Operations Director: Built Environment

Description

Operations Director: Built Environment

Zutari MENA

Dubai

Key Responsibilities

• Strategy formulation and operational implementation
• Contribute to the development and refinement of the Built Environment strategy for Zutari MENA, aligned to the broader regional and group business objectives.
• Translate strategy into operational priorities, delivery plans, and measurable outcomes across the business unit.
• Monitor implementation of strategic initiatives and intervene where required to improve execution.
• Provide market and project delivery insights to identify growth opportunities, strengthen competitiveness, and respond to evolving client needs.
• Support market penetration in priority MENA geographies through operational readiness, delivery capability, and partner alignment.
• Grow Zutaris’ service offerings in the region to align with client and market expectations, as well as overall MENA and Group strategies.
• Drive digitally focused solutions through the team to ensure efficiency, market relevance and increased quality in delivery.
• Service delivery and risk mitigation
• Support the development of strong client and stakeholder relationships to understand needs and deliver tailored Built Environment solutions.
• Review project technical and commercial delivery approaches, including risk elements, prior to contract award to minimise downstream delivery risk.
• Ensure projects are set up in line with Zutari’s delivery requirements, including digital delivery, knowledge management, resourcing, health and safety, quality, and environmental compliance.
• Appoint and support appropriate Project Executives, Design Leads, and Opportunity Managers to lead opportunities and projects from inception to close-out.
• Ensure successful delivery of projects across the Built Environment portfolio in line with quality, programme, commercial, and client expectations.
• Monitor project performance proactively to identify delivery, commercial, contractual, technical, or reputational risks and ensure timely mitigation.
• Escalate material risks to the appropriate governance and leadership levels.
• Oversee delivery assurance across key disciplines such as mechanical, electrical, public health, fire engineering, specialist systems, structural, geotech, facades and sustainability integration.
• Resource management
• Optimise the deployment of business unit and wider Zutari resources to align with current and future project demands.
• Ensure effective resourcing decisions across priorities, skills, capacity, and budget constraints.
• Build operational capability by supporting recruitment, succession planning, and technical development within the Built Environment team.
• Ensure staff are equipped with the training, tools, and support required to deliver high-quality work in a fast-paced MENA environment.
• Foster multidisciplinary collaboration across all internal disciplines and external project and client teams.
• Operational management
• Oversee day-to-day operations of the Built Environment business, including project delivery oversight, utilisation, workforce planning, quality management, and budget performance.
• Establish, track, and report on KPIs to drive operational excellence and accountability.
• Provide guidance on opportunity management, bid structuring, delivery models, and partner engagement.
• Implement and uphold technical standards, project governance requirements, and compliance procedures across the business unit.
• Drive consistency in delivery methodologies, design management, and project controls.
• Strengthen operational maturity in relation to design coordination, authority approvals, and complex stakeholder environments typical of the UAE, KSA and wider MENA market.
• Sales and financial performance
• Support the achievement of sales, revenue, margin, and cash performance targets for the Built Environment business.
• Monitor business and project financial performance, analyse variances, and implement corrective actions where required.
• Support and review scope changes, variation orders, claims positions, and commercial negotiations in conjunction with project leaders.
• Contribute to pipeline conversion by ensuring robust delivery planning, partner strategies, and resourcing confidence at bid stage.
• Help strengthen Zutari’s market position with developers, architects, contractors, public sector entities, asset owners, and regional delivery partners.
• Optimise operations
• Implement measures that improve value creation, operational efficiency, and profitability across the Built Environment portfolio.
• Identify process improvement opportunities and streamline operational workflows to enhance productivity and delivery consistency.
• Drive lessons learnt, continuous improvement, and knowledge sharing across projects and teams.
• Support digitisation and innovation initiatives that improve coordination, reporting, and project outcomes.
• Collaboration and co-ordination
• Ensure effective communication and collaboration across business units, sectors, and regional support functions.
• Coordinate seamless integration of multidisciplinary solutions and client offerings.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with strategic partners, key clients, contractors, developers, and relevant industry bodies in the MENA market.
• Work closely with regional leadership to align operational priorities with client strategy, growth plans, and delivery capacity.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related field.
• Professionally registered engineer or eligible for professional registration with a recognised body
• PMP or equivalent project/programme management certification will be advantageous.
• MBA or similar postgraduate business qualification will be advantageous.

Other Requirements

• At least 10 years’ proven experience in an operations, project delivery, or business leadership role of a similar nature.
• Demonstrated at least 10 Years experience in Built Environment consulting within the Middle East.
• Strong understanding of the Built Environment market, including multidiscipline engineering services delivery in an LDC scenario.
• Proven experience working with private developers, architects, contractors, government entities, and major institutional clients in the UAE, KSA and wider MENA region.
• Established professional network in the MENA built environment sector.
• Strong experience in leading LDC and multidiscipline large scale project bids.
• Proven leadership and management experience in a professional services environment, with a strong focus on operational efficiency and delivery excellence.
• Strong understanding of client relationship management, client service, and key account development.
• Strong commercial acumen, including project finance, contract risk, variation management, and margin control.
• Proven ability to identify, assess, and manage operational and delivery risk proactively.
• Excellent leadership and interpersonal skills, with the ability to inspire, guide, and motivate multidisciplinary teams.
• Analytical mindset with the ability to use data and operational metrics to support strategic decision-making.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; Arabic would be advantageous.
• Ability to adapt to changing client needs, market dynamics, and delivery environments across MENA.
• ***We believe that a diverse workforce is key to our business success.
• We seek the best people for our jobs based on their skills, qualifications, and experience.
• We embrace the principle of equal opportunity in employment, and we work towards eliminating all forms of unlawful discrimination in our employ.***