Government Relations Manager

Client of Taj HR; Medina; On-site; SAR 320,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

Client of Taj HR is seeking a Manager Government Relations in Medina, Saudi Arabia. You will oversee all regulatory permits, licenses and approvals across the development portfolio, ensuring timely and compliant engagement with authorities.

You will lead permit tracking, liaise with Baladiya, Civil Defence, MOMRA, SEC and NWC, and manage a small GR team to secure certifications while monitoring regulatory changes affecting projects.

Qualifications

• Minimum 6–8 years in Government Relations or regulatory affairs in Saudi Arabia.

Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end regulatory certificates, permits and licences across projects.
• Obtain building permits, Civil Defence certificates, completion certificates and occupancy approvals.
• Monitor permit and approval statuses using a tracker (Excel/Wrike).
• Build and maintain productive relationships with Baladiya, Civil Defence, MOMRA, SEC, NWC and other authorities.
• Liaise with ministries and government entities to resolve regulatory issues for projects.

Skills

Regulatory affairs

Permit management

Stakeholder management

Negotiation

Bilingual Arabic & English

Education

Bachelor/ Degree in Business Administration, Law, Engineering, or related field

Diploma with extensive relevant experience

Tools

Wrike

Excel

DocuSign

MS Office

SharePoint

Job description

The Manager Government Relations is responsible for managing all regulatory permitting and licensing activities required across URED amp s development and property portfolio The role ensures timely and compliant engagement with all relevant Saudi government authorities safeguarding project delivery timelines and URED amp operational licences The GR Manager builds and maintains productive relationships with key regulatory bodies including Municipality Baladiya Civil Defence MOMRA SEC NWC and other relevant authorities ensuring all approvals connections and certifications are secured within target timeframes

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Regulatory Permits Licences amp Approvals

Manage the end-to-end process for all regulatory certificates permits and licences across URED projects within target timelines

Obtain building permits Civil Defence certificates completion certificates and occupancy approvals

Manage issuance of required governmental approvals certifications and registrations for all URED departments

Monitor and track all permit and approval statuses through a structured tracker Excel Wrike

Public Utility Connections

Manage electricity connections with SEC Saudi Electricity Company within target timelines

Coordinate water and sewage connections with NWC National Water Company

Ensure all public utility activations are completed prior to project handover

Government Relations amp Authority Management

Build and maintain productive relationships with Baladiya Civil Defence MOMRA SEC NWC and other regulatory bodies

Liaise with ministries and government entities to resolve project-specific regulatory issues

Represent URED professionally in all government interactions

Monitor legislative and regulatory changes affecting UREDs development activities and communicate updates to management

Policies Procedures amp Governance

Develop and maintain GR department policies and procedures in line with Saudi law and URED objectives

Ensure all GR processes are documented consistent and auditable

Manage formal correspondence and official letters with government entities

Ensure all GR documentation is properly filed and maintained within URED systems

Team Leadership

Direct manage and develop the GR Coordinator

Allocate tasks and responsibilities within the GR team

Ensure the Coordinator understands their KPIs and accountability frameworks

FRAMEWORKS BOUNDARIES amp DECISION-MAKING AUTHORITY

Reports directly to the CTSO Financial authority as per URED Delegation of Authority DoA

Authority to engage and negotiate directly with government authorities on URED amp behalf

Authority to approve GR-related correspondence and formal letters

No authority to commit URED to any financial legal or contractual obligations without CTSO approval

Authority to sign off on permit applications and regulatory documentation via DocuSign

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS KPIs

Building permits obtained within 4 6 weeks of application

Civil Defence certificate secured within 2 4 weeks of project completion

Completion certificates obtained within 4 6 weeks of practical completion

SEC electricity activation completed within 6 8 weeks of connection application

Water and sewage connections completed within 6 8 weeks of NWC application

100 of regulatory submissions made within required timelines

Zero regulatory or authority-related project delays attributable to GR function

Zero fines or penalties for regulatory non-compliance

INTERNAL amp EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS

Internal

CTSO Permit status reporting escalation of regulatory issues strategic alignment

Construction Team Permit and approval coordination for project delivery

Design amp Engineering Regulatory submission support for planning and design approvals

UAPM Operations Operational licence and connection coordination

Finance Government fee processing and budget tracking

External

Baladiya Municipality Building permits completion certificates occupancy approvals

Civil Defence Fire safety certificates and inspections

MOMRA Regulatory compliance and planning approvals

SEC Saudi Electricity Company Power connection applications and activations

NWC National Water Company Water and sewage connections

Other relevant ministries and regulatory bodies as applicable

Qualifications

QualificationsBachelor&Degree in Business Administration, Law, Engineering, or related field (preferred). Diploma with extensive relevant experience will be considered.

ExperienceMinimum 6 8 years of experience in Government Relations, regulatory affairs, or permit management in Saudi Arabia. Proven experience managing permits and approvals for real estate development projects. Strong established relationships with Baladiya, Civil Defence, SEC, and NWC.

Technical Skills & ToolsStrong knowledge of Saudi regulatory environment: SBC, MOMRA, Civil Defence, SEC, and NWC processes.Permit tracking via Excel or Wrike.Microsoft 365 Teams, Outlook, SharePoint, Word.DocuSign Digital sign-off on permit applications and regulatory submissions.Arabic (must primary language for authority communication).English (required for internal reporting and documentation).Claude (Anthropic) working familiarity with Claude as an AI productivity tool for drafting, working on MS applications, integration with department applications, research, data summarisation, presentation, and content generation within the function.

Behavioral CompetenciesExcellent relationship management and interpersonal skills.Negotiation and influence with government officials.High integrity and professional conduct.Organized, systematic, and deadline-driven.Proactive and solution-oriented.Clear communication bilingual (Arabic and English).

Functional CompetenciesSaudi regulatory and authority environment expertise.Permit and approval process management.Formal correspondence and documentation management.Government stakeholder relationship management.Team leadership and coordination.