Engagement Manager - Operations Advisory

We are seeking an Engagement Manager – Operations Advisory to lead multidisciplinary consulting engagements in Saudi Arabia, translating vision‑led masterplans and investment cases into practical operating solutions for large infrastructure, urban, social and economic assets. The role is based in Saudi Arabia with experience in the KSA market and occasional travel to Dubai, UAE.

• Act as the primary day‑to‑day leader for Operations engagements, accountable for on‑time, on‑budget delivery and client satisfaction across multiple work streams.
• Build and maintain trusted relationships with senior client stakeholders (ministries, delivery entities, asset owners, operators, investors), serving as a strategic advisor on asset operations, service models and transformation roadmaps.
• Shape engagement scope, workplans, staffing and budgets, ensuring alignment with client priorities, contractual commitments and Buro Happold quality standards.

• Combine capabilities from Asset Consultancy, Advisory, Digital, Sustainability and core Engineering teams into coherent, repeatable Operations offerings tailored to KSA clients.
• Capture and codify methods, tools and case studies from live projects to create playbooks and accelerators for asset operations, performance improvement and transformation.
• Collaborate with regional and global leadership to refine the growth strategy for Strategy and Operations services, including priority sectors, geographies and key accounts.

• Originate and lead Operations opportunities with new and existing clients, including proposal leadership, pitch delivery and framework responses.
• Represent Buro Happold in market‑facing forums in KSA and the GCC, articulating our perspective on asset operations.
• Mentor and develop junior consultants and engineers, contributing to a high‑performing, diverse and collaborative regional advisory team.

• Lead the development of operating models and implementation plans for portfolios of assets transitioning into operation, including roles and responsibilities, service delivery models and outsourcing/in sourcing options.
• Define performance frameworks, KPIs and governance structures that link asset operations to wider programme objectives (e.g. Vision 2030, ESG, visitor experience, revenue and cost optimisation).
• Work with sector and technical specialists to input to commercial models that quantify lifecycle costs, whole‑life value and operational risk, informing investment and operating decisions.

• Significant experience (typically 8–12 years) in management consulting, strategy and operations, asset management or related advisory roles, ideally with exposure to large‑scale infrastructure, urban development or real estate portfolios.
• Strong track record leading complex consulting engagements or programmes, including responsibility for client relationships, delivery management, team leadership and commercial performance.
• Demonstrable experience in the KSA market, with understanding of public‑sector structures, delivery entities and the transition from capital delivery to asset operations.
• Deep understanding of operating model design, asset operations, facilities management, performance management and continuous improvement in an infrastructure or built‑environment context.
• Ability to work effectively with multidisciplinary technical teams (engineering, digital, sustainability, economics) and synthesise their inputs into clear strategic recommendations for senior decision‑makers.
• Excellent communication, facilitation and stakeholder‑management skills, including comfort operating at executive and board level and presenting complex analysis in a clear, actionable way.
• Degree in Engineering, Business, Economics or a related discipline; a postgraduate qualification (e.g. MSc, MBA) and/or relevant professional certifications in asset management or operations would be advantageous.

• Strategic, delivery‑focused mindset with the ability to connect high‑level vision to detailed operating…