Associate Director / Technical Director – Rail

About This Role

Job Description The Associate Director / Technical Director – Rail will provide senior technical leadership across multidisciplinary rail projects while helping to grow the rail business in the UAE and wider Middle East market.

The role requires broad experience across rail design and delivery, including track, civil works, stations, systems, signalling, power and operations, together with proven delivery of major rail programmes such as high-speed rail, metro and light rail in regional and international markets.

This position suits an experienced rail leader with strong technical credibility, established client relationships, and the ability to support project delivery, technical assurance and work-winning across the region.

Responsibilities Technical Leadership & Design Governance

• Provide senior technical leadership and act as technical authority, or deputy where appropriate, on rail projects in the UAE and across the Middle East.
• Define and uphold technical standards, design principles and governance processes in line with UAE and regional authority requirements.
• Lead the delivery of multidisciplinary rail design projects as Project Director, Project Manager or Subject Matter Expert, as required.
• Lead multidisciplinary design reviews, technical approvals and assurance activities across complex rail programmes.
• Ensure compliance with international standards and regional regulations, codes and approvals processes.

Multidisciplinary Rail Design Oversight Provide technical oversight and coordination across all rail disciplines, including:

• Track & Alignment
• Civil & Structural Works (bridges, viaducts, tunnels, earthworks)
• Stations & Buildings (architecture, MEP, fire & life safety)
• Rail Systems (signalling, traction power, OCS, substations, SCADA)
• Communications & Telecoms
• Depots & Rolling Stock Interfaces
• Systems Integration, Interfaces & RAMS

Ensure coordination and technical consistency across disciplines to deliver safe, operable and integrated rail systems.

Business Development & Client Engagement

• Play a leading role in business development and work-winning across the Middle East rail market.
• Shape bid strategies, technical solutions, delivery methodologies and fee proposals for priority rail opportunities.
• Act as a senior technical representative in client meetings, workshops, presentations and bid interviews.
• Build and maintain trusted relationships with government entities, rail authorities, operators, developers and contractors across the UAE and wider region.
• Contribute to pipeline growth, key account development, market intelligence and strategic positioning for rail in the Middle East.

Project Delivery Support

• Work with Project Directors and discipline leads to support the successful delivery of major rail programmes across the UAE and Middle East.
• Resolve complex technical, interface and systems integration issues across multidisciplinary rail projects.
• Support technical review of contractor submissions, authority submissions and design deliverables.
• Provide technical input during construction, testing and commissioning phases where required.
• Promote high standards of design quality, safety and engineering excellence.
• Support the application of RAMS, safety assurance and risk management processes.
• Proactively identify technical and integration risks and support mitigation strategies.
• Ensure full compliance with regional and local QHSE requirements.

Quality, Safety & Risk

• Promote high standards of design quality, safety and engineering excellence.
• Support the application of RAMS, safety assurance and risk management processes.
• Proactively identify technical and integration risks and support mitigation strategies.
• Ensure full compliance with regional and local QHSE requirements.

People & Capability Development

• Mentor and develop engineers and discipline leads across the Middle East rail team.
• Collaborate effectively with global rail colleagues and contribute to cross-region technical excellence.
• Support recruitment, succession planning and capability growth to meet the expanding Middle East rail market.
• Promote knowledge sharing, lessons learned and regional best practice across the business.

Qualifications

• Degree in Civil, Railway or Systems Engineering; a Master’s degree is advantageous.
• Chartered Engineer status, or the ability to demonstrate progress toward chartership.
• Typically 15 to 18+ years of experience in rail engineering and rail design consultancy.
• Proven rail project experience in the UAE and/or Middle East, including familiarity with regional authorities, standards and approvals processes.
• Strong multidisciplinary rail background with experience across the full project lifecycle and a track record of rail design and delivery.
• Experience leading bids, proposals, client engagement and business development activities.
• Ability to operate confidently in a client-facing technical leadership role.
• Strong technical credibility across rail disciplines, with systems-thinking and problem-solving capability.
• Strong commercial acumen, with experience supporting bids, client frameworks and market growth.
• Client-focused, collaborative and credible with senior stakeholders.
• Clear communicator with the ability to influence clients, partners and internal stakeholders.
• Experience working across both regional and international rail programmes, including high-speed rail, metro and light rail.
• Established relationships with key regional rail clients, authorities or delivery partners would be advantageous.

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