Program Director (Water & Wastewater)

Role overview

Program leadership and delivery

• Represent the company as principal client contact during program execution and lead negotiations on scope changes, contractual matters, and strategic decisions.
• Govern technical, commercial, financial, administrative, and operational aspects of the program.
• Develop and implement execution, health and safety, quality assurance/control, risk, and other governance plans.
• Set objectives, strategies, budgets, schedules, resource plans, and performance metrics; monitor delivery against scope, budget, schedule, quality, and safety.
• Direct multidisciplinary teams, assign work, mobilize resources, and foster collaboration across project functions.
• Lead recruitment, development, performance management, and succession planning for key personnel.
• Coordinate client, contractor, consultant, and site supervision interfaces; maintain stakeholder alignment and resolve issues.
• Lead integrated scheduling, progress reporting, document control, risk and change management, and corrective actions.
• Administer change orders, client instructions, contractual commitments, and commercial matters; inform leadership of significant developments.
• Promote technical excellence, quality, safety, improvement, and efficiency; report performance and chair project reviews.
• Attract and retain talent and strengthen company capability and reputation in utility infrastructure.

Required qualifications and experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, or related Engineering discipline.
• At least 20 years of progressive experience managing utility programs, PMO/PMC assignments, or large infrastructure projects, including significant water and wastewater experience in the UAE/GCC.
• Comprehensive knowledge of wastewater collection and treatment, water transmission and distribution, and asset management systems.
• Demonstrated management of multidisciplinary utility programs, budgets, schedules, risk, and resource plans.
• Strong knowledge of utility regulations, standards, permits, and compliance obligations.
• Extensive knowledge of PMO/PMC methods, engineering design, procurement, construction management, contract administration, and large capital program delivery.
• Experience implementing integrated digital project management platforms for documentation, workflows, approvals, reporting, and performance monitoring.
• Excellent leadership, communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management; able to present technical and strategic information to senior stakeholders.
• Strong commercial skills in contracts, change management, claims avoidance, and project governance.