Director Handover And Operational Start-Up

Job description / Role

Description

Qiddiya is Saudi Arabia’s flagship destination for entertainment, sports, and culture — a cornerstone of Vision 2030 located just outside Riyadh. Spanning over 360 km², it will feature world-class attractions including a Formula 1-grade racetrack, theme parks, major sports venues, and performance spaces. More than a destination, Qiddiya is a catalyst for economic diversification, job creation, and a new way of life. With construction progressing rapidly, we’re looking for driven professionals ready to help shape one of the world’s most ambitious developments. Every role here has real impact — from planning and design to delivery and operations. If you're motivated by large-scale challenges and lasting legacy, there’s a place for you at Qiddiya.

General summary

The Director of Handover & Operational Start-Up, working under the SDU Quality Team, is responsible for delivering quality assurance across project closeout, commissioning, and transition to operations. The role ensures operational readiness by implementing verification frameworks, coordinating with key stakeholders, and systematically monitoring initial operational performance. It includes reviewing and updating the QMS for new processes, enhancing the quality handover process, and ensuring compliance with stage gate deliverables and quality requirements. The Director fosters collaboration, mitigates quality risks, and ensures consistent application of best practices. The role also involves managing cross-functional coordination and providing insights to support strategic decision-making.

Essential duties and responsibilities

• Lead quality assurance efforts during handover and operational start-up phases.
• Collaborate closely with operations teams to ensure timely updates to the Quality Management System (QMS).
• Develop and assure implementation of a centralized Verification & Validation (V&V) framework.
• Establish a second-layer assurance mechanism for independent verification.
• Design and maintain dashboards for progressive tracking and readiness reporting.
• Ensure all documentation, testing, and validation activities are complete and compliant.
• Coordinate closely with Development, Assets Business Unit, and Operations teams to ensure seamless transitions.
• Monitor and evaluate quality performance during the operational start-up phase.
• Oversee integration with the Assurance and Audit team to initiate the assurance process ahead of asset handover.
• Review and update the Quality Management System (QMS) in coordination with the Operations team to reflect new operational processes.
• Review and enhance the quality handover process to ensure alignment with organizational standards and operational needs.
• Assure the delivery of quality requirements and documentation for asset handover.
• Ensure compliance with stage gate deliverables for both handover and operational start-up phases.
• Capture and document lessons learned to support continuous improvement initiatives.

Requirements

Qualifications

• BSc in Engineering, Quality Management or similar degree (i.e. UK Level 6)
• Certified ISO 9001 Quality Management System Lead Auditor
• Over 15 years of leadership experience in the construction industry on mega or giga projects and assets operations