Senior Manager - Strategic Advisory (UAE/KSA)

Job description / Role

Be part of Acuity, the advisory arm of SNC-Lavalin Atkins, where we help our clients to deliver their big ambitions for infrastructure across the Middle East.

Acuity combines management consulting, financing and technical capabilities to help clients solve complex front-end problems in the built environment, through our Strategic Advisory (Infrastructure and Transport), Business Transformation, Strategic Asset Management & Smart Cities Solutions Service Lines and PPP advisory.

Infrastructure investment is a key driver for the region's economic growth, and even more so in shaping the regions recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, and a core enabler for the regions long-term strategies and development plans driving economic diversification.

The Opportunity

At SNC-Lavalin Atkins' Consulting and Advisory services, which operated in the middle east under the Atkins Acuity brand, we are currently looking for candidates to our Strategic Advisory Services for Infrastructure (incl. Transport). We are focused on growing our strategic advisory and large scale transformation delivery across our clients within multiple sectors, mainly government and infrastructure clients across the MEA region.

Our Strategic Advisory team is focused on the following key areas:


- Strategic Advisory in early stage on large scale Infrastructure, Transport and Urban Development programmes, from policy, institutional and capability development; strategic planning and strategic business case development to helping clients to scope their programmes and execution

- Ongoing strategic support to drive more successful infrastructure project delivery.


We are looking for individuals with experience from Advisory and Consulting firms, with a real passion and interest for infrastructure development.

The role is based in region and will require travel. The candidate will be exposed to a number of industries and clients - Infrastructure & Transport, Government and Private entities, Energy, Oil & Gas; Cities & Urban and work alongside experienced Consultants and Technical Specialists from our broader Group.

As a Manager, your key focus will be to lead day to day activity on our engagements with our infrastructure clients with responsibility and day to day management of the Atkins Acuity team and engagement delivery scope;

Our engagements and clients are all unique, but some typical activities are:


- Business Case development using best practice infrastructure BC models

- Visioning, Strategy and Early stage Infrastructure Programme definition, design and development and ongoing support - in co-ordination with our technical domain experts.

- Market Analysis and benchmarking across the infrastructure sector.

- Delivering presentations, recommendations and solutions to senior clients.

- Stakeholder management and driving alignment and buy-in for our engagements;

- The confidence to build lasting relationships and influence senior colleagues and clients in leading roles;

- Experience of working within both traditional and agile project environments with high degree of ambiguity and a track record of high-quality delivery.

- Working together with our technical advisors, engineers, planners, commercial consultants to bring integrated offerings to our clients.


Win Work


- Contributing to the profitability of our business, through identifying business development opportunities with current and potential clients.

- Identifying opportunities for new and integrated services, bringing the best from our global business, our technical domains to our clients in the middle east and beyond.

- Using your knowledge and expertise of the infrastructure sectors to develop innovative value propositions.


People


- Provide guidance, coaching and training to our junior staff.

- Practice building & Development.

- Contribute to positioning our Consulting and Advisory services across the middle east through thought leadership development, social media presence.

- Actively pursue internal practice development for the infrastructure market in general but also within specific domains and capabilities (e.g. Programme Transformation, Technology, Sustainability and Net Zero, Operational Excellence).


Requirements for the role:


- Educated to Degree qualified level or equivalent qualification or experience;

- 8+ years experience within the infrastructure sector, with specific experience in key capabilities (Strategic Planning, Programme definition & delivery, Business case development, Sustainability and Net Zero) in Management Consulting and Advisory environments or a relevant position with transferable skills

- Strong understanding of the infrastructure sector;

- Ability to analyse data and deliver insightful practical solutions;

- Skills and experience in Portfolio, Programme and Project Management;

- Ability to identify, create and sustain value;

- Willingness and able to travel across the middle-east region;

- Ideally an appropriate professional qualification that support an infrastructure delivery focus.

Requirements

Core Behaviours


- Demonstrate drive, enthusiasm and commitment to projects while projecting a professional image

- Excellent planning and organisation skills

- Able to make decisions, act on own initiative and operate in a proactive manner with a positive attitude

- Function confidently and competently within client environment and has a positive impact on clients' perception of Acuity

- Planning and Organizational agility: Accurately scopes length and difficulty of projects, setting realistically aggressive objectives and goals. Compensates for roadblocks and looks ahead to see impact on dependent activities

- Shows flexibility in tasks and location, and deals well with ambiguity

- Excellent communication skills - written and spoken English is essential (Arabic preferred)


Rewards and Benefits

We offer an excellent package which includes:


- A competitive tax-free salary

- Accommodation allowance

- Transportation allowance

- 22 days annual leave

- Medical and life insurance cover

- Company gratuity scheme

- Discretionary bonus scheme

- Annual flight allowance to point of origin

- Employee Assistance Program - 24-hour free advice on financial, legal and family care specialists and also access to personal health, fitness and nutrition consultants

About the Company

Atkins is one of the leading providers of professional, technology based consultancy and support services to the industry, commerce and governments in all of the worlds major economies. With over 17,000 staff operating in Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and the Americas, Atkins has a broad range of skills and resources and provides Clients with a comprehensive service throughout the entire life cycle of the projects in the built environment.

We aim to be the international first choice supplier of technical and integrated services. Shaped by our customers' needs, our vision is to:

• focus on quality
• seek world class design and excellence
• strive to add value
• be flexible to the evolving needs of a changing society

Atkins first carried out design and supervision commissions in the Gulf area in 1967. From its regional head office in Dubai, U.A.E. Atkins Middle East now employs over 2000 staff located in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Oman (Muscat ), Qatar (Doha) Bahrain (Manama), Kuwait (Kuwait City) and India (Bangalore).