focus on smart cities, digital transformation or innovation strategy.
• Proven track record of advising city authorities, governments, and large developers on the formulation and execution of smart city strategies, digital masterplans and technology‑driven transformation programmes.
• Demonstrated experience with data strategy, urban platforms or emerging technologies.
• Strong understanding of international smart city frameworks and benchmarks.