Senior Specialist - Destination Strategy & Planning

Qiddiya | القدية; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Qiddiya | القدية seeks a Senior Specialist in Destination Strategy & Planning to shape the destination's long-term strategy, operating model, and transformation initiatives. You will collaborate with internal teams and external partners to define priorities and develop business cases.

The role emphasizes market analysis, KPI development, and governance, with duties spanning strategy development, performance tracking, and stakeholder engagement across Marketing, Partnerships, Experience,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; Master's preferred.
• 2–5 years of strategy/ transformation experience.
• Strong analytical and communication skills.
• Ability to influence and collaborate across multiple stakeholders.
• Experience with PMO or enterprise transformation is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Planning & Development: support the development and refresh of the destination strategy, vision, and strategic objectives.
• Market, tourism, and competitive analysis to identify growth opportunities and trends.
• Develop strategic recommendations, business cases, and scenario analyses for executive decisions.
• Create strategic roadmaps, implementation plans, and transformation initiatives.
• Drive strategy execution with governance, initiative tracking, and performance monitoring.
• Develop KPIs, dashboards, and reporting to assess progress against objectives.
• Support organizational transformation, operating model enhancements, and capability development.
• Identify risks, dependencies, and mitigation actions impacting delivery.
• Destination insights & analytics: demand analysis, visitor insights, benchmarking.
• Prepare reports and presentations for senior leadership.
• Collaborate with Marketing, Partnerships, Experience, Development, Commercial, and Corporate Strategy.
• Governance & Reporting: support governance forums and decision-making, prepare executive materials.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Analytical mindset

Communication skills

Presentation skills

Synthesis of information

Attention to detail

Project management

Stakeholder management

Influencing

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

Master's degree preferred

Job description

The Senior Specialist, Destination Strategy & Planning, supports the development and execution of the destination's long-term strategy, operating model, and transformation initiatives. The role works closely with internal stakeholders and external partners to define strategic priorities, assess growth opportunities, develop business cases, and monitor the delivery of key initiatives that contribute to the destination's success.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Planning & Development
• Support the development and periodic refresh of the destination strategy, vision, and strategic objectives
• Conduct market, tourism, and competitive analysis to identify growth opportunities and emerging trends
• Develop strategic recommendations, business cases, and scenario analyses to inform executive decision-making
• Support the creation of strategic roadmaps, implementation plans, and transformation initiatives
• Transformation & Performance Management
• Drive strategy execution through initiative tracking, governance frameworks, and performance monitoring
• Develop KPIs, performance dashboards, and reporting mechanisms to assess progress against strategic objectives
• Support organizational transformation initiatives, operating model enhancements, and capability development programs
• Identify risks, dependencies, and mitigation actions impacting strategic delivery
• Destination Insights & Analytics
• Conduct destination demand analysis, visitor insights, and benchmarking studies
• Analyze market data, tourism trends, and stakeholder feedback to generate actionable insights
• Support the development of reports and executive presentations for senior leadership
• Stakeholder Management
  • Collaborate with internal functions including Marketing, Partnerships, Experience, Development, Commercial, and Corporate Strategy
  • Coordinate workshops, working sessions, and strategic planning activities with stakeholders
  • Engage external consultants, government entities, and industry partners as required
  • Governance & Reporting
    • Support strategic governance forums and decision-making committees
    • Prepare executive-level reports, presentations, and briefing materials
    • Ensure alignment between strategic initiatives, business plans, and organizational objectives

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Strategy, Economics, Industrial Engineering, Finance, Public Policy, Tourism, or related field. Master's degree is preferred
• 2-5 years of experience in Strategy Consulting, Transformation Consulting, Corporate Strategy, PMO / Enterprise Transformation, Tourism, Real Estate, Destination Development, Hospitality, Entertainment, or Public Sector Strategy
• Strategic and analytical mindset
• Strong communication and presentation skills
• Ability to synthesize complex information into clear recommendations
• High attention to detail
• Strong project management and coordination capabilities
• Ability to influence and collaborate across multiple stakeholders