Technical Director - Dry Utilities

WSP in the Middle East; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 300,000 - 400,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

First-class medical cover

Generous annual leave

Paid professional subscriptions

Flexible working arrangements

Job summary

WSP in the Middle East is looking for a Technical Director – Utilities in Riyadh to lead the utilities discipline within a prestigious engineering consultancy.

This role supports large-scale infrastructure projects in Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Qatar, requiring robust technical leadership and client engagement skills.

Candidates should possess a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering with at least 18 years of experience, focusing on dry utilities design and delivery.

Qualifications

• 18+ years of total experience in engineering consultancy, focused on dry utilities.
• Experience managing large-scale infrastructure projects in the Middle East.
• Chartered Engineer or equivalent professional accreditation preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and delivery of utilities networks across projects.
• Provide technical oversight to ensure compliance with standards.
• Maintenance of strong client relationships and business development.

Skills

Dry utilities design

Technical leadership

Client engagement

Project delivery

Team leadership

Negotiation skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

Technical design software

Project management tools

Job description

Job Description

WSP Middle East is hiring an experienced Technical Director – Utilities to lead and grow a high‑performing utilities discipline within a leading engineering consultancy in Riyadh. This role sits within the Transport & Infrastructure business unit, supporting the delivery of large‑scale infrastructure and masterplan land development projects across Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar. The successful candidate will provide technical leadership, project oversight, and client engagement across all aspects of dry utilities & MEICA designs, including power, telecommunications, district cooling, gas, street lighting, and related systems. This is a strategic leadership position requiring a balance of technical excellence, commercial awareness, and stakeholder management.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, coordination, and delivery of utilities networks across complex infrastructure and land development projects.
• Provide technical oversight and governance, ensuring designs comply with local authority standards and international best practices.
• Awareness of Dubai and Abu Dhabi regulations.
• Drive innovation and value engineering initiatives to optimize project outcomes and cost efficiency.
• Ensure seamless integration of utilities with other disciplines.
• Support in achieving the P&L objectives inline with the business target.
• Maintain good relationships with clients, and establish communications with new clients to support the business growth.
• Act as the primary technical point of contact for clients, authorities, and key stakeholders.
• Build and maintain strong client relationships, supporting business development and repeat work opportunities.
• Represent the organization in technical meetings, presentations, and authority discussions.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a multidisciplinary utilities team, fostering technical excellence and collaboration.
• Support recruitment, resource planning, and capability development aligned with business growth objectives.
• Promote a high‑performance, delivery‑focused culture within the team.
• Oversee project delivery to ensure time, cost, and quality objectives are achieved.
• Contribute to proposal preparation, bid strategy, and technical submissions for major projects.
• Monitor project financials, including budget, forecasting, and resource utilization to ensure profit and loss objectives are met at both projects and discipline levels.
• Ensure effective coordination with internal disciplines and external stakeholders.
• Lead resolution of complex technical interface issues across multiple workstreams.
• Support authority approvals and permitting processes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related discipline (Master’s preferred).
• Minimum 18+ years of total experience in engineering consultancy, with a strong focus on dry utilities design and delivery.
• Proven experience working with leading international engineering consultancies.
• Demonstrated involvement in large‑scale infrastructure and land development projects in the Middle East (Saudi Arabia experience preferred).
• Strong knowledge of local authority requirements and standards in KSA.
• Extensive expertise in power (HV/MV/LV), substations, telecom networks, MEICA, and street lighting systems.
• Strong understanding of design coordination across multiple disciplines.
• Ability to review and approve complex technical deliverables.
• Proven track record in a client‑facing leadership role, managing senior stakeholders.
• Strong team leadership and mentoring capabilities.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and negotiation skills.
• Chartered Engineer or equivalent professional accreditation preferred.
• Ability to operate at both strategic and hands‑on technical levels.
• Strong commercial awareness and experience in project delivery and business development.

Benefits

Competitive pay, first‑class medical cover, generous days of annual leave, paid professional subscriptions, and flexible working arrangements (including remote, part‑time or flexible start and finish times) to support work‑life balance.