Director, Public Realm & Land Optimization

Jacobs; Riyadh Region; On-site; SAR 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

Jacobs is recruiting a Director of Land & Public Realm Optimisation to support City Operations in Saudi Arabia. The role reviews parks, plazas and public spaces to ensure public value, operational necessity and lifecycle sustainability, acting as an independent assurance function.

You will develop vesting frameworks, lead governance and stakeholder engagement, and provide evidence-based recommendations for acceptance, redesign or alternative ownership models.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning, Landscape Architecture, Real Estate, Asset Management, Facilities Management, Environmental Design, or related field; Master’s degree preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop and oversee the Land & Public Realm Vesting Framework, governance standards, and decision‑making processes.
• Assess public purpose, beneficiary groups, and ownership responsibilities for proposed land assets.
• Review land size, configuration, and functional need to ensure operational value and efficiency.
• Lead evaluations of parks, public spaces, plazas, green corridors, and other public realm assets.
• Conduct whole‑life cost and affordability assessments to ensure long‑term financial sustainability.
• Evaluate operational suitability, maintainability, accessibility, safety, and service requirements.
• Provide vesting recommendations, conditions, and assurance for acceptance, redesign, or alternative ownership models.
• Assess and recommend appropriate ownership, funding, and management arrangements to minimise unnecessary liabilities.
• Maintain a citywide public realm portfolio register, dashboards, and reporting to support strategic decision‑making.
• Lead stakeholder engagement, cross‑functional coordination, and specialist teams to drive sustainable land and public realm optimisation.

Skills

Urban planning

Landscape architecture

Asset management

Public realm

Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning/related field

Master’s degree preferred

Job description

Jacobs is recruiting a Director of Land & Public Realm Optimisation to support City Operations in Saudi Arabia. The role reviews parks, plazas and public spaces to ensure public value, operational necessity and lifecycle sustainability, acting as an independent assurance function.

You will develop vesting frameworks, lead governance and stakeholder engagement, and provide evidence-based recommendations for acceptance, redesign or alternative ownership models.