Delivery Assurance Director

The Delivery Assurance & Escalation Lead owns root-cause chasing on delivery issues across the portfolio and serves as the CEO-facing voice of the EPMO in project delivery forums. Where an entity's status update does not stand up to the evidence, this role is responsible for challenging it directly with entity leadership. When delegation-of-authority or excessive-signatory findings arise, this individual escalates them immediately rather than waiting for the next reporting cycle.

This role represents the delivery assurance function of the EPMO and plays a critical part in driving accountability, resolution, and execution across the organization.

• Lead root-cause investigations into schedule and delivery issues and ensure they are closed with tangible outcomes rather than status updates.
• Own and drive actions recorded within the EPMO Tasks & Issues Log.
• Escalate delegation-of-authority and signatory-bloat findings immediately upon identification.
• Represent the EPMO in entity-level delivery review forums.
• Hold CEOs, Project Directors, and senior leadership accountable for delivery outcomes without requiring EPMO leadership attendance at every review meeting.
• Challenge unsupported status reports and ensure decisions are evidence-based.

• Strong understanding of the full construction delivery lifecycle, including mobilisation, design freeze, procurement, execution, testing & commissioning, handover, and defects liability period.
• Ability to review and interpret project schedules (Primavera P6 or equivalent) and distinguish genuine critical-path slippage from float erosion or reporting artefacts.
• Deep understanding of delay causation, including contractor underperformance, design/IFC delays, procurement or payment blockages, client-side issues, and force majeure events.
• Ability to substantiate findings through documentation and evidence rather than relying solely on stakeholder narratives.
• Practical understanding of GC and subcontractor delivery chains, including situations where both entities operate within the same group.
• Clear understanding of contractual notices, dispute escalation mechanisms, and the distinction between genuine contractual escalation and routine project correspondence.

• 10-15 years of experience in major project delivery environments.
• Experience gained within a main contractor, PMO, or client-side delivery assurance function is preferred.
• Gulf or wider MENA project delivery experience is strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with holding-company and subsidiary delivery structures.
• Proven experience holding senior stakeholders, including CEOs, COOs, and Project Directors, accountable in delivery and governance forums.
• Experience managing construction disputes or delivery escalations through to resolution, even if not acting in a legal capacity.

• Genuine enthusiasm for leveraging AI as a core professional tool through real-world examples rather than general awareness of AI platforms.
• Experience using AI to identify delivery risks earlier, accelerate root-cause analysis, or support recovery planning.
• Ability to explain practical examples of AI-driven improvements to project delivery outcomes.
• Comfort working with technical teams to develop AI-assisted solutions for schedule and delivery analysis, even without direct software development expertise.

• Strong executive presence and credibility.
• Capable of engaging confidently with subsidiary CEOs and senior leadership teams.
• Persistent and comfortable challenging the closure of issues when evidence does not support resolution.
• Firm, objective, and evidence-based in approach rather than confrontational.
• Focused on accuracy, accountability, and measurable outcomes.
• Naturally inquisitive and unwilling to accept vague or recycled status updates.
• Consistently seeks evidence of progress by asking, "What has changed since last time?"