Government Relations Manager

Taj HR; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 240,000 - 360,000; Full time

Job summary

Taj HR in Riyadh seeks a Manager – Government Relations to oversee regulatory, permits, and licensing activities across URED's development and property portfolio, ensuring timely engagement with Saudi authorities.

You will lead the GR team, build relationships with Baladiya, Civil Defence, MOMRA, SEC and NWC, monitor changes in regulations, manage permit tracking, and sign off on regulatory submissions using DocuSign.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Law, Engineering or related field preferred.
• Diploma with extensive relevant experience will be considered.
• 6–8 years of experience in Government Relations, regulatory affairs, or permit management.

Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end process for regulatory certificates, permits and licences across 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 departments.
• Monitor and track permit and approval statuses through a tracker (Excel/Wrike).
• Build and maintain relationships with Baladiya, Civil Defence, MOMRA, SEC, NWC and other regulatory bodies.
• Liaise with ministries and government entities to resolve regulatory issues.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Negotiation

Organized

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Law, Engineering

Diploma with extensive relevant experience

Tools

Excel

Wrike

DocuSign

Claude

Job description

The Manager – Government Relations is responsible for managing all regulatory, permitting, and licensing activities

required across URED&s development and property portfolio. The role ensures timely and compliant engagement

with all relevant Saudi government authorities, safeguarding project delivery timelines and URED& operational

licences.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Regulatory Permits, Licences &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 & 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.
• 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.
• 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 & 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& 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.
• 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& EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS

Internal

• CTSO — Permit status reporting, escalation of regulatory issues, strategic alignment.
• Construction Team — Permit and approval coordination for project delivery.
• Design & Engineering — Regulatory submission support for planning and design approvals.
• UAPM Operations — Operational licence and connection coordination.
• Finance — Government fee processing and budget tracking.

External

• 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.

Requirements

Qualifications

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

Experience

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

Technical Skills & Tools

• Strong knowledge of Saudi regulatory environment: SBC, MOMRA, Civil Defence, SEC, and NWC processes.
• Permit tracking via Excel or Wrike.
• 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.
• Excellent 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).
• Saudi regulatory and authority environment expertise.
• Permit and approval process management.
• Formal correspondence and documentation management.
• Government stakeholder relationship management.