Executive Director - Commercial

About the role

A major development organisation, delivering a mixed-use portfolio spanning hospitality, residential, retail and cultural assets, is recruiting an Executive Director - Commercial in Riyadh. The role leads the full commercial strategy across a large, complex development portfolio, giving executive oversight from pre-contract cost planning through to post-award delivery, ensuring value creation, cost certainty and strong commercial governance.

Key responsibilities

• Own and lead the end-to-end commercial strategy across multiple assets and workstreams
• Provide executive oversight of AQS teams, cost consultants and commercial advisors
• Sign off cost plans, estimates and BOQs at key gateways and approval stages
• Ensure cost certainty through benchmarking, value engineering and risk management
• Set procurement and contracting strategies from pre-contract through to award
• Lead or support commercial negotiations with consultants, contractors and partners
• Establish and enforce commercial controls, reporting and governance frameworks
• Partner with development, delivery, legal and finance teams to support decision-making
• Act as senior commercial authority to the executive team and board

Required profile

• Senior commercial leader with experience on large-scale, complex developments
• Strong grounding in pre-contract cost planning and post-award commercial management
• Experience managing AQS functions, procurement strategies and contract frameworks
• Comfortable operating at board and C-suite level with strong stakeholder gravitas
• Background in major real estate, infrastructure or destination-scale programmes
• Middle East experience is advantageous but not essential

What we offer

• Long-term role on a career-defining, flagship development
• Senior leadership exposure with genuine influence and authority
• Flexible working culture focused on outcomes and accountability