Program Director - Ultra-Luxury Hospitality Developments

Parsons; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 600,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Parsons is seeking an experienced Program Director to lead the delivery of ultra-luxury hospitality developments in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The role requires overseeing design, procurement, construction, commissioning, and handover, ensuring design integrity, brand standards, and exceptional guest experiences across major hotels and branded residences.

You will lead multi-disciplinary teams, manage budgets and schedules, coordinate with clients and operators, and drive risk management to deliver

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Engineering, Construction Management, or a related discipline.
• Minimum 20 years of relevant professional experience.
• At least 7 years in senior leadership roles (Project Director/Senior PM).
• Proven experience delivering major luxury hotels, resorts, branded residences, private clubs, or high-end mixed-use developments.
• Experience leading projects through design, procurement, construction, commissioning, and handover.
• Strong understanding of ultra-luxury hospitality design, brand standards, guest experience, and luxury finishes.

Responsibilities

• Lead overall delivery of ultra-luxury hospitality design and development projects.
• Provide strategic direction and senior management oversight throughout the project lifecycle.
• Manage project scope, budgets, schedules, quality requirements, risks, and delivery performance.
• Establish and maintain effective coordination between project participants to support successful execution.
• Ensure activities align with client objectives, requirements, and contractual commitments.
• Oversee progress and coordinate decisions affecting design, construction, and delivery.
• Protect design quality, luxury finishes, brand requirements, and guest experience objectives.

Skills

Ultra-luxury hospitality

Senior leadership

Project delivery

Design coordination

Stakeholder management

Budgeting & cost control

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Engineering, Construction Management, or related discipline

Job description

Program Director - Ultra-Luxury Hospitality Developments Job Snapshot - Role: Program Director - Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Industry: Construction - Function: Program Management - Experience: Minimum 20 years, including 7 years in senior project leadership - Job Type: Full Time - Work Arrangement: On-site

Position Overview Parsons is seeking an experienced Program Director to lead the delivery of complex ultra-luxury hospitality and high-end mixed-use developments in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The position focuses on the successful delivery of major luxury hotels, resorts, branded residences, private clubs, and premium mixed-use projects. The successful candidate will provide senior leadership throughout design development, procurement, construction, commissioning, and handover while maintaining exceptional standards of design quality, commercial performance, sustainability, and guest experience. The role requires close coordination with clients, multidisciplinary design consultants, hotel operators, contractors, specialist suppliers, and other project stakeholders. The Program Director will oversee project scope, budgets, schedules, risks, contractual matters, and delivery performance while protecting the development 's design vision and applicable hospitality brand standards. The successful candidate will bring extensive experience in luxury hospitality project delivery, strong technical and commercial judgment, and the ability to lead complex international or high-profile developments.

Job Details

• Country: Saudi Arabia
• City: Riyadh
• Industry: Construction
• Function: Program Management
• Salary: Not disclosed
• Gender: No Preference
• Candidate Nationality: Not specified
• Job Type: Full Time
• Work Arrangement: On-site
• Minimum Clearance Required to Start: Confidential

What You 'll Be Doing Luxury Hospitality Project Leadership

• Lead the overall delivery of ultra-luxury hospitality design and development projects.
• Provide strategic direction and senior management oversight throughout the project lifecycle.
• Manage project scope, budgets, schedules, quality requirements, risks, and overall delivery performance.
• Establish and maintain effective coordination between project participants to support successful execution.
• Ensure project activities remain aligned with client objectives, approved requirements, and contractual commitments.
• Oversee project progress and coordinate management decisions affecting design, construction, and delivery.
• Maintain a strong focus on design integrity, luxury hospitality standards, and successful project outcomes.

Design Management and Technical Coordination

• Lead coordination between architects, engineers, multidisciplinary design consultants, and specialist technical teams.
• Oversee design development and review activities to maintain consistency with the approved project vision.
• Lead design reviews, technical coordination meetings, and value engineering activities.
• Coordinate the review and approval of materials and design-related submissions.
• Manage complex design interfaces involving architectural, engineering, operational, and specialist hospitality requirements.
• Oversee coordination of high-value bespoke packages and specialist design elements.
• Protect design quality, luxury finishes, brand requirements, and guest experience objectives throughout project development.
• Resolve technical and design coordination issues in collaboration with consultants and other project stakeholders.

Project Delivery and Construction Oversight

• Oversee project activities from design development and approvals through procurement, construction, commissioning, and handover.
• Coordinate with contractors, suppliers, specialist vendors, and hotel operators to maintain effective project delivery.
• Monitor consultant and contractor performance against project requirements and established delivery expectations.
• Identify construction and coordination issues and direct appropriate resolution measures.
• Maintain oversight of project milestones and activities affecting completion and handover.
• Support integration between design requirements, construction execution, and operational readiness.
• Ensure that completed works support the intended hospitality experience and applicable quality objectives.

