Senior Project Manager
WSP in Africa · Riyadh, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia ·
- Seniority
- Senior
- Employment
- Contract
- Category
- Project management
- Experience
- 13+ years
What if you could do the kind of work the world needs?
At WSP, you can access our global scale, contribute to landmark projects and connect with the brightest minds in your field to do the best work of your life. You can embrace your curiosity in a culture that celebrates new ideas and diverse perspectives. You can experience a world of opportunity and the chance to shape a career as unique as you.
As a Senior Project Manager, you are responsible for the strategic leadership and successful delivery of complex, multi-disciplinary projects, with a focus on mixed-use and commercial developments, from early concept through to completion.
The role requires a highly proactive and commercially astute approach, ensuring delivery aligns with client objectives, project requirements, operational considerations, and programme commitments. You will lead project teams, drive decision-making, and manage key stakeholder relationships, ensuring high-quality outcomes across all stages of design and delivery.
You are expected to operate with a high degree of autonomy, provide leadership across multiple workstreams, and act as a trusted advisor to clients.
Contract & Scope
- Lead project set-up, including contract finalisation, internal alignment, and mobilisation of the team.
- Fully understand and manage the contract, ensuring compliance with key obligations and deliverables.
- Define, agree, and manage scope across all disciplines, ensuring clarity of responsibilities.
- Lead the appointment and coordination of sub-consultants, including scope, fees, and agreements.
- Identify and manage changes to scope, leading variation preparation, negotiation, and agreement with the client.
- Ensure all deliverables meet WSP quality standards and client expectations.
Communication & Team Leadership
- Act as the primary interface with clients, consultants, contractors, end users, and key stakeholders.
- Provide clear leadership, establishing a high-performing "one team" culture.
- Lead client engagement, workshops, and presentations, including executive-level reporting.
- Manage complex stakeholder environments, including developers, consultants, contractors, operators, end users, and authorities.
- Support clients with strategic decision-making, balancing commercial, operational, technical, and design priorities.
- Proactively manage expectations, risks, and issues to maintain trust and project momentum.
Programme
- Lead development of detailed, realistic programmes aligned with project delivery requirements and key milestones.
- Manage programmes proactively, identifying and mitigating risks to delivery.
- Coordinate with design teams to ensure alignment across all disciplines and project phases.
- Oversee integration of design, procurement, construction, commissioning, and handover activities.
- Ensure programmes reflect authority approvals, procurement strategies, construction sequencing, and phased handovers where applicable.
- Work with Planning & Controls to maintain robust P6 programmes and client reporting.
Design & Technical Coordination
- Lead multidisciplinary design coordination through all stages (Concept to IFC and construction support).
- Ensure alignment between client requirements, operational objectives, and technical design solutions.
- Oversee design reviews, ensuring buildability, compliance, and coordination across disciplines.
- Drive high-quality outputs through structured QA/QC processes.
- Ensure coordination across all project stakeholders and technical interfaces.
Risk Management
- Establish and lead the project Risk Register, ensuring regular review and active management.
- Identify key risks associated with project delivery, stakeholder requirements, authority approvals, procurement activities, and programme constraints.
- Develop and implement mitigation strategies.
- Escalate critical risks to senior leadership and clients as required.
Commercial Management
- Lead all project commercial aspects, including budget management and financial reporting.
- Manage project invoicing, cost tracking, and financial performance.
- Lead preparation, negotiation, and agreement of variations.
- Provide commercial advice to clients, particularly relating to programme impacts, scope changes, and project-related risks.
Delivery & Handover
- Oversee project delivery through to completion, ensuring alignment with client and operational objectives.
- Coordinate phased handovers and ensure effective management of interfaces between project stakeholders and delivery packages.
- Ensure smooth transition between project phases, including design, supervision, construction, commissioning, and handover.
- Lead project close-out, ensuring all deliverables, approvals, and documentation are complete.
- Bachelor's degree in Architecture, or a related field.
- 13+ years professional experience delivering complex mixed-use, commercial, or large-scale developments.
- Proven track record delivering complex, multidisciplinary projects from Concept through to IFC and construction.
- Demonstrable experience delivering complex multidisciplinary projects through all project lifecycle stages.
- Experience working with major developers, operators, or large organizations preferred.
- Experience managing large, multidisciplinary teams and multiple stakeholders.
Core Competencies
- Strong leadership and ability to operate at a senior, client-facing level.
- Strategic thinking with the ability to manage competing priorities.
- Excellent stakeholder management within complex, multidisciplinary project environments.
- Commercial acumen and contractual awareness.
- Strong programme and risk management capability.
- Ability to drive quality, coordination, and technical excellence.
- Collaborative and proactive communication style.
- Ability to lead and motivate multidisciplinary teams.
- Strong understanding of health and safety in design.
Imagine a better future for you and a better future for us all.
Join our close-knit community of talented individuals who share your passion for making a positive impact. Our global team includes more than 69,000 employees, working together to make a difference in communities both close to home and around the world.
With us, you can. Apply today.