Project Manager – Pyrolysis Plant Construction & Commissioning

About This Role

1. About Front End

Front End Limited Company is a Saudi-headquartered industrial solutions group, named "Innovator of the Year" at the Oil & Gas Middle East 2025 Awards and 100% aligned with Saudi Vision 2030, Front End operates across eight integrated verticals:

• Energy — EPC & project delivery, valves, actuators & testing, subsurface
• Industrial Facilities — EPC & turnkey services, valves & safety systems, facility O&M
• Geoscience — subsurface & seismic, site & geotechnical studies, airborne & UAV surveys
• Space — satellite data & analytics, monitoring & insights, weather & resilience
• Offshore — construction & installation, surveying & monitoring, drilling & decommissioning
• Artificial Intelligence — strategy & transformation, cloud & modernization, AI operations
• Autonomy & Mobility — UAV & drone operations, marine & subsea systems, air mobility
• Mining — exploration & surveying, offshore mining, compliance & sustainability

This role sits within Front End's Environmental & Sustainability initiatives , an extension of the Industrial Facilities vertical, focused on delivering circular-economy and decarbonisation infrastructure for the Kingdom. While the successful candidate will be dedicated to the pyrolysis biochar project, they will be part of a multidisciplinary organisation that blends industrial execution capability with advanced technology, geoscience, and AI — giving the project access to capabilities that few peer organisations can match.

2. Role Purpose

The Project Manager will lead the end-to-end delivery of the BST-06 MAX pyrolysis biochar plant at the SBF site in Riyadh — a flagship environmental and sustainability initiative converting organic waste streams into biochar and renewable syngas in support of KSA Vision 2030 circular-economy and net-zero targets.

Reporting to the Front End Projects Director, the Project Manager is accountable for the safe, on-time, on-budget, and quality-compliant execution of the project from mobilisation through commissioning and operational handover (target commissioning: June 2026 ). The role serves as the single point of accountability between Front End, the client (SBF), the equipment supplier (Beston Group), regulatory authorities, and all subcontractors.

3. Project Context

The project comprises the design, civil construction, installation, commissioning, and operational handover of a pyrolysis biochar production unit. The plant will:

• Divert organic and agricultural residues from landfill
• Produce biochar for soil regeneration and carbon sequestration
• Generate renewable syngas as a process energy source
• Operate within KSA municipal environmental regulations and SBF site-specific HSE standards

The project also serves as a reference deployment that will inform Front End's broader sustainability portfolio across the Industrial Facilities and Mining verticals.

4. Scope of Responsibility — Project Lifecycle

The Project Manager owns delivery across the full project lifecycle, structured per PMI/PMBOK standards:

Phase 1 — Initiation & Site Preparation (Civil Works) Lead site mobilisation, stakeholder onboarding, and baseline confirmation. Direct all ground preparation activities — site clearing, levelling, compaction, drainage — and oversee foundation design review, concrete slab and equipment plinth construction, and utility trenching for power, water, and drainage tie-ins.

Phase 2 — Planning & Equipment Receipt / Installation Manage logistics of equipment arrival from Jeddah port (customs clearance, transport, laydown). Direct crane operations, heavy lifting, mechanical assembly, and anchoring of the BST-06 MAX carboniser, feed systems, syngas outlet components, and ancillary equipment in line with Beston Group drawings and specifications.

Phase 3 — Execution & Commissioning Support Coordinate on-site Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) replication and operational commissioning with the Beston Group team. Verify civil and structural compliance with design intent and HSE requirements. Manage punch lists and close out civil and mechanical snags.

Phase 4 — Monitoring, Control & Operational Handover Oversee initial operations to confirm the plant performs safely within its approved footprint. Manage infrastructure modifications, access road maintenance, containment areas, and ongoing HSE coordination with SBF authorities. Lead formal handover to the operations team with full documentation.

Phase 5 — Project Closeout Complete as-built documentation, lessons-learned register, financial reconciliation, and contractual closeout with the client and supplier.

5. Key Responsibilities (PMBOK Knowledge Areas)

Integration & Scope Management

• Develop and maintain the Project Management Plan, Scope Statement, and Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
• Manage change control through a formal change request and approval process
• Serve as the primary interface between Front End, SBF, Beston Group, and regulatory authorities

Schedule Management

• Develop and maintain the master construction programme (MS Project or Primavera P6) aligned with the June 2026 commissioning target
• Track critical-path activities, manage float, and report schedule variance weekly

Cost Management

• Manage the project budget; track committed vs. actual cost
• Approve subcontractor invoices and variation orders within delegated authority
• Report cost performance (CPI/SPI) to the Project Director monthly

