Senior Director - Development - Hospitality - 20004378 CM5

Qiddiya Investment Company 1; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 450,000 - 850,000; Full time

Job summary

Qiddiya Investment Company seeks a seasoned development leader to drive end-to-end hospitality asset programs from concept to delivery. You will shape strategy, feasibility and business cases, balancing design quality with commercial performance across multiple stakeholders.

With 20+ years in real estate or hospitality development and GCC experience, you will influence senior stakeholders, guide gateway decisions and ensure value creation for the portfolio and the destination.

Qualifications

• Experience shaping development strategy and feasibility.
• 20+ years in real estate or hospitality development.
• Strong commercial acumen and value creation ability.
• Professional memberships or certifications preferred (e.g. RICS, PMP).
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders and lead complex programs.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end development of hospitality assets from brief to delivery.
• Define asset strategy, feasibility and business plans.
• Drive cross-functional alignment across strategy, design, delivery and operators.
• Ensure best-in-class design, guest experience and commercial performance.
• Provide oversight of key asset decisions and gateway reviews.
• Mentor teams and report progress to executives.

Skills

Development strategy

Stakeholder management

Commercial acumen

Communication/storytelling

Leadership

Project governance

Risk & complexity handling

Aconex familiarity

Asset lifecycle experience

Operator engagement

GCC market experience

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Real Estate Development, Architecture, Engineering or related

Tools

Aconex

Job description

About the role

At Qiddiya Investment Company, we are shaping a landmark destination redefining entertainment, culture and hospitality in the Kingdom. The Hospitality Business Unit is developing a portfolio of hotel assets central to this vision. As these assets progress, we are seeking experienced professionals to help deliver them to the highest standards of design quality, guest experience and commercial performance.

In this role, you will lead the end-to-end development of hospitality assets, from concept and business case through to delivery. You will shape development strategy, guide critical decisions and ensure assets deliver distinctive guest experiences, strong commercial performance and long-term value for both the asset and across the wider destination. Working across key stakeholders and interfaces, you will drive alignment, manage complexity and ensure assets are commercially robust and in line with Qiddiya’s vision and development objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the strategic development of hospitality assets from early-stage briefing through to delivery, handover and operational readiness
• Shape asset strategy, feasibility and business plans to define positioning, guest experience and value creation
• Drive cross-functional alignment across strategy, asset management, design, delivery and Operators to ensure seamless progression from development through to operations
• Ensure assets align with Qiddiya’s vision and quality benchmarks, delivering best-in-class design and guest experience
• Provide strategic oversight of key asset decisions, including positioning, room mix, amenities, guest experience and operational planning to maximise differentiation and portfolio performance
• Lead key asset validation milestones, including mock-up rooms reviews and critical gateway decisions, balancing Operator, design, commercial and delivery requirements
• Proactively manage interfaces, risks and opportunities across all development workstreams to protect value and maintain delivery momentum
• Lead governance and executive reporting processes, clearly articulating asset strategy, development priorities, risks and recommendations in key forums
• Mentor, guide and develop teams, embedding strong development capability and best-practice approaches across the portfolio

Requirements

• Experience shaping development strategy, feasibility and positioning
• 20+ years’ experience in real estate or hospitality development
• Strong commercial acumen and understanding of value creation
• Professional membership or recognised certification preferred (e.g. RICS, RIBA, PMP or equivalent)
• Strong judgement in complex, high-value development environments
• Ability to manage complexity across stakeholders, workstreams and project stages
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders and drive key decisions through clear communication and storytelling
• Comfortable operating in fast-paced environments, managing ambiguity and shifting priorities
• Proficiency in project management and reporting tools (e.g. Aconex etc.)
• Proven track record delivering complex assets (e.g. luxury hospitality, mixed-use)
• Experience developing hospitality assets with Operator engagement (selection, onboarding or alignment)
• Experience across full development lifecycle from feasibility through delivery and handover
• Experience working within multi-stakeholder, large-scale destination or master planned environments
• GCC experience preferred
• Bachelor’s degree in Real Estate Development, Architecture, Engineering or related discipline