Operational Readiness Director, Strategy & Activation

Qiddiya Investment Company; Riyadh Region; On-site; SAR 900,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Qiddiya Investment Company seeks a strategic leader to drive operational readiness across major assets and programs, ensuring a seamless transition from project delivery to safe, compliant operations. You will set readiness direction, govern assurance, and align senior stakeholders on priorities, risks and outcomes.

You will chair reviews, oversee regulatory interfaces, and lead a team focused on governance, training and continuous improvement to ensure timely activations and optimal customer

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, engineering, operations management, project management or a related discipline.
• Master’s degree is preferred.
• PMP, PRINCE2, facilities management, operational readiness, HSE, risk or programme management certification is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Define operational readiness strategy, governance, standards, assurance methodology and activation decision gates for assigned portfolios.
• Lead integrated readiness planning across people, process, technology, facilities, safety, security, commercial, regulatory and service workstreams.
• Provide senior oversight of readiness milestones, interdependencies, risks, issues, decisions and evidence-based completion status.
• Ensure operational requirements are embedded across design, procurement, commissioning, handover, mobilisation and opening plans.
• Chair senior readiness reviews and direct recovery plans for critical gaps that may affect safety, compliance, customer experience or activation dates.
• Oversee operating model, workforce, training, SOP, OS&E, technology, facilities and service mobilisation readiness.
• Provide governance for permits, licenses and regulatory interfaces, ensuring accountable teams maintain clear ownership and timely delivery.
• Advise executive leadership on readiness status, activation options, residual risks and required decisions.
• Lead assurance reviews, inspections, rehearsals and operational trials, and recommend readiness to proceed through key stage gates.
• Oversee consultants, contractors and operators supporting readiness, ensuring clear scope, quality, schedule and accountability.
• Build team capability through direction, coaching, performance management and consistent quality standards.
• Champion continuous improvement, lessons learned and standardization across the operational readiness function.

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business administration, engineering, operations management, project management or a related discipline

Master’s degree

Job description

Qiddiya Investment Company seeks a strategic leader to drive operational readiness across major assets and programs, ensuring a seamless transition from project delivery to safe, compliant operations. You will set readiness direction, govern assurance, and align senior stakeholders on priorities, risks and outcomes.

You will chair reviews, oversee regulatory interfaces, and lead a team focused on governance, training and continuous improvement to ensure timely activations and optimal customer