Quality Management

• Implement Inspection and Test Plans (ITPs) for civil, structural, and mechanical works
• Ensure compliance with KSA building codes, SASO standards, Beston Group specifications, and ISO 9001 quality principles
• Conduct daily site inspections; maintain photographic records of all construction milestones

Resource Management

• Lead and direct subcontractors engaged in earthworks, concrete, steelwork, mechanical, and utilities installation
• Coordinate temporary site services: site office, welfare, security fencing, material storage

Communications Management

• Produce weekly progress reports, monthly stakeholder dashboards, and written daily site logs
• Chair weekly project coordination meetings and monthly steering committee reviews

Risk Management

• Maintain the Project Risk & Issues Register; escalate geotechnical, structural, regulatory, or schedule risks promptly
• Develop mitigation plans for high-priority risks; review register weekly

Procurement & Contract Management

• Manage subcontractor contracts, scope, and performance
• Coordinate with supplier (Beston Group) on warranty, spares, and technical support obligations

Stakeholder Management

• Liaise with Saudi authorities for site permits, environmental operating licences, and industrial area compliance
• Coordinate with SBF facilities management on power supply, access routes, water/drainage tie-ins, and waste management
• Manage client relationships and expectations throughout the lifecycle

HSE & Environmental Compliance

• Ensure all site activities comply with KSA municipal environmental regulations and SBF site-specific HSE requirements
• Oversee lifting plans, toolbox talks, permit-to-work systems, and incident reporting
• Champion sustainability outcomes consistent with the project's environmental mission

6. Key Performance Indicators

• Commissioning achieved by June 2026 (schedule adherence)
• Project delivered within approved budget (CPI 1.0)
• Zero Lost-Time Incidents (LTI) and full HSE compliance
• All regulatory permits and operating licences secured prior to commissioning
• Quality close-out: all punch-list items resolved before handover
• Successful FAT replication and operational handover acceptance by client

7. Required Qualifications & Experience

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, or Construction/Project Management from an accredited university
• Master's degree in Project Management, Engineering Management, or Sustainability is a plus

Certifications (Required)

• PMP (Project Management Professional) or equivalent (PRINCE2 Practitioner, IPMA Level B/C)
• Valid Saudi Council of Engineers (SCE) registration or eligibility to obtain
• NEBOSH International General Certificate or equivalent HSE qualification

Experience

• Minimum 7 years in site-based project delivery, with at least 3 years in an industrial or process plant environment
• Demonstrable track record managing heavy equipment foundations, industrial slab construction, and utility infrastructure in KSA or the wider GCC
• Proven experience leading multidisciplinary teams (civil, mechanical, electrical, HSE)

Technical Skills

• Proficient in reading structural, mechanical, and P&ID drawings
• Competent in AutoCAD or equivalent CAD software
• Proficient in MS Project, Primavera P6, or equivalent scheduling tools
• Familiar with KSA building codes, SASO standards, and municipal environmental permitting

Language

• Professional working proficiency in English (required); Arabic strongly preferred

8. Preferred / Desirable Experience

• Prior delivery of waste-to-resource, biochar, pyrolysis, gasification, or industrial thermal processing plants
• Experience in environmental and sustainability capital projects (circular economy, carbon reduction, ESG-aligned)
• Heavy-lift and crane operations management — lifting plan review, toolbox talks
• Vision 2030 giga-project experience (SBF, NEOM, Diriyah, Red Sea, or equivalent)
• Experience with environmental operating permit applications in KSA industrial zones
• Familiarity with carbon credit/sequestration verification frameworks (Verra, Gold Standard)
• Working knowledge of ISO 14001 (Environmental Management) and ISO 45001 (OH&S)
• Exposure to adjacent Front End verticals (energy, industrial facilities, geoscience, mining) is advantageous given potential cross-project collaboration

9. Core Competencies

• Leadership & decision-making under pressure
• Stakeholder management across multicultural and multi-organisational teams
• Problem-solving and conflict resolution
• Commercial and contractual awareness
• Commitment to safety and environmental stewardship
• Strong written and verbal communication

10. Authorities

• Approve site-level technical decisions within the scope of the approved design
• Approve subcontractor work and variations within delegated financial authority
• Stop-work authority on any HSE or quality non-conformance
• Escalate scope, schedule, cost, or risk exceptions to the Project Director

11. Why Join Front End

• Be part of a Vision 2030–aligned organisation recognised as Innovator of the Year at the Oil & Gas Middle East 2025 Awards
• Lead a flagship environmental and sustainability project with regional visibility
• Work alongside teams across energy, industrial facilities, geoscience, space, offshore, AI, autonomy & mobility, and mining
• Build a track record on a reference project that will shape Front End's broader sustainability portfolio