Senior Development Director Residential

Cornerstone Global Partners MENA; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading development firm in Saudi Arabia is seeking a Senior Development Director to oversee large-scale residential communities as part of a landmark global project. The successful candidate will have over 18 years of experience in real estate development, focusing on strategic and financial management throughout the development lifecycle. Responsibilities include managing development budgets, ensuring quality and compliance, and leading architectural standards. This is a key role in delivering innovative residential solutions aligned with international milestones.

Qualifications

• 18+ years of experience in real estate development with a strong track record in large-scale residential and mixed-use developments.
• Proven experience in managing development budgets and delivering projects on time and within scope.
• Comprehensive understanding of local development regulations and compliance.

Responsibilities

• Lead the residential development strategy across various communities.
• Drive concept planning and manage development feasibility.
• Ensure compliance with authority approvals and governance frameworks.

Skills

Residential development strategy

Development feasibility

Financial modeling

Project management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Real Estate, Architecture, Urban Planning, Engineering

Master’s degree (MBA or related discipline)

Job description

The Senior Development Director – Residential will lead the end-to-end development of large-scale residential communities forming a core component of a landmark global mega-development project. This role will be responsible for shaping residential strategy, driving master planning, overseeing design and delivery, managing development feasibility, and ensuring world-class quality, commercial success, and timely delivery aligned with international event milestones.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the residential development strategy across multiple districts and communities within a giga-scale master development.
• Drive concept planning, land use optimization, density strategy, product mix, and phasing aligned with the overall master plan and event timelines.
• Define residential typologies including villas, townhouses, apartments, branded residences, serviced living, and workforce housing.
• Ensure alignment between development strategy, market demand, investment returns, and long-term legacy objectives.
• Lead development feasibility, financial modeling, and investment business cases for all residential assets.
• Drive product positioning, pricing strategy, and sales phasing in collaboration with commercial and sales teams.
• Manage development budgets, CAPEX, IRR targets, and overall residential portfolio profitability.
• Oversee value engineering and cost optimization without compromising quality or brand positioning.
• Lead architectural vision and residential design standards across all communities.
• Oversee master planners, architects, urban designers, landscape designers, and interior designers.
• Establish residential design guidelines, sustainability standards, smart living principles, and wellness-driven communities.
• Ensure delivery of globally benchmarked residential products that set new standards for lifestyle, placemaking, and urban living.
• Oversee development delivery from concept through design, procurement, construction, handover, and post-event legacy transition.
• Work closely with project management, construction, infrastructure, and utilities teams to ensure seamless delivery.
• Manage development risk, program milestones, and critical path to meet immovable EXPO deadlines.
• Ensure full compliance with authority approvals, development regulations, and governance frameworks.

Key Requirements

• 18+ years of experience in real estate development with a strong track record in large-scale residential and mixed-use master developments.
• Bachelor’s degree in Real Estate, Architecture, Urban Planning, Engineering, or related discipline.
• Master’s degree (MBA, Real Estate Development, or Urban Development) is highly preferred.
• Strong experience across the full development lifecycle: feasibility, design, approvals, delivery, sales, and asset stabilization.