Senior Project Director, Metro/Rail Design & Delivery

SYSTRA Arabia; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 700,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

SYSTRA Arabia invites an experienced Project Director to lead the design consultancy for a major rail/metro project in the Middle East. The role demands over 20 years of experience in complex transportation infrastructure, with a strong emphasis on metro stations and integration across disciplines.

You will oversee design management, client relationships, and program delivery, ensuring budget, schedule, and quality standards are met while coordinating with authorities and partners.

Qualifications

• 20+ years of professional experience in the design and delivery of major infrastructure or transportation projects.
• Proven experience in a Project Director, Design Director, or similarly senior leadership role within a lead design consultancy environment.
• Demonstrated track record of delivering rail, metro, or station projects, ideally including complex or high-value public transport programs.
• Strong understanding of station design, transit architecture, multidisciplinary design coordination, and consultancy delivery models.
• Experience managing large multidisciplinary teams across architecture, engineering, specialist systems, and technical support functions.
• Strong client-facing experience, including management of senior stakeholders, transport authorities, and approval agencies.
• Proven experience in project governance, commercial management, program control, risk management, and quality assurance.
• Experience across the full project lifecycle, including concept design, detailed design, tender support, and construction-stage design services.
• Middle East experience preferred, particularly on rail, metro, or major infrastructure programs.

Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of the lead design consultancy scope across all project phases.
• Provide overall project leadership, governance, and strategic direction.
• Manage multidisciplinary design teams across architecture, engineering, and specialist disciplines.
• Act as the primary senior point of contact for the client and key stakeholders.
• Oversee design management, coordination, and integration across all project interfaces.
• Ensure delivery against program, budget, quality, and contractual requirements.
• Direct project planning, resource allocation, and team mobilization.
• Lead design reviews, progress meetings, and strategic workshops.
• Manage project risks, issues, dependencies, and change control processes.
• Oversee commercial performance, reporting, and contract administration.
• Ensure compliance with applicable codes, standards, authority requirements, and approval processes.
• Coordinate the integration of station architecture, civil, structural, MEP, rail systems, urban realm, accessibility, wayfinding, and fire life safety requirements.
• Maintain strong relationships with transport authorities, government bodies, and delivery partners.
• Support tender, procurement, and construction-stage design services as required.
• Drive technical excellence, design quality, operational functionality, and passenger-focused outcomes.
• Ensure effective quality assurance and timely submission of coordinated design deliverables

Skills

20+ years experience

Senior leadership

Rail/metro project delivery

Station design expertise

Multidisciplinary team management

Client-facing & stakeholder mgmt

Governance & quality assurance

Full lifecycle design delivery

Middle East experience

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Engineering, Design, or related

Postgraduate qualification advantageous

Job description

SYSTRA Arabia invites an experienced Project Director to lead the design consultancy for a major rail/metro project in the Middle East. The role demands over 20 years of experience in complex transportation infrastructure, with a strong emphasis on metro stations and integration across disciplines.

You will oversee design management, client relationships, and program delivery, ensuring budget, schedule, and quality standards are met while coordinating with authorities and partners.