Director - Transport Governance (CDU3) - 20004743

Qiddiya is Saudi Arabia’s future capital of entertainment, sports, and culture — a 360 km² mega-project just outside Riyadh. From F1-grade racetracks and theme parks to stadiums and performance venues, we’re creating a destination like no other. This is more than a project, it’s a national transformation. As construction accelerates, we’re hiring ambitious talent to help shape it. If you’re driven by scale, impact, and the chance to build something iconic from the ground up, Qiddiya is calling for you.

General Summary:

The Director of Transport Strategy leads strategic planning, analysis and implementation of various initiatives for the Transport Division, ensuring the long-term direction of the transport portfolio aligns with QIC’s investment priorities, policy objectives, and commercial outcomes.

This role is responsible for shaping strategic direction across major transport projects and initiatives, providing strategic insights and thinking across a wide array of topics including project feasibility, international comparative benchmarking, operational costs modelling etc. to support informed decision-making. Working closely with the Senior Director of Transport, this role also partners with the QIC Corporate Strategy team to ensure coherence with broader organizational goals.

The ideal candidate brings deep transport sector knowledge, a strong management consulting background, and demonstrated expertise in leading strategic initiatives. They will also be confident delivering strategic pieces of work themselves, as well as managing external advisors and driving high-value outcomes within a matrixed environment.

This role is a people leader role with high expectations of the nurturing of junior talent and the creation of a safe and enjoyable space for them to work.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead the development and refinement of the strategic roadmap for the Transport Division, including portfolio priorities, project sequencing, and long-term transport planning.
• Manage a team of six strategy professionals, providing leadership, coaching, and direction to deliver high-quality analysis, recommendations, and documentation.
• Develop high-quality business cases for transport initiatives, including cost-benefit analyses, economic impact assessments, operational sustainable cost modelling and alignment with investment frameworks.
• Build and maintain complex operational and capital cost models to support project viability, investment planning, and scenario analysis.
• Prepare strategic updates, briefing materials, and presentations for the Senior Director and Chief of Transport and key governance forums.
• Oversee the engagement and direction of external strategy and technical consultants, ensuring outputs are aligned with internal strategy and provide value-for-money.
• Serve as the primary point of strategic interface between the Transport Division and QIC’s Corporate Strategy team, aligning divisional strategy with enterprise-level goals.
• Monitor industry trends, regulatory changes, and policy developments to inform strategic positioning and risk assessment.

Behavioral Competencies:

• Strategic Thinking
• Leadership
• Stakeholder Influence
• Collaboration
• Accountability

Requirements

Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in Transport Planning, Engineering, Business, Economics, or related field.

Master’s degree (e.g., MBA, Master of Transport, or Urban Planning) strongly preferred.

Professional credentials in strategy, economics, or transport policy highly regarded.

Strong understanding of transport infrastructure, public transport systems, and regulatory and funding models.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex ideas to executive stakeholders.

Experience:

Proven track record in developing strategic business cases and cost models for transport infrastructure programs.

Demonstrated experience leading high-performing teams and managing external consultants.

Strong familiarity with Middle East transport markets, government frameworks, and investment structures preferred.

Years of Experience:

Minimum 12+ years of experience in transport strategy, including a minimum of 5 years in a top-tier management consulting environment.

At least 8 years of experience working in or advising transport agencies, infrastructure developers, or related government entities.