JOB DESCRIPTION / ROLE
Acuity is the advisory business from the Atkins Group. With economies being increasingly shaped by the quality of cities, urban infrastructure and the systems that govern them, we help clients with urban development, big infrastructure and energy ambitions to plan and deliver them successfully. Combining deep business acumen with the engineering expertise of Atkins, we offer seamless, end-to-end advisory services that build greater value, and ever rewarding partnerships.
Acuity advisory services help clients, governments and real estate developers, achieve genuine benefits from their lands, investment and urban change programmes. We advise at senior levels on complex regulatory and business problems, but we also take a hands-on role, to ensure the solutions aren't just conceived, they are enabled and delivered, by public and private sector together. Our ethos is to stand side-by-side with our clients until the real-world benefits of their investment and change programmes are realised.
Job Summary:
Acuity are currently looking for experienced candidates to further develop their 'Strategic Urban Planning Advisory' discipline within the Management Consultancy Service Line to both support future growth and lead the delivery of projects across the MEA region.
The ideal candidate should be someone who has a combination of technical skills in strategic urban planning/development management and acumen for management consultancy and strategic advisory. He or she would have worked in a Consultancy capacity with leading engineering and urban planning consultancies and/or a master developer and/or reputable international management consultancies or strategy houses in the Middle East region with a flair for technical subject matter in the field of urban planning/real estate development and management. Candidates should have ten to fifteen years' experience in a relevant field but most of all be flexible to work on multiple engagements and in multiple countries.
The role is based in KSA and may require travel throughout the GCC. The candidate will be exposed to several industry sectors i.e. Cities & Urban Infrastructure, Real Estate Development, Transport & Aviation and Government, and will work alongside experienced Senior Management Consultants and Technical Specialists from our Group.
Technical Responsibilities:
- Onsite delivery of engagements:
• Development of technical input, tools and templates to support successful delivery of urban planning and management projects
• Lead team of consultants in developing high quality project deliverables - presentations and reports, global best practice research and analysis with expert and advisor input
• Project Management in delivering quality deliverables on time and within budget
• Plan and conduct stakeholder engagement and presentations to clients
• Support Directors and Senior Managers in the management of project risk
• Run internal project management processes - Project Summary Reports etc.
- Support and contribute to development of Intellectual Property and Thought Leadership:
• Establish Subject Matter Expertise
• Contribute to publications, speak at conferences and events and raise profile
Business Responsibilities:
- Support business development activities including the preparation of bids, pricing and content development
- Support Key Account Management and nurturing Client relationships per business strategy
- Manage Junior Consultants and assign tasks accordingly
- Leading workstreams / deliverables with oversight from Senior Management
REQUIREMENTS
Basic Requirements:
- Shall be degree qualified
- 10-15 years of relevant experience in Urban Planning Advisory or development management or a similar position with transferable
- Must be based in KSA.
Skills:
- Strong analytical, organizational, multi-tasking, communication, and problem-solving skills
- 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.
- Excellent communication skills - written and spoken English is essential (Arabic preferred)
Technical Competencies:
- Experience in one or more of the Urban Planning Advisory competencies:
• City & Regional Planning
• Land Use Planning/ Transport Planning/ Infrastructure Planning
• Urban/municipal governance and regulatory frameworks
• Development control and permitting process
• Real Estate Development Planning (large real estate projects)
- Understanding and exposure to Commercial and Financial structures
- Strong project management credentials and experience:
• Risk identification and management
• Stakeholder Engagement & Communications
- Preferable to have a minimum 5 years relevant experience in the Middle East with understanding of regional urban morphology, urban planning practices and institutional arrangements.
- Ability to convey concepts and solutions to a multi-disciplinary team, stakeholders, and higher authorities via oral presentations, written reports, maps and drawings.
Core Behaviours:
- Confidence in leading projects from inception to close in client-facing roles
- Proven ability to engage and influence senior stakeholders
- Collaborative mindset as a team player
- 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
- Self-motivated and determined to pursue continuous improvement, which is essential to processes & procedures development
- Function confidently and competently within client environment and has a positive impact on clients' perception of Acuity
- Consistently achieves high quality standards and requires limited direction and supervision
- Shows flexibility in tasks and location, and deals well with ambiguity
- Understands when to ask for support and using the correct channels
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).
