Senior Operational Readiness Lead: Drive Safe Activations

Qiddiya Investment Company; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 300,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

Qiddiya Investment Company seeks a Senior Operational Readiness Leader to drive strategic direction across major assets and programmes, ensuring safe transition from project delivery into sustainable operations. You will govern assurance, activation decisions and align executives on priorities and risks.

Lead governance, cross-functional readiness planning and commissioning, handover and activation, while developing team capability and continuous improvement across the function.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred.
• PMP, PRINCE2 or related certifications are preferred.
• 7+ years of experience in operational readiness, mobilisation, or asset activation for major programmes.

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.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Stakeholder management

Team leadership

Education

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

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

PMP

PRINCE2

Facilities management

HSE

Risk management

Job description

Qiddiya Investment Company seeks a Senior Operational Readiness Leader to drive strategic direction across major assets and programmes, ensuring safe transition from project delivery into sustainable operations. You will govern assurance, activation decisions and align executives on priorities and risks.

Lead governance, cross-functional readiness planning and commissioning, handover and activation, while developing team capability and continuous improvement across the function.