Commercial Management and Project Controls

• Monitor project budgets, costs, schedules, risks, changes, and contractual claims.
• Maintain oversight of project controls and performance reporting activities.
• Review commercial and scheduling information to identify potential delivery concerns.
• Support effective procurement, cost management, risk management, and contract administration.
• Evaluate proposed changes and their potential implications for cost, schedule, quality, and project objectives.
• Apply sound commercial judgment when addressing project challenges and management decisions.
• Coordinate with relevant teams to maintain appropriate financial and contractual controls.

Client and Stakeholder Management

• Serve as the primary point of contact for the client and key project stakeholders.
• Lead coordination with design consultants, contractors, suppliers, specialist vendors, and hotel operators.
• Maintain effective communication with senior client representatives and other decision-makers.
• Manage stakeholder expectations and facilitate resolution of complex project issues.
• Lead executive-level meetings, project reviews, and strategic discussions.
• Present project progress, delivery concerns, and recommended actions to relevant stakeholders.
• Support timely decisions while maintaining alignment between design, commercial, operational, and project delivery objectives.

Project Governance, Quality, and Compliance

• Oversee project reporting and governance activities.
• Ensure project delivery practices comply with Parsons ' quality, safety, ethics, and project management standards.
• Monitor project performance against established quality and delivery requirements.
• Maintain oversight of risk management and change control processes.
• Support consistent application of project procedures throughout design and construction activities.
• Promote effective coordination between project governance requirements and operational delivery priorities.
• Maintain attention to sustainability objectives and applicable project standards.

Team Leadership and Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop multidisciplinary project delivery personnel.
• Provide direction to project management, design management, and technical teams.
• Encourage effective communication and collaboration across project disciplines.
• Support team members in resolving technical, commercial, and operational challenges.
• Promote accountability and consistent performance across assigned project activities.
• Develop team capabilities and support professional growth within the project delivery environment.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor 's degree in Architecture, Engineering, Construction Management, Project Management, or a related discipline.
• Minimum 20 years of relevant professional experience in project and design management.
• At least 7 years of experience as a Project Director, Senior Project Manager, or in an equivalent senior leadership position.
• Demonstrated experience delivering major luxury hotels, resorts, branded residences, private clubs, or high-end mixed-use developments.
• Proven experience managing projects through design, procurement, construction, commissioning, and handover.
• Strong understanding of ultra-luxury hospitality design, hotel operations, hospitality brand standards, guest experience, and luxury finishes.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary design consultants, contractors, suppliers, specialist vendors, and hotel operators.
• Strong knowledge of project controls, cost management, scheduling, risk management, change control, procurement, and contract administration.
• Experience managing complex design interfaces and high-value bespoke packages.
• Excellent client-facing communication, negotiation, presentation, and leadership skills.
• Ability to manage senior stakeholders and make timely, commercially sound decisions.
• Experience working on large-scale, international, or high-profile hospitality developments.

Key Professional Competencies

• Ultra-luxury hospitality project delivery.
• Senior project and program leadership.
• Luxury hotel, resort, and branded residence development.
• Multidisciplinary design management and coordination.
• Hospitality brand standards and guest experience requirements.
• Design integrity, luxury finishes, and bespoke package management.
• Project lifecycle management from design through handover.
• Procurement and construction coordination.
• Project controls, scheduling, and cost management.
• Commercial decision-making and contract administration.
• Risk assessment, change management, and claims oversight.
• Client relationship management and executive-level communication.
• Project governance, quality, safety, and sustainability.
• Multidisciplinary team leadership and professional development.

Ultra-Luxury Hospitality Project Environment

The Program Director will oversee complex hospitality developments where design quality, operational requirements, and guest experience are central to successful delivery. Projects may include luxury hotels, resorts, branded residences, private clubs, and high-end mixed-use assets involving multidisciplinary design teams and specialist construction packages. The role requires careful coordination of architectural design, engineering requirements, premium materials, bespoke finishes, and hotel operator expectations. Effective project leadership will be essential to maintaining the intended design vision while managing construction progress, commercial requirements, technical challenges, and stakeholder expectations. The successful candidate will be expected to balance design excellence with practical delivery considerations, ensuring that project activities support the required standards of quality, sustainability, cost, schedule, and operational readiness.

Working at Parsons

Working at Parsons Parsons promotes a professional environment that values innovation, collaboration, adaptability, and continuous improvement. The company encourages employees to develop their capabilities while working with multidisciplinary teams on complex engineering and development assignments. Parsons emphasizes employee wellbeing and opportunities for professional growth.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Parsons is committed to equal employment opportunity and fair representation at all job levels without discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, age, disability, or genetic information.

Recruitment Fraud Awareness

Parsons advises applicants to remain alert to fraudulent recruitment practices. Information about recruitment fraud and how to report suspicious recruitment activities is available through the company 's official website.

About Parsons Corporation

Parsons Corporation supports complex engineering, design, construction, and project management activities through multidisciplinary professional teams. The company emphasizes innovation, technical expertise, collaboration, and effective project delivery while supporting client objectives and professional development.