Director - Cost Planning

Qiddiya; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Job summary

Qiddiya is seeking a Director Cost Planning within the General Business Unit to lead cost planning across major General and mixed-use developments. You will set cost positions, guide design-to-budget decisions, and support executive Stage Gate approvals.

The role requires strong governance, leadership of cost planning resources, and deep experience with benchmarking and inflation/contingency management for large-scale projects.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Quantity Surveying, Construction Economics, Commercial Management, or related field.
• Minimum 15 years of cost planning/quantity surveying/estimating experience on major General or mixed-use developments.
• Experience leading external cost consultants and reviewing cost plans across design, procurement and delivery stages.

Responsibilities

• Lead cost planning across major General BU projects and portfolios.
• Direct governance and performance management of executive and project cost consultants.
• Provide leadership for cost planning resources including senior managers.
• Establish requirements for consultant deliverables and reporting standards.
• Review and validate cost plans, benchmarks and design-to-budget recommendations.
• Provide senior cost planning assurance for Stage Gate submissions and governance approvals.

Skills

Cost planning

Budget governance

Stakeholder management

External consultants

Leadership

Benchmarking

Design-to-budget

Education

Bachelor's degree in Quantity Surveying or related

Tools

Cost planning software

Digital cost tools

Job description

The Director Cost Planning General Business Unit is responsible for leading cost planning across major General commercial and mixed-use General-led developments within the General Business Unit. The role is accountable for setting and maintaining the Qiddiya cost position across a portfolio of larger, more complex projects, guiding strategic design-to-budget decisions, supporting executive and Stage Gate approvals, and ensuring that cost planning is integrated into business and project decision-making. In accordance with the Qiddiya Cost Planning Technical Guidelines, the role directs reviews and challenges the work of external cost consultants and internal project teams. The role may also be responsible for managing Qiddiya cost planning resources, including Cost Planning Senior Managers and other cost planning team members, to ensure appropriate leadership, capability development and delivery oversight. While detailed cost planning may be prepared by cost consultants, Qiddiya cost planners remain accountable for defining requirements, assuring compliance, validating outputs and recommending the cost position for endorsement and approval. Role Purpose: To lead cost planning activities for the General Business Unit across assigned portfolios, programs and major projects, ensuring consistent application of the Qiddiya Cost Planning Technical Guidelines, effective leadership of cost consultants, robust cost governance and high-quality strategic cost advice to support project business procurement and Stage Gate decision-making.

Key Accountabilities

• Lead cost planning activities across major General BU projects and portfolios ensuring alignment with approved budgets, strategic objectives, benchmarks, cost drivers, risks, and opportunities.
• Direct the appointment, mobilization, governance and performance management of executive and project cost consultants in accordance with the Qiddiya Cost Planning Technical Guidelines and agreed scopes of service.
• Provide leadership, oversight and where applicable line management for Qiddiya cost planning resources assigned to the General Business Unit including Cost Planning Senior Managers and other team members.
• Support capability development, workload prioritization, performance management and consistent ways of working across assigned Qiddiya cost planning resources.
• Establish requirements for consultant deliverables, methodologies, reporting standards, cost planning assumptions and level of detail to ensure consistency with Qiddiya governance, procurement and project stage requirements.
• Review, validate and challenge consultant cost plans, reconciliations, benchmarks, escalation assumptions, risk allowances, phasing strategies and design-to-budget recommendations before endorsing the Qiddiya cost position.
• Provide senior cost planning assurance for Stage Gate submissions, investment decisions, procurement strategies and other governance approvals ensuring that cost information is complete, accurate and decision-ready.
• Maintain a current, defensible and evidence-based cost position across assigned projects and portfolios including key assumptions, cost movement, risks, opportunities, interfaces and areas of uncertainty.
• Lead strategic design-to-budget decision-making by identifying major cost drivers, testing development and design options and advising on the cost implications of scope, specification, phasing and area changes.
• Provide early-stage and portfolio-level cost advice where required prior to consultant appointment or during business planning using approved benchmarks, market intelligence and Qiddiya methodologies.
• Work closely with development, design, commercial, finance, procurement, project management, workplace, operations and CDU cost planning stakeholders to support integrated delivery of larger and more complex General projects.
• Apply cost planning software, benchmark data, quantity-based review methods and relevant General development metrics to interrogate consultant outputs and strengthen cost confidence.
• Represent the General BU in cost planning governance, executive forums and provide clear recommendations to senior stakeholders on cost matters.
• Promote consistent ways of working, technical quality, capability development and continuous improvement across the General BU cost planning function.

Key Performance and Success Measures

• Assigned projects and portfolios maintain a documented and current cost position including key assumptions, risks, opportunities, interfaces and cost movements.
• Cost planning inputs for Stage Gate, procurement, investment and other governance submissions are compliant with the Qiddiya Cost Planning Technical Guidelines and provided within required timeframes.
• Consultant-produced cost plans are reviewed and challenged at key design and procurement stages with clear recommendations, actions and endorsement positions recorded.
• Qiddiya cost planning resources assigned to the role are effectively managed with clear priorities, consistent standards and appropriate support for delivery and development.
• Material cost movement, cost risk and non-compliance issues are identified, assessed and escalated to relevant stakeholders in a timely manner.
• General benchmarking, market intelligence and asset metrics are used effectively to support cost validation, option testing and design-to-budget decisions.
• Cost consultant appointments, governance and mobilization are managed to ensure continuity and quality of cost planning support across major projects.
• Stakeholder feedback reflects clear strategic communication, sound judgment, effective coordination and strong leadership of cost planning activities and team resources.

Qualifications and Experience

Bachelor s degree in Quantity Surveying, Construction Economics, Commercial Management, or a related discipline. Minimum 15 years of relevant experience in cost planning, quantity surveying, or estimating, including significant experience on major General, or mixed-use developments. Demonstrated experience leading external cost consultants and reviewing consultant-produced cost plans across multiple design, procurement, and delivery stages. Strong knowledge of cost planning governance, benchmarking, design-to-budget principles, phasing, risk and contingency management, inflation, escalation, and cost reporting. Advanced proficiency in cost planning software and digital tools used to review, validate, and interrogate cost plans. Professional membership with RICS, AIQS, or equivalent is preferred. Experience operating within complex stakeholder environments, major governance frameworks, and executive decision-making settings is preferred.

Key Interfaces

• General Business Unit leadership and project teams
• Central Development Unit Cost Planning team, including Cost Planning Senior Managers and other assigned resources
• Development Management General and Stage Gate stakeholders
• Design management teams, workplace stakeholders, and design consultants
• Commercial, procurement, finance, project management, and operations functions
• Executive and project cost consultants